Union of Egoists

Overview

The Union of Egoists is not a true organization but a voluntary collective. Predominantly made up of disillusioned runaways who reject the authority of their parents, the Union of Egoists follows the teachings of the 'Great Spook' who apparently achieved greatness after gaining complete control over his own ego. The group rejects any form of authority and believes that the Collapse was a blessing that would allow for the liberation of the human psyche.
Much of the Union's activities take place in coffee houses and clubhouses, and its members prolifically publish treatises, pamphlets, and so on. The Union is unusually rich, primarily thanks to the entrepreneurship of its members, although publication sales also rack up a decent amount of income.

Structure

Being a voluntary, egalitarian collective, the Union has no leader, appointed or otherwise, and each member acts exclusively in their own interests. Although this would usually lead to internal friction and instability, the voluntary nature of the organization ensures that only those who want to be part of it are part of it, and leaving is a relatively simple affair of simply not turning up.
The activities done in the name of the Union are done collectively, and any income or fame earned by such activities is kept by those responsible. Hence, the Union itself does not have a treasury, but more often than not affluent members and sponsors are more than capable of funding most ventures, albeit for a price.

Ideological Beliefs

Contrary to widespread belief, Egoists do not advocate for complete selfishness, nor do they make any attempt to tell individuals how they should act. Central to the Egoists is the idea that individuals are impossible to comprehend fully, even for the individual themselves, although at the very least every individual is naturally driven by their own ego as a matter of course. According to Egoists, an individual could either be a willing egoist, living life according to their own desires whilst recognizing it as such, or an unwilling egoist, who misleads themselves into believing that they are acting on behalf of a cause or another person whilst in reality they act according to their own desires.
Egoists believe that each individual is made up of constituent 'Spooks' which form parts of one's ego and consciousness, with each spook contributing to various facets of one being. Faith, ideological beliefs, morality, perception, and so forth are all dictated by spooks, which are developed naturally, genetically, and through environmental factors. Through studying and understandings your own 'Spooks,' an individual can slowly grasp their own ego, giving them greater control over themselves and their own lives. Egoists believe that history's greatest figures achieved their greatness by conquering their 'Spooks.'
Furthermore, Egoists reject the notion of inherent rights and social institutions, such as private property and freedoms, as they are artificial constraints upon the ego produced by mass hysteria. Hence, such constraints must be torn down so that each individual can fully express the will of their ego.

Combat Power & Activities

The Union of Egoists are not known for partaking in any violence beyond self-defense. Rather, they spend much of their time publishing novels, political theories, and so on, as they debate human nature and society in their well-stocked coffee houses. Many Egoists are notable business leaders, and their vast wealth often gives them strong political influence. Numerous conspiracy theories link them to Earth, or perhaps even aliens, although evidence to support such theories have yet to be presented.

Type: Non-Systematic Association

Membership: 172

Governance: None

Leader(s): N/A