BiblicalInsights.net

     Recently, I have been reading a book by Drew Pinsky titled, The Mirror Effect.  I recommend this book to anyone who desires to gain an insight as to what is going on in our society with regard to narcissistic behavior.  Pinsky states that narcissism springs from an opposite relationship with the self: not self-involvement, but a disconnection with oneself.  The key to understanding the Narcissus myth is not that he fell in love with himself, but he failed to recognize himself in his own reflection.  In other words, true narcissists are not self-aware.  A real narcissist is dissociated from his or her true self; he feels haunted by chronic feelings of loneliness, emptiness, and self-loathing and seeks to replace the disconnection with a sense of worth and importance fueled by others.  Narcissism is also marked by a profound lack of empathy, a fundamental inability to understand and connect with the feelings of others.  Taken together, these are the traits psychologists measure in diagnosing (NPD) narcissistic personality disorder (Drew Pinsky, The Mirror Effect, p. 88).
     Pinsky gives seven traits of narcissistic personality disorder. 
     —Authority.  Narcissists are highly authoritative.  They display unregulated aggression, regulate every aspect of their environment, have a severe imparity to trust, and present their opinions as unassailable.
     —Entitlement.  Many people feel entitled to have everything they want.  This produces feelings of grandiosity.    
     —Exhibitionism. This is the desire to perform or speak before an audience. The desire to be noticed. 
     —Exploitativeness.  A disregard for other people’s priorities and feelings.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
     —Self-Sufficiency.  Overly self-sufficient people can find it difficult to collaborate or to register other people’s points of view.  This trait can also interfere with the person’s ability to ask for help.
     —Superiority.  This is the belief that one is better than others and thus entitled to deference or special treatment.  Narcissists shout, “Do you know who I am?”
     —Vanity.  This trait involves preoccupation with oneself and one’s appearance.  It also involves an inflated sense of one’s abilities. (The Mirror Effect, pp. 112-122). 
     I am sure you will hear more about narcissism.  I have already heard several people refer to it in television interviews and discussions.  Pinsky’s book is worth reading.  I will give some more information from it in future blogs.