The term “egoism” has been employed in literature to span a vast spectrum of meanings—from a foundational ethical principle to a descriptor of human frailty. For instance, in philosophical discourses such as Sidgwick’s Methods of Ethics [1, 2, 3, 4] and Nietzsche’s works [5, 6, 7, 8, 9], egoism is treated as an essential characteristic that both drives individual action and underpins debates on morality and altruism. At the same time, in fields like criminal psychology and psychoanalysis, texts by Hans Gross [10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16] and Sigmund Freud [17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24] interpret egoism as a critical, if sometimes aberrant, personal trait connected with laziness, conceit, and self-interest. Meanwhile, in narrative literature—from Chekhov’s pointed exclamations [25, 26, 27, 28] to the complex character portrayals in Dostoyevsky [29, 30] and George Eliot [31, 32, 33]—egoism emerges as a dynamic force that influences interpersonal relationships and moral conflicts. This diverse usage underscores the term’s layered nature, simultaneously serving as a philosophical axiom and a window into the human condition.