Narcissism is a psychological condition characterized by excessive love for oneself or for one's own image, need for attention and willingness to control others. This condition can be normal in children up to two years for example, however it begins to be worrying when older people present these characteristics, which is called narcissistic personality disorder.
The narcissistic person usually devalues the other to make him feel good, which hampers normal day-to-day relationships. Nonetheless, the self-confidence and self-esteem of narcissists, when they are not excessive, can serve as a stimulus to others and inspire confidence.
According to Freud, narcissism has two phases:
- Primary phase, which is characterized by self-love and overvaluation of self;
- Secondary stage, in which there is the development of the person's personality and characteristics that she believes differentiate her from other people.
Characteristics of a narcissistic person
The narcissistic person usually has the following characteristics:
- Need for attention and admiration;
- Need for approval;
- Feeling that the world revolves around you;
- They believe that they have no defects, do not fail and do not make mistakes;
- Intolerance to criticism;
- Feeling of owning the truth;
- They believe that there is no one to match;
- They feel superior;
- Excessive concern with material goods;
- Devaluation of the other;
- Lack of understanding of the other's feelings;
- They do not listen to others;
- Need and overvaluation of status;
- Constant preoccupation with beauty, power and success;
- Extremely ambitious;
- They believe they are envied;
- Lack of empathy;
- Lack of humility;
- Contempt for others;
- Tendency to be arrogant.
Often these characteristics are exalted even by relatives or people close to the narcissist, which ends up stimulating this personality disorder.
Narcissists are not usually the best people to be around, since they feel good about seeing the other person devalued. However, when these characteristics are not so exacerbated, it is possible to live well and learn some values such as self-worth, self-confidence and self-esteem.
How to live with narcissism
Usually people who suffer from narcissistic personality disorder do not really know what's going on, they consider the whole situation completely normal. However, if friends and family notice the occurrence of typical characteristics of a narcissistic person, it is important that there be psychological or psychiatric monitoring, depending on the characteristics manifested.
People who live daily with narcissists should also have psychological counseling, as the devaluation of their personality can be so much that can trigger a picture of depression. Learn what can lead to depression.
