selfcomplaisance

Self-complaisance is a noun describing a disposition to please oneself, or to take satisfaction in one's own qualities or achievements. In common usage it denotes excessive self-satisfaction, smugness, or complacency about oneself, often accompanied by a lack of critical self-examination.

Etimology: derived from French complaisance meaning “willingness to please” with the English self- prefix; the sense of being overly content with oneself has appeared in philosophical and literary contexts since the early modern period.

Usage: The term is usually pejorative, applied to attitudes that hinder growth, virtue, or objective judgment. It can refer to a habit of flattering one’s own opinions, resisting correction, or assuming moral or intellectual superiority without warrant.

Contexts: In ethics and political philosophy, self-complaisance is contrasted with humility or critical self-scrutiny. In psychology, it overlaps with traits associated with narcissism or high self-esteem when not balanced by accuracy.

Examples: A manager who credits all success to personal merit while ignoring external factors; a poet who refuses to revise because they are convinced of inherent genius.

Related terms: complacency, smugness, self-satisfaction, self-flattery, narcissism, self-congratulation.

See also: self-esteem, humility, self-criticism.