Find Out Whether Or Not You’re Narcissistic

6.02.2012 | By: T. P.

How do you recognize a narcissistic nature and what are narcissists like in bed?

Narcissus fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water. (Photoxpress)

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Narcissism can be an innocent teenage phase or a serious psychological problem that also prevents a person from having normal relations in adulthood.

Miserable Narcissus

Narcissus appears in Greek mythology as one of the many tragic figures. He was the product of his mother Liriope's rape by the river God Cephisus, and thus he was the son of God. He grew into a very beautiful young man that both men and women fell in love with. One day, after hunting Narcissus discovered a pool of water; he saw his reflection on the surface and desperately fell in love with it. When he tried to embrace it, the image shattered into thousand pieces. So he wasted away and died, whereupon he turned into a beautiful flower. Narcissus has therefore been as an expression for people who are in love with themselves, self-satisfied and egocentric. Many people wonder why narcissism is defined as personality disorder, since love for oneself is an essential part of personality. People who don’t love themselves can’t give or receive love. What’s so wrong with narcissism?

Definition of narcissistic personality disorder

According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, narcissistic personality disorder is defined as:

An excessive need for constant admiration from others, a lack of empathy for others that has an onset in early adulthood and appears in different contexts, and an individual has to fit at least five of the following descriptions:

- He or she has a grandiose sense of self-importance (exaggerates accomplishments and demands to be considered superior without real evidence of achievement).

- He or she lives in a dream world of exceptional success, power, beauty, genius, or “perfect” love.

- He or she thinks of him- or herself as “special” or privileged, and that he or she can only be understood by other special or high-status people.

- He or she demands excessive amounts of praise or admiration from others.

- He or she feels entitled to automatic deference, compliance, or favourable treatment from others.

- He or she is exploitative towards others and takes advantage of them.

- He or she lacks empathy and does not recognize or identify with others’ feelings.

- He or she is frequently envious of others or thinks that they are envious of him or her.

- He or she “has an attitude” or frequently acts in haughty or arrogant ways.

Practical example of a narcissistic person

Let’s take a look at the life of a narcissist in reality. Such people are over-concerned with their image, a beautiful figure and hairdo, but not because they care about what other people think. They spend hours and hours in front of a mirror and have pictures of themselves in every room. Sometimes they become aroused or even masturbate when observing themselves. Other people usually find them successful and they have a lot of admirers. Sexual relations are something that they take for granted, but they don’t satisfy them. This might make them seem homosexually oriented, but that isn’t the case. Sexual intercourse is simply too unimportant to them because it takes too much time, which they could spend with themselves. It’s typical of them to be very egoistic, which usually occurs in adolescence when a person begins to be aware of his or her sexuality. Psychoanalysts in particular like to create a major problem in that connection, although such a phase usually passes. Narcissism is part of every individual’s personality and only if it lasts for a very long time and other people suffer because of it, special attention should be paid to such people and a potential treatment should be provided. Pathological forms of narcissism are extremely rare.