self-assertion

English

Etymology

self- +‎ assertion

Noun

self-assertion (uncountable)

  1. The aggressive advancement of one's own opinions or wishes.
    • 1869, Charles Dickens, David Copperfield:
      If his sweet-tempered wife could have got up any self-assertion against anyone, I am satisfied it could only have been because she was the Beauty’s sister.
    • 1893, Thomas Huxley, Evolution and Ethics:
      In place of ruthless self-assertion it demands self-restraint; in place of thrusting aside, or treading down, all competitors, it requires that the individual shall not merely respect, but shall help his fellows; its influence is directed, not so much to the survival of the fittest, as to the fitting of as many as possible to survive.

Translations
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.