Narcissism
I approach this topic somewhat gingerly because narcissistic behavior is a part of my own personal history. As I understand it, the term derives from the myth of Narcissus, someone who fell in love with their own reflection, and narcissism has a modern day definition of describing some who exhibits an excessive degree of self-esteem or self involvement. The DSM5 defines the characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder as follows: “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity . . . , need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, para. 301.81) The DSM5 goes on to list diagnostic criteria as follows:, grandiosity; preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance or beauty; belief that he or she is special; a requirement for excessive admiration; a sense of entitlement; a tendency to exploit others; an absence of empathy; a preoccupation with envy; and ...