Define Narcissism......?

Question

I know it means to have a fasination with yourself/self love but also i understand it can be used to describe a persons inability to feel empathy.i am a bit confused by the term really.can anyone give me a good broad definition of the word

Answer 1

Basically, narcissism is the view that the world revolves around you, that what you want is the most important thing. Narcissists do not see outside of themselves. Whatever is happening is seen in terms of "how does it effect me?" Because of this, they find it difficult to empathize with others' needs or feelings.

Narcissistic personality disorder can become so extreme that a person will actually resort to physical violence in order to get their way.

Answer 2

Well the perfect example is someone who screams almost non-stop at everyone around them, about every imagined slight. For example, such a person just about always screams at sales clerks, repair people, and any other service provider about how the service provider is not being sufficiently helpful. If you tell such a person that the individuals they are screaming at have their own feelings and life challenges, they have absolutely no understanding of what you are talking about. Only their "problems" matter, no one is allowed to go on vacation or get a better job, because that might inconvenience them, and such actions are always deliberate to cause harm to the narcissistic person.

If you ever have someone scream at you for "deliberately" being ill and away from work so as not to be there when they needed you, then you will understand narcissism.

Answer 3

I just want to clear up a misconception - some people seem to think Narcissists have an over abundance of self "love" - but they don't, they just act as though they do. Narcissists, in fact, do NOT love themselves, they loath themselves (and others).

They are extremely self absorbed...and can be
very cruel. As for "empathy"... it would be impossible to feel empathy without (genuine) self-love...and self love is something they don't have.

The most comprehensive writing on the subject is written by Dr. Sam Vaknin...who is a narcissist. Be prepared to have your eyes opened.

Once you click on the link, just scroll down a bit for the index sections. His writings should cover most (if not more) of your questions.

http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/Personality_Disorders/narcissism/archive_1.html

Answer 4

Narcissism describes the character trait of self love.

The word is derived from a Greek myth. Narcissus was a handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate advances of the nymph Echo. As punishment, he was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Unable to consummate his love, Narcissus pined away and changed into the flower that bears his name, the narcissus.

Freud believed that some narcissism is an essential part of all of us from birth [1].

Andrew Morrison claims that, in adults, a reasonable amount of healthy narcissism allows the individual's perception of his needs to be balanced in relation to others[2].

In psychology and psychiatry, excessive narcissism is recognized as a severe personality dysfunction or personality disorder, most characteristically Narcissistic Personality Disorder, also referred to as NPD.

The terms "narcissism", "narcissistic" and "narcissist" are often used as pejoratives, denoting vanity, conceit, egotism or simple selfishness. Applied to a social group, it is sometimes used to denote elitism or an indifference to the plight of others.

Answer 5

narcissism initially comes from mythology. so u could initiate with its origins in mythology, supply a quick account of the tale and likewise point out some the makes use of of this concept in literature and u might circulate to psychology and outline it. ur question could be some thing like this: is narcissism a psychological disease or considered one of those non-public handle? i'm hoping u do in basic terms right with ue essay.

Answer 6

I was just learning about narcissism in my psych. class. The component that must be present is aggression. A person is narcissistic when they aren't getting the attention they want, things aren't going their way, they become aggressive.

Answer 7

the reason narcissists don't feel empathy for others is because as they love themselves so very much they cant put themselves in someones Else's shoes because they cant see past themselves there needs there trials and tribulations are always worse its like if you go up to a narcissist and explain to them how crappy your day was they would then proceed to tell you how much worse there day was...almost like a competition....i think ultimately they do this to defend themselves against feeling something other than disdain for there fellow human being

Answer 8

darkshadow has it right, simple and to the point. People who are narcissist tend to ignore their life around them because they are only obsessing about them self, their looks and their life. They seem to be people who are well hated.
This is how you know people are narcissist:

-They are always looking and staring at themselves in the mirror making sure they look good

-Always talk and show off how good they look or how perfect their life is

Answer 9

use their looks to get what they want, is able to plan and work towards goals successfully, loves themself, optimistic, sparkling, achiever, self promoting, self assured, success driven, thinks they can charm anyone, ambitious, elegant, thinks they are better looking than most people (which they may or may not be), believes that they are special, more a leader than a follower, believes that other people are envious of them, loves to win awards, fits in most places, seductive, purposeful, believes in success through appearances, assertive, goal oriented, would love to have buildings and monuments named after them, believes they deserve all the good things they have, likes to be popular

Answer 10

Self love. It's being so caught up in & obsessed with yourself, that you're not paying attention to anyone or anything else.