Synonyms
Arrogance; Egotism; Self-absorption; Self-admiration; Self-obsessed
Definition
The term narcissism means love of oneself and refers to a person overly concerned with self-admiration, self-centeredness, and self-regard. A degree of narcissism is considered normal, where an individual has a healthy self-regard and realistic aspirations. Pathological narcissism includes infatuation and obsession with oneself to the exclusion of others and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one’s gratification, dominance, and ambition. Most individuals have some narcissistic traits, but when these behaviors are excessive, pervasive, or extremely pathological, a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder is warranted. Sigmund Freud coined the term based upon the Greek myth of Narcissus who drowned in an attempt to embrace his beloved self-image reflected in water.
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References and Readings
Sandler, J., Person, E. S., & Fonagy, P. (1991). Freud's “on narcissism: An introduction”. New Haven: Yale University Press.
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Loftis, C. (2018). Narcissism. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_2124
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_2124
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