Dispositional Hypo-egoicism
Mark R. Leary, Kirk Warren Brown, Kate J. Diebels
Oxford Handbooks Online October 5, 2016 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199328079.013.20 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Well-being: harmonious life Richer connections Emotional equanimity Flow Awe Compassion Minimize self-preoccupation Less egocentric thinking Mindfulness: present-moment awareness Interpersonal style: agreeable Attentive Caring interpersonal style |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Proposes that hypo-egoic individuals are more present-focused, less egocentric, and more motivated to balance self-interest with others' needs, and are more likely to experience flow, awe, compassion, and mystical experiences. |
Abstract
This chapter examines the cognitive, motivational, emotional, and interpersonal characteristics that distinguish hypo-egoic from egoic individuals and speculates about the origins of these differences. Cognitively, hypo-egoic people tend to be more focused on stimuli in the present moment, which they process in an experiential fashion with minimal internal commentary. They also tend to be less egocentric and to have a less individuated identity than people who are more egoic. In terms of motivation and emotion, hypo-egoic people appear motivated to balance their own self-interests with the needs of other people, show less concern with how they are evaluated by others, and display greater emotional equanimity. Interpersonally, hypo-egoicism appears to be associated with an agreeable, attentive, and caring style of relating to other people. In addition, people with these characteristics are probably more likely to experience hypo-egoic phenomena such as flow, awe, compassion, and mystical experiences.