I recently shared with a friend that my ascendant sign is Sagittarius. He responded with surprise and said he never would have guessed it. When I inquired why. He said that I did not strike him as very self-centered. According to him, Sagittarians are very egotistical. This is their #1 trait.
I agree with my friend and do not see myself as having a self-centered personality, but I wondered if others might perceive me as such. How did the self-centered stereotype become associated with Sagittarius? Sometimes stereotypes have a kernel of truth behind them that becomes grossly exaggerated over time. Is this the case for Sagittarius? I decided to find out for myself.
Generally, Sagittarius draws attention to themselves by their tendency to hijack conversations. Their non-conformist personality does not bend easily to the will of others and their carefree nature gives people the impression that they don’t care about anyone but themselves.
While Sagittarius may inadvertently give off the impression of being selfish and unconcerned with others, this is not usually malicious on the part of the Sagittarius. Keep reading to learn more about the appearance of self-centeredness in people born under the sign of Sagittarius.
Sagittarius isn’t self-important, they’re just self-concerned
When you first meet a Sagittarius
, you might be inclined to see them in a self-centered light. After all, Sagittarians may seem a lot more concerned with their own goings-on than they are with the situations of anyone else they meet. This can give others the impression that Sagittarius is self-important or arrogant.
However, this isn’t entirely the case. While it’s true that Sagittarius natives may concentrate on what’s going on in their lives, their lack of attention to others’ lives isn’t due to arrogance. Instead, Sagittarius simply is so hyper-focused on what is capturing their attention at the moment that they don’t have much energy left to show concern for what’s going on around them. It’s not that they don’t notice that other people have things happening; they just find it difficult to make themselves care about the drama of other people.
Sagittarius is also prone to passionate love affairs and other intense relationships, and this can leave them with little emotional energy for the affairs of others. [Source]
Sagittarians also tend to be highly intelligent, which can give them a birds-eye view of others’ problems. This sign learns early that trying to intervene in other people’s affairs usually only leads to aggravation for the Sagittarius. So as they grow up, they make a point to avoid conflicts that don’t directly involve them.
Sagittarius non-conformity means they aren’t worried about the judgment of others
Sagittarius is known as one of the more unconventional and non-conformist zodiac signs. This lack of conformity can lead people to perceive Sagittarius as self-centered when they disregard the standards of social convention and adopt rules of their own design.
Sagittarius natives may be prone to some of the following:
- Anything outside of the mainstream
- Unconventional hair colors, tattoos, and piercings
- Brutal honesty
This isn’t an indication that Sagittarius is self-centered, though. Sagittarians recognize that the judgment of others often lacks full insight into the situation and is centered around awareness of how one is perceived by others. But Sagittarius is ruled by their own perceptions, which means that they often adopt a devil-may-care attitude towards others’ judgments.
This can appear self-centered because Sagittarians may explicitly disobey the wishes of others to wrest authority away from them. This is driven by the need for Sagittarians to be free from the rule of others. When Sagittarians refuse to obey out of spite or pettiness, this can cause them to come off as selfish or self-centered.
The advantage of Sagittarius natives having such a non-conformist attitude is that they often become some of the world’s greatest innovators. Unafraid of being judged negatively for blazing a trail, Sagittarians are never afraid to walk a solitary path to achieve their goals.
Sagittarius wants to do it their way
Unlike an indecisive Libra or Aquarius, Sagittarians know their own mind. They know how they want to do things, and they want to do them their way. This means that when Sagittarians are put in a position of power, they may refuse to compromise with others when it comes to executive decisions. This “my way or the highway” attitude in both business and domestic affairs can make Sagittarians seem self-centered.
But Sagittarius natives don’t just want things done their way to get their own way. They have a strong innate belief that their way is the best way to do things. Because they are such innovative minds and have a reputation for both emotional and technical intelligence, they can sometimes see solutions to problems that others cannot see. Unfortunately, the opposite also is true. Sagittarians can be blind to solutions that are staring them right in the face and that others can readily see.
Along with being misperceived as self-centered, Sagittarius is also often misperceived as self-assured. While Sagittarius does give off an air of not caring what other people think of them, this can often hide a deep well of self-criticism and doubt. [Source]
Sagittarius is always on the move
Sagittarians are constantly on the move in life—if they’re not physically on the move while traveling or participating in activities such as sports, they forever have their eyes on the horizon or the next big thing coming up in their lives. Sagittarius natives are concerned with their futures and fate, causing them to be perceived as self-centered by others who do not share their vision.
Sagittarius is attracted to:
- Travel
- Civil rights
- Adventure
- Progressive thought
This deep desire for freedom (not just of movement but of mind) can cause Sagittarius to make life decisions based on their sense of independence. This can have the unfortunate effect of leaving a distance between them and other people. [Source]
Because of this distance, many people may misinterpret the aloof Sagittarius nature as self-absorption.
If a Sagittarian chooses wanderlust over stable home life, such as investing in a career that involves long away trips or other travel, this can put a strain on their relationships with family members. Family members may not understand a Sagittarian’s need to explore new horizons, which can lead to a perception of self-centeredness or an unwillingness to compromise for the good of the family.
Sagittarius is carefree
A common characteristic of Sagittarius that may stand out even to people who first meet them is their carefree nature. Even older Sagittarians can have a childlike air about them, and most never lose their sense of play. For more serious zodiac signs, this playful nature can come across as recklessness or a lack of maturity.
When it comes to more serious matters, Sagittarians can step up and act mature towards their responsibilities. Still, they will feel resentful of being asked to shoulder the responsibilities of others since this is a limit on their cherished freedoms. Sagittarians are—as a general rule—way too restless to be bound by the rules or obligations of others.
The carefree nature of Sagittarians may lead others to believe that they are self-centered and don’t care about the problems of other people. To an extent, this is the truth and the result of some degree of emotional immaturity. But it isn’t that Sagittarians don’t have compassion for the problems of others. In fact, Sagittarius is known for being one of the most compassionate and emotionally intelligent of the signs. It’s just that they’re too invested in protecting their own freedom to be caught up in someone else’s troubles.
Sagittarius is self-centered, but not how you may think
When people hear that Sagittarius has a reputation for being self-centered, this is usually interpreted negatively, as if the Sagittarius is selfish or egotistical. But the self-absorption of Sagittarius is usually the result of wanting to stay free of other people’s troubles more than the result of self-love, vanity, or pride.
While it’s true that Sagittarius sometimes tends to come off as self-centered, there are also many other positive traits in a Sagittarius such as friendliness and intelligence that help off-set their somewhat extreme need for freedom and self-control.
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