--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An egocentric pessimist is a person who…" description: "\"An egocentric pessimist is a person who thinks he hasn't changed, but that other people are behaving worse than before.\" — Idries Shah" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/idries-shah-450_changed_an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who_306328.jpg" --- # An egocentric pessimist is a person who thinks he hasn't… ![“An egocentric pessimist is a person who thinks he hasn't changed, but that other people are behaving worse than before.” quote by Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/idries-shah-450_changed_an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who_306328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/idries-shah-450_changed_an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who_306328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/idries-shah-450_changed_an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who_306328.jpg) > “An egocentric pessimist is a person who thinks he hasn't changed, but that other people are behaving worse than before.” [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It describes a pessimistic ego‑centered view where one believes they are unchanged while judging others as worse. **In simple terms:** An egocentric pessimist thinks they haven't changed but sees others as worse. Key Takeaway Challenge self‑critical bias. Themes self‑awareness humility psychology Mood introspective analytical Type psychological philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - teamwork - leadership development Key Concepts cognitive bias ego theory Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑perception affect judgment of others? - What steps reduce egocentric pessimism? A Different Perspective May generalize complex attitudes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Pessimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimist/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [A pessimist? That's a person who has been intimately acquainted with an optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/a-pessimist-that-s-a-person-who-has-been-intimately-acquainted-with/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Pessimist : A person who says that O is the last letter of ZERO, instead of the first letter in OPPORTUNITY.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/pessimist-a-person-who-says-that-o-is-the-last-letter-of-zero-instead/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [A pessimist is a person who is always right but doesn't get any enjoyment out of it, while an optimist, is one who imagines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cherbuliez/a-pessimist-is-a-person-who-is-always-right-but-doesn-t-get-any/) Victor Cherbuliez > [an optimist is the man who looks after your eyes, and the pessimist the person who looks after your feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-leverson/an-optimist-is-the-man-who-looks-after-your-eyes-and-the-pessimist/) [Ada Leverson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-leverson/) > [A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-marquis/a-pessimist-is-a-person-who-has-had-to-listen-to-too-many-optimists/) [Don Marquis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-marquis/) > [“You know, if you're going to take me aside when I'm behaving badly, I may start behaving worse. Just to get some attention from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-lazebnik/you-know-if-you-re-going-to-take-me-aside-when-i-m-behaving-badly-i/) [Claire LaZebnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-lazebnik/) > [Sometimes a pessimist is only an optimist with extra information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/sometimes-a-pessimist-is-only-an-optimist-with-extra-information/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [The intelligent investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-intelligent-investor-is-a-realist-who-sells-to-optimists-and-buys/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [I'm such a pessimist. I find it impossible to enjoy anything, especially while it's happening. I'm thinking about how to get the next thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-anderson/i-m-such-a-pessimist-i-find-it-impossible-to-enjoy-anything/) [Jacob Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-anderson/) > [“Briefly, then, life, to the pessimist, is a motiveless desire, a constant pain and continued struggle, followed by death, and so on, in secula…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-saltus/briefly-then-life-to-the-pessimist-is-a-motiveless-desire-a-constant/) [Edgar Saltus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-saltus/) > [I'm not a pessimist. I do believe that in some way we don't understand, God has a hand in things and it will all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-bean/i-m-not-a-pessimist-i-do-believe-that-in-some-way-we-don-t-understand/) [Orson Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-bean/) > [“The optimist and the pessimist both die in the end, but each lives is life in a completely different way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-optimist-and-the-pessimist-both-die-in-the-end-but-each-lives-is/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The bottom line on attitude is that a good one helps to increase your possibilities. Pessimists usually get what they expect. So do optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-bottom-line-on-attitude-is-that-a-good-one-helps-to-increase-your/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [I thought all my life that optimists and pessimists pass away the same way, so why be a pessimist?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-thought-all-my-life-that-optimists-and-pessimists-pass-away-the/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [I'm a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-gramsci/i-m-a-pessimist-because-of-intelligence-but-an-optimist-because-of/) [Antonio Gramsci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-gramsci/) ## More by Idries Shah > [“To be a Sufi is to detach from fixed ideas and from preconceptions; and not to try to avoid what is your lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/to-be-a-sufi-is-to-detach-from-fixed-ideas-and-from-preconceptions/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“Teach honesty by all means - you do know what it is, don't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/teach-honesty-by-all-means-you-do-know-what-it-is-don-t-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“Sufism is transmitted by means of the human exemplar, the teacher.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/sufism-is-transmitted-by-means-of-the-human-exemplar-the-teacher/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“No existe práctica en aislamiento.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/no-existe-pr-ctica-en-aislamiento/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [A king who feared wasps once decreed that they were abolished. As it happened, they did him no harm. But he was eventually stung…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/a-king-who-feared-wasps-once-decreed-that-they-were-abolished-as-it/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“Do not tell your secrets to everyone in this headquarters, Earth. We have surveyed it well. There was nobody to whom to entrust secrets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/do-not-tell-your-secrets-to-everyone-in-this-headquarters-earth-we/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“Sufis are those who have expunged from their minds the human tendencies of envy and enmity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/sufis-are-those-who-have-expunged-from-their-minds-the-human/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“Yes, the world is an illusion. But Truth is always being shown there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/yes-the-world-is-an-illusion-but-truth-is-always-being-shown-there/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [It is the message, not the man, which is important to the Sufis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/it-is-the-message-not-the-man-which-is-important-to-the-sufis/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [The human being, whether he realises it or not, is trusting someone or something every moment of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/the-human-being-whether-he-realises-it-or-not-is-trusting-someone-or/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“Who is the wrong person to criticise? You”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/who-is-the-wrong-person-to-criticise-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“You may be able to get the bone down your throat But if it reaches your stomach it will tear your navel. (Gulistan)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/you-may-be-able-to-get-the-bone-down-your-throat-but-if-it-reaches/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [“People are always trying to understand. There is only one way to do that. It is to discover < + i + >why< +…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/people-are-always-trying-to-understand-there-is-only-one-way-to-do/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [We view Sufism not as an ideology that molds people to the right way of belief or action, but as an art or science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/we-view-sufism-not-as-an-ideology-that-molds-people-to-the-right-way/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) [Explore all 365 Idries Shah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) ## More Changed quotes > [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [You made me hate my own reflection Question every choice I make So I could try to be perfect But I will try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/you-made-me-hate-my-own-reflection-question-every-choice-i-make-so-i/) [Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/) > [Everything has changed and nothing has changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lowery/everything-has-changed-and-nothing-has-changed/) [Joseph Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lowery/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Faith is the avenue to salvation. Not intellectual understanding. Not money. Not your works. Just simple faith. How much faith? The faith of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-the-avenue-to-salvation-not-intellectual-understanding-not/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When I became Miss World, I couldn't believe I had won it. I used to sleep with my crown because I was scared someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka-chopra/when-i-became-miss-world-i-couldn-t-believe-i-had-won-it-i-used-to/) [Priyanka Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka-chopra/) > [As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-light-changed-from-red-to-green-to-yellow-and-back-to-red/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Working with Rihanna has changed my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibi-bourelly/working-with-rihanna-has-changed-my-life/) [Bibi Bourelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibi-bourelly/) > [The international game has changed for bidding cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ueberroth/the-international-game-has-changed-for-bidding-cities/) [Peter Ueberroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ueberroth/) > [You changed my life, don't know what you're doing to me with your love. You got me feeling super human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-changed-my-life-don-t-know-what-you-re-doing-to-me-with-your-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not changing because I'm part of a hit. People around me have changed in their attitude toward me, but I haven't changed. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-penny/i-m-not-changing-because-i-m-part-of-a-hit-people-around-me-have/) [Joe Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-penny/) > [Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, 'We don't teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/good-people-are-found-not-changed-recently-i-read-a-headline-that/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) Browse all 6,529 Changed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An egocentric pessimist is a person who thinks he hasn't changed, but that other people are behaving worse than before.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Idries Shah" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who-thinks-he-hasn-t-changed-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Changed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who-thinks-he-hasn-t-changed-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/idries-shah-450_changed_an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who_306328.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/idries-shah-450_changed_an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who_306328.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/idries-shah-450_changed_an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who_306328.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An egocentric pessimist is a person who thinks he hasn't changed, but that other people are behaving worse…” — Idries Shah", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Idries Shah", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "An egocentric pessimist is a person...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who-thinks-he-hasn-t-changed-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/an-egocentric-pessimist-is-a-person-who-thinks-he-hasn-t-changed-but/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```