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Narcissism

Related: egoism - self - love

Narcissism in fiction: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

"Outside the entrance to every discotheque should be erected a statue to the presiding deity: Narcissus."-- Albert Goldman in Sound Bites

Definition

Narcissism is a pattern of traits and behaviors which involve infatuation and obsession with one's self to the exclusion of others and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one's gratification, dominance and ambition.

Psychologists and psychiatrists believe all individuals have, out of need for survival, a certain of amount of egoism and self-centeredness, which ideally takes the form of healthy self-esteem and self-confidence. However, individuals who have excessive, unhealthy amounts of these traits are considered narcissistic.

In addition to exagerated self-esteem, narcissists are also characterized by a lack of empathy, that is, a lack of sensitivity to the feelings of others.

The term narcissism was coined by Sigmund Freud, who named the phenomenon after the figure of Narcissus in Greek mythology. Narcissus was a handsome Greek youth who rejected the desperate advances of the nymph Echo. As a punishment, he was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Unable to consummate his love, Narcissus pined away and changed into the flower that bears his name. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism

Definition

Graphic descriptions aside, Narcissism has long been thought to be a form of paraphilia (sexual deviation or perversion). It has been closely associated with incest (research supports this) and paedophilia (which research does not, as yet, support). -- http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/personality_disorders/narcissism/archive_22.html

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