1. self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)
: extremely self-centered with an exaggerated sense of self-importance : marked by or characteristic of excessive admiration of or infatuation with oneself. a narcissistic personality.
Engaging in any type of explanation of your decisions or actions is not effective with the narcissist. He or she is not capable of trying to see any other perspective than the one they hold to be true. They are incapable of seeing their own bad behaviors, and it is simply easier to blame you.
Offending a person with narcissism can lead to immediate, lasting, and perhaps irreparable fallout.
Echoism is the opposite of narcissism. While a narcissistic person is very self-centered and always acts in their best interests, an echoist is someone who may often put others' needs before their own. In extreme cases, these personality traits can be harmful to yourself and others.
Sociopaths are more dangerous than narcissists. People with antisocial personality disorder are more likely to be engaged in an abusive or controlling relationship. They're also more likely to be involved in illegal activities or financial fraud schemes.
Narcissists are not bad people; it's their behavior that's problematic. They have been conditioned to believe that they are special and deserve to be treated better than others and approach the world accordingly.
Narcissists can and do love, but their love tends to be superficial and fleeting. They can develop intense emotional attachments—even appearing to "fall in love"—and yet still maintain a complete lack of empathy for the object of their affection.
The disorder is named for the mythological figure Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection. According to Sigmund Freud, narcissism is a normal stage in child development, but it is considered a disorder when it occurs after puberty.
The word narc is slang shorthand for "narcotics agent," a federal agent or police officer who specializes in laws dealing with illegal drugs. Narc is sometimes also used to mean "police informant," someone who secretly gives inside information to the police, informing on others who are engaging in illegal activity.
Malignant narcissism is a personality type that causes extreme narcissism, aggression, and, sometimes, abuse of others. A person may use manipulative means or violence to enhance their own sense of wellbeing.
However, just because there is some crossover and a person fits the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder does not mean that he or she is also a psychopath.
Overview. Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others.
They can't ever leave themselves. Being a narcissist is seriously lonely. They can't build relationships that go the distance — not with families, friends and intimate partners. And their core insecurity means they don't even like themselves.
Someone living with narcissism does cry. They can feel regret, remorse, and sadness. These emotions, however, don't often have roots in empathy. American Psychiatric Association.
Narcissists are hurt by challenges or threats to their superior and grandiose self-image (also known as narcissistic injury). Their sense of entitlement and lack of empathy means they will attempt to destroy the culprit by any means necessary.
Narcissistic rage is often the “go-to” response for narcissists who feel threatened or attacked by others in some way. All this may include sudden, intense outbursts of anger that can involve verbal threats, aggression, and violence.
Apologize. If you've heard someone say, “Narcissists never apologize,” they're not exactly right. While many traits of narcissism like entitlement, elitism, and arrogance make it unlikely someone with narcissistic traits will go the apology route, apologies are sometimes used with ulterior motives.
Narcissists value fame, beauty, and success more than relationships. Sure, they date and have friends and often these relationships start out exciting — but fizzle quickly. “People who are narcissistic should have a trail of bad relationships behind them,” Campbell said.
One of the most common ways a narcissist, especially the covert types, will try to test you is through the silent treatment. They will simply stay silent and ignore you because they want to get a rise out of you. They want you to go back to them and grovel for their forgiveness and validation.