chronocentrism means the perception that a particular time period is uniquely important or impactful. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 95 out of 100.
Why “chronocentrism” is a great word
CHRONOCENTRISM — [Noun] The belief or perception that one's own time period is uniquely significant, important, or superior to others. From the combining form chrono- (from Greek χρόνος, "time") + -centrism (from Greek κέντρον, "center"), forming a noun meaning "time-centeredness." Coined in 1974 by sociologist Jib Fowles. Unlike "presentism" (which denotes a methodological bias of interpreting the past through contemporary lenses) or "chronological snobbery" (which is an informal disdain for older ideas), chronocentrism is the profound, unexamined conviction that one's own era is the axis upon which history turns. It manifests as the quiet vanity that our crises are unprecedented, our technology definitive, and our cultural anxieties uniquely profound—a collective narcissism mistaking the fleeting foreground for the entire canvas.
noun
- The perception that a particular time period is uniquely important or impactful.