Psychology Facts

▲ Narcissism, Sociopathy, Psychopathy ▲

Narcissism:

》The word narcissism gets tossed around a lot in our selfie-obsessed, celebrity-driven culture, often to describe someone who seems excessively vain or full of themselves. But in psychological terms, narcissism doesn't mean self-love—at least not of a genuine sort.

》Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by a consistent pattern of self-centered, arrogant attitudes and behaviors, along with a notable absence of empathy and concern for others, and an excessive craving for admiration. Individuals with NPD are frequently described as cocky, manipulative, self-absorbed, condescending, and demanding by others. These traits manifest across all aspects of a narcissist's life, from professional interactions and friendships to family dynamics and romantic relationships.

》Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder typically exhibit the following traits:

- Believe they are more important and unique than others

- Inflate their own accomplishments while diminishing those of others

- Display high sensitivity to failure or criticism, leading to anger or depression

- Fantasize about possessing exceptional intelligence, beauty, or significance

- Exploit others for personal gain

- Crave constant admiration and seek to be idolized by others

- Harbor envy towards others, often presuming that others envy them.

》The disorder is fittingly named after the mythological figure Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection.

》Narcissistic personality disorder is more commonly diagnosed in men. Additionally, individuals with this disorder may also experience conditions such as depression, anorexia, substance abuse issues, and other personality disorders.

》While narcissists possess high self-esteem, it is also characterized by fragility and insecurity, as indicated by its fluctuating nature. Their self-esteem varies more significantly from moment to moment and day to day compared to individuals with lower levels of narcissism.
This discovery suggests that while narcissists portray themselves positively, their subconscious feelings about themselves are not as favorable.

》Researchers have also examined a milder form of narcissism known as the narcissistic personality type. Individuals with this type exhibit many or all of the traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder but fall within the normal range of personality.

》Individuals with either narcissistic personality disorder or the narcissistic personality type are fixated on maintaining overly positive self-perceptions. They become overly focused on seeking praise and validation from others, reacting with intense positive or negative emotions when they either succeed or fail to receive affirmation of their high status from others.

》The narcissistic personality type is assessed using self-report questionnaires like the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), the most commonly employed scale for this purpose. The NPI can also evaluate narcissistic personality disorder. It consists of forced-choice items where respondents must select the statement that best describes them from a pair of options.

》Individuals who score high on the NPI exhibit a range of narcissistic behaviors, including arrogance, perceived superiority, and aggressiveness. Moreover, individuals clinically diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder tend to score higher on the NPI compared to individuals with other psychiatric diagnoses or those in control groups.