Narcissism: Psychological Theories And Therapeutic Interventions In T
...Understanding the Narcissistic Phenomenon
The so called "narcissistic personality disorder" is a complex and often
misunderstood disorder. The cardinal feature of the narcissistic personality
is the grandiose sense of self importance, but paradoxically underneath this
grandiosity the narcissist suffers from a chronically fragile low self esteem.
The grandiosity of the narcissist, however, is often so pervasive that we tend
to dehumanize him or her. The narcissist conjures in us images of the
mythological character Narcissus who could only love himself, rebuffing anyone
who attempted to touch him. Nevertheless, it is the underlying sense of
inferiority which is the real problem of the narcissist, the grandiosity is
just a facade used to cover the deep feelings of inadequacy.
The Makeup of the Narcissistic Personality
The narcissist's grandiose behavior is designed to reaffirm his or her
sense of adequacy. Since the narcissist is incapable of asserting his or her
own sense of adequacy, the narcissist seeks to be admired by others. However,
the narcissist"s extremely fragile sense of self worth does not allow him or
her to risk any criticism. Therefore, meaningful emotional interactions with
others are avoided. By simultaneously seeking the admiration of others and
keeping them at a distance the narcissist is usually able to maintain the
illusion of grandiosity no matter how people respond. Thus, when people praise
the narcissist his or her grandiosity will increase, but when criticized the
grandiosity will usually remain unaffected because the narcissist will devalue
the criticizing person.
Akhtar (1989) [as cited in Carson & Butcher, 1992; P. 271] discusses six
areas of pathological functioning which characterize the narcissist. In
particular, four of these narcissistic character traits best illustrate the
pattern discussed...
View Full Essay
