self-seeking
Out for oneself
Self-seeking describes pursuing one's own interests without regard for others.
The term carries moral disapproval—a self-seeking person prioritizes personal gain over collective good or ethical considerations: His self-seeking behavior alienated his colleagues.
As a noun, self-seeking is this quality or practice: The company culture rewarded self-seeking over teamwork.
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- deviousUnderhanded and calculating
underhanded · unscrupulous · crafty · sly · guileful · wily · deceitful · artful
Prioritizing personal advantage
- greedyExcessively wanting more
- inconsiderateLacking regard for others
- uncharitableHarshly critical, ungracious
- egotisticalExcessively self-centered
uncaring · indifferent · callous · taking · grasping · covetous · materialistic · acquisitive
Excessive focus on advancement
- climberOne who scales
- striverOne who works diligently
- go-getterAmbitious, driven person
- power-hungryObsessed with gaining control
success-driven · advancement · promotion · aspiration · driven · high-flyer · up-and-comer · overachiever
Exploiting the vulnerable
- parasiticExploiting a host organism
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
- profiteeringExploiting scarcity for gain
- rapaciousExcessively grasping or greedy
extractive · using · leeching · opportunism · usurious · user · freeloading · sponging
Prioritizing practicality over ethics
- wheeler-dealerAggressive, scheming dealmaker
- operatorOne who works machinery
- hustlerAggressive, unscrupulous earner
- chancerUnscrupulous risk-taker
sharpie · intriguer · pragmatism · adaptability · opening
Excessive admiration of oneself
- vanityExcessive pride in oneself
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
- arroganceExcessive self-importance
- egomaniacalPathologically fixated on oneself
grandiosity · hubris · smugness · vainglory · boastfulness · immodesty · pomposity · haughtiness
scheming
Crafty and calculating
- calculatingColdly self-serving in strategy
- connivingSecretly planning wrongdoing
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
devious · underhanded · unscrupulous · crafty · sly · guileful · wily · deceitful · artful · insidious
me-first
Prioritizing personal advantage
- greedyExcessively wanting more
- inconsiderateLacking regard for others
- uncharitableHarshly critical, ungracious
egotistical · uncaring · indifferent · callous · taking · grasping · covetous · materialistic · acquisitive · hoarding
careerism
Excessive focus on advancement
power-hungry · success-driven · advancement · promotion · aspiration · driven · high-flyer · up-and-comer · overachiever · ladder-climbing
predatory
Exploiting the vulnerable
- parasiticExploiting a host organism
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
- profiteeringExploiting scarcity for gain
rapacious · extractive · using · leeching · opportunism · usurious · user · freeloading · sponging · gold-digging
expediency
Prioritizing practicality over ethics
- wheeler-dealerAggressive, scheming dealmaker
- operatorOne who works machinery
- hustlerAggressive, unscrupulous earner
chancer · sharpie · intriguer · pragmatism · adaptability · opening
narcissism
Excessive admiration of oneself
- vanityExcessive pride in oneself
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
- arroganceExcessive self-importance
egomaniacal · grandiosity · hubris · smugness · vainglory · boastfulness · immodesty · pomposity · haughtiness
- selfish traitsgreedy, egotistical, narcissistic, me-first, entitled
- selfishnessgreed, egoism, narcissism, entitlement, avarice
- egotismarrogant, conceited, egocentric, egomaniac, egotist
self-seekingaltruistic
Concerned for others' welfare
selfless · self-sacrificing · unselfish · altruism · magnanimous
self-seekingunambitious
Lacking desire for achievement
ambitionless · humble · modest · unassertive · content
self, seek, selfish, seeking, selfless, unselfish, selfishness, seeker, selflessness