Narcissistic Personality: Definition, History, and Characteristics
Narcissistic personality is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance, require excessive admiration and attention, and have an overly strong sense of entitlement. Those with NPD often lack insight into their behavior and often struggle to form meaningful relationships with others due to their difficulty empathizing with others.
Definition
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) characterizes narcissistic personality disorder as “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts.” Individuals with NPD display a strong sense of entitlement and superiority, as well as a tendency to be interpersonally exploitative and arrogant. They often require excessive attention and admiration from others and lack insight into their behavior and its impact on those around them.
History
The concept of narcissism has been around for centuries, but it was not until the late 19th century that it was officially “discovered” and labeled as a mental disorder. In 1899, German psychiatrist Paul Näcke was among the first to publish a paper on the subject. He was followed by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who wrote extensively on the topic in the early 20th century. While the exact history of narcissistic personality disorder remains unclear, it is clear that it has been recognized as an official mental disorder since the DSM-III was published in 1980.
Characteristics
Individuals with NPD demonstrate a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. They may display an exaggerated sense of superiority, requiring excessive admiration from others while disregarding the feelings of those around them. They often display an inflated sense of self-importance and have an overly strong sense of entitlement. People with NPD may also have a strong need for approval, which can lead to a tendency to be interpersonally exploitative and arrogant. They may also display difficulty empathizing with others due to an inability to take the perspective of others.
Conclusion
Narcissistic personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts. Individuals with NPD often display a strong sense of entitlement and superiority, as well as a tendency to be interpersonally exploitative and arrogant. They require excessive admiration and attention and have difficulty empathizing with others due to their inability to take the perspective of others.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Näcke, P. (1899). Über den psychologischen inhalt des narzissmus. Psychiatrische und Neurologische Blätter, 20, 483-502.
Freud, S. (1914). On narcissism: An introduction. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, 14, 73-102.