as in selfness
excessive interest in oneself
she saw in him the kind of self-concern that she thought was unattractive in a partner
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Recent Examples of self-concern
Most actions are small, simple, and self-concerned.
—
Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
But limiting, unhelpful characteristics such as envy, greed, and anxiety often creep in and take over when self-concern takes the lead.
—Elizabeth Mata, Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2025
How much genuine pathos, and how much savvy self-concern, expediency?
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
While our hearts might be able to bleed for billions of strangers at a time, our heads are often preoccupied with more local problems, and the 21st century has exacerbated that dissonance to the point that we’re all locked in a near-constant negotiation between empathy and self-concern.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 June 2024
Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
But limiting, unhelpful characteristics such as envy, greed, and anxiety often creep in and take over when self-concern takes the lead.
—Elizabeth Mata, Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2025
How much genuine pathos, and how much savvy self-concern, expediency?
—Willing Davidson, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
While our hearts might be able to bleed for billions of strangers at a time, our heads are often preoccupied with more local problems, and the 21st century has exacerbated that dissonance to the point that we’re all locked in a near-constant negotiation between empathy and self-concern.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-concern
Noun
-
Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
-
The adjectives used to describe vampire Lucy suggest monstrous selfishness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
All to justify his vanity project.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
The director describes him less as a young actor searching for a performance than as someone instinctively in tune with the character’s vanity, insecurity and swagger.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
By catering to his ego, international leaders can persuade Washington to forget—or at least to ignore—past tensions.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
-
Out of this evolutionary necessity, new ways of leading are emerging based on the consciousness of a connected self, that both embraces the ego and puts it in service of a bigger picture, a higher calling.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-concern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-concern. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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