Are you a narcissist? Come and test it out!
An ancient myth
In ancient Greece, there was a beautiful young man named Narcissus. He has bright eyes, black hair, and a perfect face. Wherever he goes, he arouses the envy and admiration of everyone. But he disdains anyone and only loves himself.
One day, he came to a clear lake and was ready to drink water. When he looked down and saw his reflection in the water, he was surprised to see what a beautiful person it was! He was immediately fascinated by the man and forgot his own identity and purpose. He tried to kiss the man, but only touched the cold water. He called out to the man, but only heard his own echo. He refused to leave the lake and stayed with the man day and night. He gradually became thinner and older, and finally died by the lake. Later, people used his name to describe those who were excessively narcissistic, calling it narcissism.
Are you a narcissist?
Narcissism is a psychological disorder characterized by excessive love for oneself and neglect and contempt for others. Narcissistic personality and dramatic personality have some similarities. For example, they both like to express emotions exaggeratedly and sometimes deliberately seduce others. But they are also very different: people with a dramatic personality are sociable and enthusiastic, while people with a narcissistic personality are withdrawn and aloof. People with a narcissistic personality think they are the best and have unrealistic fantasies about power and perfect love. They want attention and praise from others and are very sensitive and resentful of any criticism. This type of person has difficulty showing concern and empathy when dealing with others.
If you want to know if you have narcissism, answer these nine questions:
- Do you feel angry, ashamed or humiliated when others criticize you? (even if you don’t show it to your face)
- Do you often brag about your abilities or achievements in the hope that others will admire you?
- Do you like to order around or use others to serve you or meet your needs?
- Do you think that you are special or unique and that only certain noble or excellent people can understand you?
- Do you have excessive or unrealistic expectations of success, power, honor, beauty, or ideal love?
- Do you think you should enjoy any special treatment or rights?
- Do you crave constant and excessive attention and praise from others?
- Do you lack care and empathy for others?
- Do you often feel jealous of others or think others are jealous of you?
If you answered yes to five or more of these questions, you likely have narcissistic personality disorder.
What are the dangers of narcissism?
Narcissism is a psychological disorder and a personality disorder. It manifests as excessive love for oneself and neglect and contempt for others. Narcissism can cause many harms to the sufferer and those around them, such as:
- Narcissists may develop antisocial personalities and do not care about the feelings and interests of others, only caring about their own needs and desires.
- People with narcissism may encounter difficulties in interpersonal relationships, are unable to establish true intimacy and trust, and easily arouse resentment and boredom in others.
- People with narcissism may feel angry or ashamed of any criticism or setbacks and cannot objectively view their own mistakes and shortcomings, leading to mood swings and depression.
- Narcissists may have unrealistic fantasies about success, power, beauty, or ideal love, while ignoring their true abilities and conditions, leading to disappointment and depression.
- People with narcissism may abuse drugs or alcohol to relieve their feelings of insecurity or loneliness, jeopardizing their physical health.
- People with narcissism may have suicidal thoughts or behaviors when they feel they are unable to gain approval from others or meet their own expectations.
If you think you or someone close to you may be suffering from narcissism, please seek professional psychological counseling or treatment promptly. Narcissism is treatable and there is hope if you are willing to change.
How to get rid of narcissism?
If you discover that you have narcissistic tendencies, don’t despair or blame yourself. Narcissistic personality disorder is a psychological problem that can be cured. As long as you are willing to change, there is hope. Here are some ways to help you break free from narcissism:
1. Give up self-centeredness
Self-centeredness is the root of narcissistic personality and the most infantile stage in life. A self-centered person is like a baby who only cares about his own needs and feelings and does not care about the thoughts and feelings of others. Such people are unable to adapt to the adult world and cannot establish real intimate relationships. Therefore, to get rid of narcissism, one must give up self-centeredness. You can make a list of things you and others dislike about you and see how many of them are caused by you being too self-centered. You can also find someone you trust who can remind you when you are acting self-centered and help you correct it. Through these efforts, you will gradually learn to see things from other people’s perspectives instead of just thinking about yourself.
2. Learn to love others
It’s not enough to give up self-centeredness, you also need to learn to love others. Only when you truly appreciate the beauty and value of love will you understand that giving up self-centeredness is a kind of wisdom and happiness. Because love is a kind of interaction and communication, not a kind of request and possession. Love is a mature and selfless emotion, not a childish and selfish emotion. Love is a power of transcendence and sublimation, not a power of dilemma and sinking. Psychologist Fromm said in his book ‘The Art of Love’: ‘The reason why a child loves is because he is loved; the reason why a mature person is loved is because he loves; the reason why an immature loves someone , because he needs that person; maturity needs someone because he loves that person. ‘Therefore, to get rid of narcissism, you must learn to love maturely.
The simplest sign of love in life is caring for others, especially when others need your help. Send greetings and blessings to others when they are sick, lend a helping hand and support to others when they are in difficulty, and send congratulations and encouragement to others when they are successful. As long as you pay more attention to the feelings and needs of others in your life, instead of just caring about your own interests and desires, you will find that you become happier and more satisfied.
Free Online Psychological Test
Narcissistic Personality Inventory Online Test (NPI-16 short version)
Test address: www.psyctest.cn/t/PDGmPYdl/
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