AN EDITORIAL in a leading UK national daily newspaper referred to Donald Trump, a US Republican presidential nominee, as “the egotistical billionaire”.

Trump may well be egotistical but in keeping with the orientation of most conservative Republicans he is probably egoistical; there is a distinction, not only of spelling.

Egotism is an exaggerated opinion of oneself. Whereas, egoism is an ethical theory that treats self-interest as the foundation of morality.

In contrast, progressive Democrats are most likely to have an altruistic frame of mind that has regard for others as a principle of action.

This difference, although recently blurred, is currently coming into sharp focus on both sides of the Atlantic.

Geoff Naylor, Colden Common