We can’t avoid them because they are everywhere: people who insist that the world involves around them. Even when you’re the head of a business, these people are the kind of people who insist they still know better because they’ve been around the block a few times (and sometimes not at all). Don’t fret, though: you don’t need to have them in your inner circle, and in fact, it’s best if you ban them from it altogether.
Egotistical People
Before Copernicus exposed the truth of Planet Earth, everyone assumed that the planet was the center of everything that was. Copernicus and Galileo were not wise enough to discover how to convince particular people that they, indeed, are not the center of the universe either. Naturally, self-interest is a good thing - looking out for yourself doesn't do anyone any harm. It can protect you and your business in bad situations, and it can motivate you to keep on keeping on when times get difficult because you don’t want to fail.
Who You Should Keep Instead
However, ENLIGHTENED self-interest is much better, because you can learn and teach while you walk through life as well. Self-centered people just make life in a business a horrible experience. They're difficult to get along with and hard to work with. So, unlike Galileo, don't get sentenced to death (or working with them) by trying to change their minds. Instead, just turn your back and walk away. It's actually fairly easy, especially since most of the time they won't even know you're gone. All joking aside, egotistical people who are too absorbed in their own worlds never make good business partners, employees, or friends.
