Narcissism Epidemic: Why There Are So Many Narcissists Now

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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

I worked for one for 28 monthes. I would say, it does not matter how they got that way, (for origins yes, as a preventative), it is more important to be able to recognize you are involved with one, that the individual is in fact HIDDEN mentally ill, as in my case I did not know it. They will assess you once they meet you and determine if they can use you. These were almost his exact words to me upon our first meeting. I did not see the true resolute will behind these statements. They are like two people in one body and the angry one underneath the surface is the one you have to watch out for. The charming surface one is the one that fools you into joining the situation. The ugly one makes you get out at some point. Everything in between is manipulation and maneuvre on his or her part. It all fit into the descriptions of how they think and work, once you know the outline of their disorder. The sad part is you will be bewildered, confused and abused as you try to please them. What fools you the most is their appearance of absolute ability, leadership and confidence in all situations. You feel you will be rewarded and benefit by being with them. Not so, they will keep most money earned for themselves. At the sametime, they will demand performance to the levels they deem necessary. If they do not get it, out comes the rage and it is a frothing at the mouth level of emotional blow-out that you will see. You will feel it and tremble to be around it. Unsettling, disturbing!
During my employment, I wrongly considered that he was only being like his countrymen somehow and I was told by one that these people are of two types, one that likes to give orders and one that is in my words the ones ordered around or the victims to be short.
So maybe it is possible that some giant influence can create a large number of narcissists within a society. If so, God help that country and anyone trying to deal with them.
I have tried to get officials in authority to indicate that on government labour sites that there should be some indication that in some cases the problems that arise may be due to the presence of unrecognized or undetected mental illness on the part of the employer. If it is an epidemic of narcissism we are experiencing as a society, should this not be at least mentioned, a forewarning of sorts, to help people make the realization that maybe there is more to their work problem than meets the eye. I suffered needlessly in ignorance until the stress became too much and I fled. That is not what should happen. I would love to see this man get some form of treatment, hopefully to take him out of operation with others who he will undoubtedly abuse.
Am I bitter, no, I am sorry that he carries on, the world around him is ignorant of what he is. Suffer too, because they are unaware of what they are struggling with. And it is a struggle! A mental health official told me that they hear about this type of situation often, the boss ill.

Ken 11:35AM September 12, 2012

I worked for one for 28 monthes. I would say, it does not matter how they got that way, (for origins yes, as a preventative), it is more important to be able to recognize you are involved with one, that the individual is in fact HIDDEN mentally ill, as in my case I did not know it. They will assess you once they meet you and determine if they can use you. These were almost his exact words to me upon our first meeting. I did not see the true resolute will behind these statements. They are like two people in one body and the angry one underneath the surface is the one you have to watch out for. The charming surface one is the one that fools you into joining the situation. The ugly one makes you get out at some point. Everything in between is manipulation and maneuvre on his or her part. It all fit into the descriptions of how they think and work, once you know the outline of their disorder. The sad part is you will be bewildered, confused and abused as you try to please them. What fools you the most is their appearance of absolute ability, leadership and confidence in all situations. You feel you will be rewarded and benefit by being with them. Not so, they will keep most money earned for themselves. At the sametime, they will demand performance to the levels they deem necessary. If they do not get it, out comes the rage and it is a frothing at the mouth level of emotional blow-out that you will see. You will feel it and tremble to be around it. Unsettling, disturbing!
During my employment, I wrongly considered that he was only being like his countrymen somehow and I was told by one that these people are of two types, one that likes to give orders and one that is in my words the ones ordered around or the victims to be short.
So maybe it is possible that some giant influence can create a large number of narcissists within a society. If so, God help that country and anyone trying to deal with them.
I have tried to get officials in authority to indicate that on government labour sites that there should be some indication that in some cases the problems that arise may be due to the presence of unrecognized or undetected mental illness on the part of the employer. If it is an epidemic of narcissism we are experiencing as a society, should this not be at least mentioned, a forewarning of sorts, to help people make the realization that maybe there is more to their work problem than meets the eye. I suffered needlessly in ignorance until the stress became too much and I fled. That is not what should happen. I would love to see this man get some form of treatment, hopefully to take him out of operation with others who he will undoubtedly abuse.
Am I bitter, no, I am sorry that he carries on, the world around him is ignorant of what he is. Suffer too, because they are unaware of what they are struggling with. And it is a struggle! A mental health official told me that they hear about this type of situation often, the boss ill.

Ken 11:33AM September 12, 2012

You are correct, my wife recently retired because of a young co-worker with a narcissistic personality disorder.
The amazing thing is how few people recognized the signs. The co-worker was eventually fired at years end but the damage had been done.

Martin of NJ 7:41AM August 21, 2012

This is scary it's like the film 'I AM LEGEND' with Will Smith-I see these types of behaviours in many people and I think 'help' is there anyone like me left?

lucy 11:24AM June 12, 2012

I work with an individual that displays most all of this behavior.
He is a perdiem employee but has somehow (manipulated ??) management into thinking that he is just the best. I don't understand why this is being tolerated. I am in the medical field and one would think this behavior would easily be recognized. I will say he is very ingratiating with management and has been allowed to do things in the dept. without regard to others. How
does one deal with this type of personality? I just want to say
to him " will you just get over yourself".

AJ Davis of MA 9:14AM June 03, 2012

Recently I saw someone pumping gas - with a lit cigarette in the other hand! This narcissist was obviously in a hurry and thought it was ok to possibly kill everyone at the gas station in the interest of saving a few minutes of his time. Any ideas on how to deal with this type of narcissism when it happens very quickly, yet puts others in danger? When people go this far, I yell at them and the narcissist is always shocked!

Sue of OH 8:40PM May 06, 2012

I am a teacher (8 years) and also someone watching friends now begin to raise their own children. (I don't have any of my own yet.) I recognize narcissism in our youth and worry that parents are too busy with now maintaining their child's narcissistic 'being' that we are in real trouble. I particularly like how Jean Twenge recommends to tell children they are loved, special to us caregivers - but not THE BEST at everything.
It's been a theme in teaching since I went to teaching school that we should be very careful with "very good" or too many "that's GREAT!! You're awesome!!!" sort of comments. We need to be specific in our praise and specific and meaningful in our criticism. My students OFTEN behave as though it's a MASSIVE blow to their ego when they don't "get" (because earning something is out of the question) 100% on assignments... just for a half-a$$ effort.
I believe short, specific praise and encouragement is valuable for children. I have enjoyed seeing the students that I pushed with a comment of "you can do better" rise to my challenge. It feels like a common theme in our society NOT to make things difficult for our children. Their successes aren't even successes when we've set them up only to succeed AND done most of the work for them! I teach my students that we learn the most from our mistakes.. and to take the risk at being wrong..

Miss B of MN 9:04AM April 21, 2012

Im not surprized-everyone seems to have a superior "tude these days...I am guilty also of thinking and acting like Im superior cuz i live in an ethnic area and Im white...I blame it on Archie Bunker!! But its OK...if you are cool than so am I.

jimmy of CA 4:56AM February 01, 2012

Doctors and radiologists/ nuclear imaging are narcissistic.
They wrote the Diagnostic criteria for it. They live it daily, consume it.
They are sickening.

no of MD 10:21PM January 29, 2012