Narcissism Epidemic: Why There Are So Many Narcissists Now

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ITS IN THE BLOOD , STOP LYING. GENES, MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER AND MY MOM ARE SCUMBAGS.

JJ of FL 6:14PM February 06, 2013

High time he issue was addressed!

Scuba_girl528 of IL 9:56AM February 04, 2013

Actually, according to much research in juvenile crime, a child can safely be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder today, and so the argument of waiting until one is 18 to be diagnosed can be debated. The criteria used is that symptomology persists for a year or longer. Bardenstein weighs in on this point of view, as do the Kernbergs.

Daphne of WA 9:30PM February 03, 2013

This must be some of the biggest nonsense I've read in a long time: basically you make a value-judgment (some traits are more desirable than others), you go ask a number of people about supposed indications (this is doubly subjective: on the part of the person being interviewed and the one conducting the interview or making up the questionnaire), you throw in some statistics and cito presto: pseudo-science is born (= presenting opinions as facts). I really don't need some psychology professor to tell me we live in an egotistical society (I on the other hand really do need a medical doctor when there's something wrong with my body or an astronomer if I want to acquire reliable knowledge about the universe) and her explanation for the economic crisis is just ludicrous: the main reason for the crisis is not a psychological factor but simple, age-old greed induced by capitalism and materialism. An "epidemic of narcissism": would you please stop abusing medical terminology in order to turn the trivial into something important sounding? Psychology as a science is dubious at best and psychotherapy is nothing more than a secular variant of christianity with sin being replaced by pathology and mythology and absolution offered by the priest replaced by psychopathology and a declaration of sanity by a pseudo-parent. Both are equally arbitrary and lack any basis in objectivity yet both held and hold tremendous power and influence in society (evidence of humanity's inherent stupidity) and use up a lot of resources that could be much better spent: combating poverty, curing illness, preventing & cleaning up enviromental pollution, scientific discovery, culture...

Zarathoestra of HI 4:00AM January 13, 2013

Bull crap! Narcissistic Disorder is a malfunction of the brain and thought to be hereditary. A person that has full blown Narcissistic Disorder is also psychopathic with varying degrees of pathology. I know I have had to deal with one for 52 years, my sister. What this article describes is lazy parents that are to afraid to parent their children. They are raising a generation of selfish, bratty, over indulged lacking in self control and social skills children that needed more boundaries, consistency, and involvement from parents. These parents are fostering weakness and actually not doing their kids any favors by giving in to them, letting them throw temper tantrums to get their way or continually telling them they are special or great. Correcting and teaching a child does not imply they are bad kids. No they are just in need of being taught how to do the things of every day life and handle some winning and some losing. The world my friend is a lot more about NO than YES and if children are not taught to try, try again, cope and yes sometimes fail then life is going to be a hard road. A hard road for them and those around them that are subjected to their frustrated outburst when they do not get their way or succeed just because they were told they are special. God help us all because these are the future Sandy Hook, Columbine, Aurora Theater,etc perpetrators!

0utsp0ken of GA 2:56AM January 03, 2013

Love to see research on the children of narcissistic mothers. About a year ago I saw a news programme in Australia. It discussed mums who crave 'designer babies' to enhance their self images. These poor little mites are often fed laxatives, fed on skim milk, and placed on diets. Just so narcissist mums would not have to bear the ignominy of being seen with 'a fat baby'

patsy somogyi of HI 7:31AM December 01, 2012

Lisa, it is good that you know what caused your divorce. I read many things too and seek more insight into this illness. To me it is most important that it is understood that narcissists are driven and compelled by their illness and as a result are almost unstoppable in the efforts they undertake to achieve their goals. I am speaking about their will and their belief in the justness of their cause. They are not weak players in life and damage others as a result of their thinking. They will not quit. Their minds operate as if they are listening to a tape guiding them from within and they are assessing and responding to all input with reference to that tape. It is a scary thing to be around when you realize it is inflexible but alters itself outwardly to the events around it. As a hidden illness, we need to bring an understanding of it to the population, so that it is detected and either avoided or if we are to believe some individuals,treated. I cannot say that I believe in the treatment side for in the face of the power and arrogance I experienced, I would not be optimistic. Lisa, you are right, it is a very scary disease and needs to be recognized for the huge damage and abuse it generates for others that come into contact with it. Our only answer so far, stop the contact but this comes too late. Better late than never, so true when it comes to narcissists.

Ken 10:51AM September 21, 2012

I had no idea what one was until I got divorced. The counselor explained that I was married to a "narcissist with sociopathic tendencies." What?!!! After I learned what it was, and learned as much as I could, I realized that articles like this only touch on the problem. "Excessive love" is excessive selfishness. "Narcissism" is literally regarding other humans as unworthy of love, attention, care, or compassion. It is MUCH scarier than this author describes. To curb it? Turn off all reality crap, so you don't know who "spooky" or "pooky" or "whoever" is, go to a spiritual place, volunteer, read books that are on a "must read" list, and don't go to American movies. Oh, and work more than 8-5 pm everyday. It won't kill you.

Lisa of UT 10:54PM September 19, 2012

Back to Reverend Earl's comment that Hitler was a narcissist. I agree and I believe that Hitler's entire life can be re-studied from this aspect, that he had NPD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It is a powerful, severe affliction. The historians do not appreciate in grand enough scope the illness for what it is and how pervasive it is. Their approaches are too mundane. Hitler's sister indicated that he used to yell at them when he was young so I think his NPD was established by a brutal family life when he was very young. In childhood games, he was the leader.
The illness explains his rages, his being alone much of the time, his lesser need for women, both his indecision and commitment once decided, his need for power, his eyes - their influence, his strong usage of detail, his micro-managing, cunning, secretiveness, his inability to brook opposition, his entitlement and risk-taking. I saw this all in the Boss I had and at times, this duality of personality, the charm and persuasiveness, it was turned on and off like a tap. Hitler had this in spades and with his photographic memory, along with a well-read and agile, insightful intelligence, he gradually constructed the belief system that fed his need for grandiose schemes and solutions that in turn scratched his need of self-importance.
I think Hitler is an example of how this illness works. An individual with NPD will become attached to, or evolve some construct of ideas that serve his purpose, that help to satisfy his or her need for attention, to be important, to exercise power. They will absorb new ideas that reinforce or support these central concepts and discard or reject those that do not. If you read "Mein Kampf", you can see this man was no base idiot but certainly driven. There were a lot of ideas in his mind, many of them popular or evident in society of that time. Skilfully and opportunistically, almost as if experimenting, Hitler found out he could speak and win support from groups of all sizes, by manipulating his presented ideas.
Many who met him recognized he was ill. His Generals thought so on occasion. But by this time, he had power and a narcissist, (once decided), will follow the path he thinks is correct and will not alter course, or have any regard to crushing or sweeping aside opposition.
Once he had the party under his will, he had the blunt instrument to impose his innermost ideas. This is the danger of a narcissist, when they seek to fulfill what they truly want.
They cannot help themselves, that is the risk of their being.
I wish some historian would educate themselves on the illness and then apply this knowledge. I fear that it may take prior personal experience to really feel the truth of the illness and how it applies. You can interpret the activities of someone with NPD on a full scan mode as everything they do is illness-controlled. That was what I felt with my Boss, but did not understand at the time-so confusing a picture do they present.

Ken 10:52AM September 19, 2012

Back to Reverend Earl's comment that Hitler was a narcissist. I agree and I believe that Hitler's entire life can be re-studied from this aspect, that he had NPD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It is a powerful, severe affliction. The historians do not appreciate in grand enough scope the illness for what it is and how pervasive it is. Their approaches are too mundane. Hitler's sister indicated that he used to yell at them when he was young so I think his NPD was established by a brutal family life when he was very young. In childhood games, he was the leader.
The illness explains his rages, his being alone much of the time, his lesser need for women, both his indecision and commitment once decided, his need for power, his eyes - their influence, his strong usage of detail, his micro-managing, cunning, secretiveness, his inability to brook opposition, his entitlement and risk-taking. I saw this all in the Boss I had and at times, this duality of personality, the charm and persuasiveness, it was turned on and off like a tap. Hitler had this in spades and with his photographic memory, along with a well-read and agile, insightful intelligence, he gradually constructed the belief system that fed his need for grandiose schemes and solutions that in turn scratched his need of self-importance.
I think Hitler is an example of how this illness works. An individual with NPD will become attached to, or evolve some construct of ideas that serve his purpose, that help to satisfy his or her need for attention, to be important, to exercise power. They will absorb new ideas that reinforce or support these central concepts and discard or reject those that do not. If you read "Mein Kampf", you can see this man was no base idiot but certainly driven. There were a lot of ideas in his mind, many of them popular or evident in society of that time. Skilfully and opportunistically, almost as if experimenting, Hitler found out he could speak and win support from groups of all sizes, by manipulating his presented ideas.
Many who met him recognized he was ill. His Generals thought so on occasion. But by this time, he had power and a narcissist, (once decided), will follow the path he thinks is correct and will not alter course, or have any regard to crushing or sweeping aside opposition.
Once he had the party under his will, he had the blunt instrument to impose his innermost ideas. This is the danger of a narcissist, when they seek to fulfill what they truly want.
They cannot help themselves, that is the risk of their being.
I wish some historian would educate themselves on the illness and then apply this knowledge. I fear that it may take prior personal experience to really feel the truth of the illness and how it applies. You can interpret the activities of someone with NPD on a full scan mode as everything they do is illness-controlled. That was what I felt with my Boss, but did not understand at the time-so confusing a picture do they present.

Ken 10:43AM September 19, 2012