egocentric bais

egocentric bias means tendency to over-rely on one’s own perspective and overestimate personal role or importance in events.

it happens because we have better access to our own thoughts and feelings than others’, so our brain fills gaps with self-centered assumptions.

🔹 simple definition

egocentric bias = seeing everything through your own lens and thinking you’re more important than you actually are

🔹 real world example

imagine you’re working on a group project with three other people. you spend 4 hours researching and writing your part. your teammates also spend 4 hours each on their parts.

but when the project is done, you think: “i did most of the work here.”

that’s egocentric bias — you remember your own effort vividly but underestimate others’ contributions.

🔹 step-by-step example

1. what happens:

   • you focus on your own actions and feelings
   • you have detailed memory of your efforts
   • you have limited insight into others’ work
   • your brain fills gaps with self-centered assumptions

2. common situations:

   • group projects: “i did most of the work”
   • conversations: assuming others share your views
   • relationships: believing you’re investing more effort
   • conflicts: each person blames the other

3. why it matters:

   • distorts your self-view
   • creates conflicts and resentment
   • reduces empathy for others
   • leads to poor decisions

🔹 how to fix it

• perspective-taking: imagine others’ viewpoints
• seek feedback: ask for others’ accounts first
• shared review: discuss contributions factually in groups
• mindfulness: flag “i/me”-focused judgments