Egotistical means excessively focused on yourself, convinced of your own superiority, and constantly needing others to recognize how great you are. An egotistical person talks endlessly about their accomplishments, dismisses other people's achievements, and struggles to admit when they're wrong.

You can see the difference between confidence and egotism clearly at school. A confident student might feel good about acing a test because they studied hard. An egotistical student would brag loudly about their score, compare it to everyone else's grades, and act like their success proves they're smarter than their classmates. Confidence comes from genuine ability and doesn't need constant validation. Egotism demands an audience.

Someone with an enormous ego can't stop thinking about themselves. In Greek mythology, Narcissus was so self-absorbed that he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and couldn't look away.

Egotistical people often don't realize how they come across. They think they're impressing others, but they're actually pushing people away. Most people don't enjoy spending time with someone who treats every conversation like a chance to show off.