Narcissism
noun
Excessive interest in oneself and focus on one's own desires, needs, and appearance.
His constant talking about himself was a symptom of his narcissism.
Often appears as...
- extreme narcissism
- pathological narcissism
noun
A personality disorder where a person has an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for attention and admiration, and a lack of empathy for others.
The psychologist diagnosed him with narcissistic personality disorder.
Often appears as...
- narcissistic abuse
- narcissistic injury
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
noun
Excessive interest in oneself and focus on one's own desires, needs, and appearance.
His constant talking about himself was a symptom of his narcissism.
Often appears as...
- extreme narcissism
- pathological narcissism
noun
A personality disorder where a person has an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for attention and admiration, and a lack of empathy for others.
The psychologist diagnosed him with narcissistic personality disorder.
Often appears as...
- narcissistic abuse
- narcissistic injury
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Cultural Perception
Some cultures may view healthy self-esteem as narcissism; understand the distinction.
She's confident, not full of narcissism, as some might wrongly judge.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Narcissism usually has a negative connotation, suggesting selfishness and egotism.
His narcissism made him oblivious to his friends' needs.
Pro Tip 3/3Context Sensitivity
Avoid using 'narcissism' casually, as it can offend people if misused.
Calling a dedicated artist 'narcissistic' may seem like an unfair critique of their passion.
Pro Tip 1/3Cultural Perception
Some cultures may view healthy self-esteem as narcissism; understand the distinction.
She's confident, not full of narcissism, as some might wrongly judge.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Narcissism usually has a negative connotation, suggesting selfishness and egotism.
His narcissism made him oblivious to his friends' needs.
Pro Tip 3/3Context Sensitivity
Avoid using 'narcissism' casually, as it can offend people if misused.
Calling a dedicated artist 'narcissistic' may seem like an unfair critique of their passion.
Pro Tip 1/3Cultural Perception
Some cultures may view healthy self-esteem as narcissism; understand the distinction.
She's confident, not full of narcissism, as some might wrongly judge.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Connotation
Narcissism usually has a negative connotation, suggesting selfishness and egotism.
His narcissism made him oblivious to his friends' needs.
Pro Tip 3/3Context Sensitivity
Avoid using 'narcissism' casually, as it can offend people if misused.
Calling a dedicated artist 'narcissistic' may seem like an unfair critique of their passion.
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Video examples
Your elusive creative...
work so brilliant there it is right there that distance that I'm talking about that psychological construct to protect you from the results of your work you know and everyone knew that this is how it functioned right so the ancient artist was protected from certain things like for example too much narcissism right if your work was
Video examples
Your elusive creative...
So brilliant -- there it is, right there, that distance that I'm talking about -- that psychological construct to protect you from the results of your work. And everyone knew that this is how it functioned, right? So the ancient artist was protected from certain things, like, for example, too much narcissism, right?
Video examples
The best teams have this...
leaders are significantly more effective their employees are more productive and more innovative but there's a third kind of leader that gets even better results and that would be called a humble narcissist how can you be humble and narcissistic they sound like opposites but they're not because narcissism is
Video examples
Risk Takers: Challenging...
You know, a lot of people have described climbers and climbing itself as being one of the most celebrated compulsive obsessive disorders that's out there. You know, I think throw in a little bit of narcissism and then the bad hygiene, you kinda get a pretty good idea of what most climbers are like.
Video examples
The psychology of...
elevated and sometimes detrimental self-involvement. But it's not just a personality type that shows up in advice columns. It's actually a set of traits classified and studied by psychologists. The psychological definition of narcissism is an inflated, grandiose self-image.
Video examples
The mad scientist of...
so that was a bad idea. Anyway, I was really delighted to receive the invitation to present to you some of my music and some of my work as a composer, presumably because it appeals to my well-known and abundant narcissism. And I'm not kidding, I just think we should just
Video examples
Science in service to...
while those of narcissism are on the rise. There is also a growing culture of disengagement between engineering students and the public. We are trained to build bridges and solve complex problems but not how to think or live or be a citizen of this world.
Video examples
The ethical dilemma of...
You were also reading in the newspaper earlier this week that a study of these children who were born as designer babies indicates they may have some issues, like increased aggressiveness and narcissism. But more immediately on your mind
Video examples
A theory of everything PIPE...
And secondly, I'm a recovering narcissist. I didn't know I was a narcissist actually. I thought narcissism meant you loved yourself. And then someone told me there is a flip side to it.
Video examples
Bob Mankoff: Anatomy of...
"Excuse me — I think there's something wrong with this in a tiny way that no one other than me would ever be able to pinpoint." So it focuses on our obsessions, our narcissism,
Video examples
Your elusive creative...
work so brilliant there it is right there that distance that I'm talking about that psychological construct to protect you from the results of your work you know and everyone knew that this is how it functioned right so the ancient artist was protected from certain things like for example too much narcissism right if your work was
Video examples
Your elusive creative...
So brilliant -- there it is, right there, that distance that I'm talking about -- that psychological construct to protect you from the results of your work. And everyone knew that this is how it functioned, right? So the ancient artist was protected from certain things, like, for example, too much narcissism, right?
Video examples
The best teams have this...
leaders are significantly more effective their employees are more productive and more innovative but there's a third kind of leader that gets even better results and that would be called a humble narcissist how can you be humble and narcissistic they sound like opposites but they're not because narcissism is
Video examples
Risk Takers: Challenging...
You know, a lot of people have described climbers and climbing itself as being one of the most celebrated compulsive obsessive disorders that's out there. You know, I think throw in a little bit of narcissism and then the bad hygiene, you kinda get a pretty good idea of what most climbers are like.
Video examples
The psychology of...
elevated and sometimes detrimental self-involvement. But it's not just a personality type that shows up in advice columns. It's actually a set of traits classified and studied by psychologists. The psychological definition of narcissism is an inflated, grandiose self-image.
Video examples
The mad scientist of...
so that was a bad idea. Anyway, I was really delighted to receive the invitation to present to you some of my music and some of my work as a composer, presumably because it appeals to my well-known and abundant narcissism. And I'm not kidding, I just think we should just
Video examples
Science in service to...
while those of narcissism are on the rise. There is also a growing culture of disengagement between engineering students and the public. We are trained to build bridges and solve complex problems but not how to think or live or be a citizen of this world.
Video examples
The ethical dilemma of...
You were also reading in the newspaper earlier this week that a study of these children who were born as designer babies indicates they may have some issues, like increased aggressiveness and narcissism. But more immediately on your mind
Video examples
A theory of everything PIPE...
And secondly, I'm a recovering narcissist. I didn't know I was a narcissist actually. I thought narcissism meant you loved yourself. And then someone told me there is a flip side to it.
Video examples
Bob Mankoff: Anatomy of...
"Excuse me — I think there's something wrong with this in a tiny way that no one other than me would ever be able to pinpoint." So it focuses on our obsessions, our narcissism,
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Peter Dinklage
American Actor
It's a shame how a lot of actors use theater as a stepping stone to film and television work; I think it shouldn't be treated that way. Maybe it's narcissism or something. I think we should always go back to it. I try and do a play a year, and I think that's really helped me.
Quote examples
Jeffrey Kluger
American Writer
Since narcissism is fueled by a greater need to be admired than to be liked, psychologists might use that fact as a therapeutic lever - stressing to patients that being known as a narcissist will actually cause them to lose the respect and social status they crave.
Quote examples
Gail Bradbrook
British Activist
This is not a slow movement of change. It's a shift in the consciousness of each of us. It is a collective shift. It involves facing grief and trauma and undoing our numbness and our narcissism and our indulgence that we have in this privileged western society.
Quote examples
Jason Reitman
Canadian Director
Selfishness, narcissism, being uncomfortable in your own skin, not feeling connected to the world around you, feeling dislocated from family and youth, having a strange relationship with your childhood - all those things feel really true to me.
Quote examples
Meryl Streep
American Actress
Service is the only thing that's important about love. Everybody is worried about 'losing yourself' - all this narcissism. Duty. We can't stand that idea now either... But duty might be a suit of armor you put on to fight for your love.
Quote examples
Jenny McCarthy
American Model
Having a child makes you realize the importance of life - narcissism goes out the window. Heaven on earth is looking at my little boy. The minute he was born, I knew if I never did anything other than being a mom, I'd be fine.
Quote examples
Leandra Medine
American Author
I'm someone very comfortable airing out the stories of my own life. Some people call it narcissism, but for me, the intention is that it will positively affect other people.
Quote examples
Moby
American Musician
I think a lot of self-importance is a product of fear. And fear, living in sort of an un-self-examined fear-based life, tends to lead to narcissism and self-importance.
Quote examples
Sigmund Freud
Austrian Psychologist
Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism.
Quote examples
Tucker Max
American Author
No one has probably helped me more with my narcissism than my dog.
Quote examples
Peter Dinklage
American Actor
It's a shame how a lot of actors use theater as a stepping stone to film and television work; I think it shouldn't be treated that way. Maybe it's narcissism or something. I think we should always go back to it. I try and do a play a year, and I think that's really helped me.
Quote examples
Jeffrey Kluger
American Writer
Since narcissism is fueled by a greater need to be admired than to be liked, psychologists might use that fact as a therapeutic lever - stressing to patients that being known as a narcissist will actually cause them to lose the respect and social status they crave.
Quote examples
Gail Bradbrook
British Activist
This is not a slow movement of change. It's a shift in the consciousness of each of us. It is a collective shift. It involves facing grief and trauma and undoing our numbness and our narcissism and our indulgence that we have in this privileged western society.
Quote examples
Jason Reitman
Canadian Director
Selfishness, narcissism, being uncomfortable in your own skin, not feeling connected to the world around you, feeling dislocated from family and youth, having a strange relationship with your childhood - all those things feel really true to me.
Quote examples
Meryl Streep
American Actress
Service is the only thing that's important about love. Everybody is worried about 'losing yourself' - all this narcissism. Duty. We can't stand that idea now either... But duty might be a suit of armor you put on to fight for your love.
Quote examples
Jenny McCarthy
American Model
Having a child makes you realize the importance of life - narcissism goes out the window. Heaven on earth is looking at my little boy. The minute he was born, I knew if I never did anything other than being a mom, I'd be fine.
Quote examples
Leandra Medine
American Author
I'm someone very comfortable airing out the stories of my own life. Some people call it narcissism, but for me, the intention is that it will positively affect other people.
Quote examples
Moby
American Musician
I think a lot of self-importance is a product of fear. And fear, living in sort of an un-self-examined fear-based life, tends to lead to narcissism and self-importance.
Quote examples
Sigmund Freud
Austrian Psychologist
Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism.
Quote examples
Tucker Max
American Author
No one has probably helped me more with my narcissism than my dog.
Example 1 of 10
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