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	:{{Otheruses4\|the ] condition of narcissism\|narcissism in the generic sense \|Narcissism}}
	], the ] hero after whom narcissism is named, became obsessed with his own reflection.]]''

	The term '''narcissism''' means love of oneself, and refers to the set of ]s concerned with self-admiration, self-centeredness and self-regard. The name was chosen by ], from the ] of ], who was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water.

	While almost everyone is narcissistic to some degree, certain forms of narcissism can be highly dysfunctional, and are classified as ] such as the ] and ]. ], as defined by the ], also contains a narcissistic factor <ref>Nestor, Paul G ''The American Journal of Psychiatry'', 2002; 159:1973–1978</ref>.

	== Narcissism as defined by Psychiatry ==

	'''Narcissism''' is a term first used in relation to human thought and behavior by the Austrian physician and psychiatrist ].

	Narcissism is a set of character traits concerned with self-admiration, self-centeredness and self-regard.

	Everyone has some narcissistic traits. However, narcissism can also manifest in an extreme pathological form in some ] such as ] wherein the patient overestimates his abilities and has an excessive need for admiration and affirmation. This may be present to such a degree that it severely damages the person's ability to live a productive or happy life because the traits manifest as severe selfishness and disregard for the needs and feelings of others.

	== In The Beginning - The Psychoanalysts ==
	===Freud===
	]
	:{{Main\|Sigmund Freud}}
	The Austrian physician Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), a neurologist turned psychiatrist, introduced the concept of narcissism in his 1914 essay ],<ref name=freud1>Freud, Sigmund, ''On Narcissism: An Introduction'', 1914</ref>.

	=== The Freudian theory of Narcissism ===
	==== Primary narcissism ====
	In his essay, 'On Narcissism: An Introduction', Freud suggested that exclusive self-love might not be as abnormal as previously thought, and might even be a common component in the human psyche. He argued that narcissism "is the libidinal compliment to the egoism of the instinct of self-preservation", or, more simply, the desire and energy that drives our instinct to survive. He called this: ''Primary Narcissism''.

	According to Freud we are not born with a sense of ourselves as individuals, or ]. The ego only develops during infancy and the early part of childhood, as the outside world, usually in the form of parental controls and expectations, intrudes upon primary narcissism, teaching the individual about the nature and standards of his social environment from which he can form the '']'', an image of the perfect self towards which the ego should aspire.

	Freud regarded all libidinous drives as fundamentally sexual and suggested that ''ego libido'' (] directed inwards to the self) cannot always be clearly distinguished from ''object-libido'' (libido directed to persons or objects outside of ourselves).

	An aspect frequently associated with Primary Narcissism appears in an earlier essay, 'Totem and Taboo'.<ref name=freud2>Freud, ''Sigmund, Totem and Taboo'', 1913</ref> where he describes his observations of children and primitive people, which he called "magical thinking". An example of magical thinking would be believing that you can have an effect on reality by wishing or willpower. This demonstrates a belief in the self as powerful and able to change external realities, which Freud believed was part of normal human development.

	==== Secondary narcissism ====
	According to Freud, ''secondary narcissism'' is a pathological condition which occurs when the libido withdraws from objects outside of the self. Freud further claimed that it is an extreme form of the narcissism that is part of all of us.

	==== Narcissism, relationships and self worth ====
	According to Freud, to care for someone is to convert ego-libido into object-libido by giving some self-love to another person, which leaves less ego-libido available for primary narcissism and protecting and nurturing the self. When that affection is returned so is the libido, thus restoring primary narcissism and self worth. Any failure to achieve, or disruption of, this balance causes psychological disturbances. In such a case primary narcissism can only be restored by withdrawing object-libido (also called, ''object-love''), to replenish ego-libido.

	According to Freud, as a child grows, and his ego develops, he is constantly giving of his self-love to people and objects, the first of which is usually his mother. This diminished self-love should be replenished by the affection and caring returned to him.

	==Karen Horney==
	{{Main\|Karen Horney}}
	]
	German physician and psychiatrist Karen Horney (1885-1952), began to develop her own theory of psychoanalysis in the late 1930s. Though acknowledging Freud as the founder of psychoanalysis, she was critical of his work, arguing that personality was shaped mainly by social, ] and environmental factors. She felt that Freud was wrong to assume that the relationships, attitudes and feelings common in his culture and times were largely driven by biological factors and could be applied universally.

	Horney saw narcissism quite differently from Freud, Kohut, and other mainstream psychoanalytic theorists, in that she did not posit a primary narcissism but saw the narcissistic personality as the product of a certain kind of early environment acting on a certain kind of temperament. For her, narcissistic needs and tendencies are not inherent in human nature.

	Narcissism is different from her other major defensive strategies or solutions in that it is not compensatory. Self-idealization is compensatory in her theory, but it differs from narcissism. All of the defensive strategies involve self-idealization, but in the narcissistic solution it tends to be the product of indulgence rather than of deprivation. The narcissist's self-esteem is shaky, however, because it is not based on genuine accomplishments.<ref name=horney1>Paris, Bernard J, ''Personality and Personal Growth'', edited by Robert Frager and James Fadiman, 1998</ref>

	==Heinz Kohut==
	{{Main\|Heinz Kohut}}
	Viennese physician and psychiatrist Heinz Kohut, M.D. (1913 - 1981) is best known for his development of '']'', a school of thought within ]/] theory.

	Kohut explored further the implications of Freud's perception of narcissism.

	He said that a child will tend to fantasize about having a grandiose self and ideal parents. He claimed that deep down we all retain a belief in our own perfection, and the perfection of anything we are part of, as we mature, grandiosity gives way to self-esteem, and the idealization of the parent become the framework for core values. It is when trauma disrupts this process that the most primitive and narcissistic version of the self remains unchanged. Kohut called this condition ].

	He suggested narcissism as part of a stage in normal development, in which caregivers provide a strong and protective presence for the child to identify with that reinforces the child's growing sense of self by mirroring his good qualities. If the caregivers fail to provide this adequately, the child grows up with a brittle and flawed sense of self.<ref name=kohut1>Kohut, Heinz, ''The Analysis of the Self'', 1971</ref>

	He also saw beyond the negative and pathological aspects of narcissism, believing it to be a component in the development of resilience, ideals and ambition once it has been transformed by life experiences or analysis.<ref name=kohut2>Kohut, Heinz, ''Forms and Transformations of Narcissism'', 1966</ref>

	==Otto Kernberg==
	{{Main\|Otto Kernberg}}
	Otto Kernberg uses the term Narcissism to refer to the role of self in the regulation of self esteem.

	He regarded normal, infantile Narcissism to be dependent on the affirmation of others and the acquisition of desirable and appealing objects, which should later develop into healthy, mature, self esteem. This healthy Narcissism depends upon an integrated sense of self, that incorporates images of the internalised affirmation of those close to us, that is regulated by the super ego and ego ideal, internal mental structures that assure us of our worth and that we deserve our own respect.

	When infantile Narcissism fails to develop in this healthy adult form it becomes a pathology.<ref name=kernberg>Siniscalco, Raffaele ''Journal of European Psychoanalysis'', Number 12-13 - Winter-Fall 2001 </ref>

	==Other forms of narcissism==
	===Acquired situational narcissism===
	Acquired Situational Narcissism is a form of narcissism that develops in late adolescence or adulthood, brought on by wealth, fame and the other trappings of ]. It was coined by Robert B. Millman, professor of ] at the ] of ].

	ASN differs from conventional narcissism in that it develops after childhood and is triggered and supported by the celebrity-obsessed society: fans, assistants and tabloid media all play into the idea that the person really is vastly more important than other people, triggering a narcissitic problem that might have been only a tendency, or latent, and helping it to become a full-blown personality disorder.

	In its presentation and symptoms, it is indistinguishable from Narcissitic Personality Disorder, differing only in its late onset and its support by large numbers of others. The person with ASN may suffer from unstable relationships, substance abuse and erratic behaviour.

	A famous fictional character with ASN is ], the main character of ].

	===Sexual narcissism===
	Sexual narcissism is the erotic preoccupation with oneself as a sexual being: a desire to merge sexually with a mirror image of oneself. Sexual narcissism can also be an egocentric pattern of sexual behavior, defined by David Farley Hurlbert and Carol Apt<ref>Hurlbert, D.F., Apt, C., ''Sexual narcissism and the abusive male''.</ref> as an inability to experience intimacy combined with a fixation on the sexual act, using high sexual esteem to compensate for low general self esteem. This is believed to be more common in men than in women and is suggested to be the basis of ].

	===Narcissistic style===
	Johnson <ref name=hns>Stephen M. Johnson''Humanizing the Narcissistic Styl'', 1987, W. W. Norton and Company, isbn0-393-70037-2</ref> discusses Narcissism as constituting a spectrum, from a severe disorder with much in common with ], to a much less severe, high-functioning form he calls "the narcissistic style."

	"People who have a narcissistic personality style rather than narcissistic personality disorder are relatively psychologically healthy, but may at times be arrogant, proud, shrewd, confident, self-centered and determined to be at the top. They may not, however, have an unrealistic image of their skills and worth and are not so strongly dependent on praise to sustain a healthy self-esteem." <ref name=mayon></ref>

	===Disordered narcissism===
	{{main\|Narcissistic personality disorder}}
	Lack of ] is a hallmark of narcissistic disorders, and sufferers find it extremely difficult to understand others' (and their own) emotional states and impact. This poses serious problems in maintaining close or intimate relationships. They may find it difficult to perceive or admit this flaw, or may reinterpret it as a virtue.{{Fact\|date=April 2007}}

	It is also worth noting that the individual expressions of grandiosity or arrogance vary with the person's value system. A person will generally attempt to display superiority ''as they define it.''{{Fact\|date=April 2007}}

	* Overreacts to criticism, becoming angry or humiliated
	* Uses others to reach goals
	* Exaggerates own importance
	* Entertains unrealistic fantasies about achievements, power, beauty, intelligence or romance
	* Has unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment
	* Seeks constant attention and positive reinforcement from others
	* Is easily jealous <ref name=psycho>{{cite web \| author = Laura Stephens \| title =''Narcissistic Personality Disorder'' \| work =Psychology Today's Diagnosis Dictionary \| url=http://psychologytoday.com/conditions/narcissistic.html \| year = 2006 \| month= apr 18 \| publisher=Psychology Today \| accessdate=2007-02-14}}</ref>
	* Has a sense of entitlement
	* Is interpersonally exploitative
	* Lacks empathy
	* Displays arrogant behavior
	* Displays haughty behavior{{Fact\|date=April 2007}}

	== Commonly used measures of narcissism ==
	===Narcissistic Personality Inventory ===

	The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) is the most widely used measure of narcissism in social psychological research. Although several versions of the NPI have been proposed in the literature, a 40-item forced-choice version (Raskin & Terry, 1988) is the one most commonly employed in current research. The NPI is based on the ]-III clinical criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), although it was designed to measure these features in the general population. Thus, the NPI is often said to measure "normal" or "sub-clinical" narcissism (i.e., people who score very high on the NPI do not necessarily meet criteria for diagnosis with NPD).

	Because the NPI was originally based on DSM criteria for NPD, there has been much research on its factor structure. Raskin and Terry (1988) identified seven factors of the NPI (i.e., superiority, exhibitionism, entitlement, vanity, authority, exploitativeness and self-sufficiency), mapping roughly onto the DSM criteria for NPD. Since then, several studies have further examined the factor structure of the NPI with varying results. For example, some studies report three factors, some report 4 factors. Furthermore, it is often the case that factors of the NPI exhibit very low internal consistency (although the full scale exhibits acceptable reliability). Thus, it may currently be concluded that the factor structure of the NPI is unknown.

	Research has found that people who score high on the NPI are more likely to: cheat and game-play in relationships; take more resources for themselves and leave less for others; value material things; like looking at themselves in the mirror. NPI scores are higher in recent generations.

	===The MCMI===

	The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (]) is a widely-used diagnostic test developed by Theodore Millon. The MCMI includes a scale for Narcissism. Auerbach JS ("Validation of two scales for narcissistic personality disorder", ''J Pers Assess.'' 1984 Dec;48(6):649-53. ) compared the NPI and MCMI, and found them well correlated, r(146) = .55, p<.001. However, it should be noted that whereas the MCMI measures Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), the NPI measures narcissism as it occurs in the general population. In other words, the NPI measures "normal" narcissism; i.e., most people who score very high on the NPI do not have NPD. Indeed, the NPI does not capture any sort of narcissism taxon as would be expected if it measured NPD.<ref name=foster1>Foster, J.D., & Campbell, W.K., Are there such things as "narcissists" in social psychology? A taxometric analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. ''Personality and Individual Differences'', in press.</ref>

	==References==
	{{reflist}}


	==See also==
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	==External links==
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