What is a Narcissist?
All of us have narcissistic TRAITS. Some of us even develop a narcissistic PERSONALITY. Moreover, narcissism is a SPECTRUM of behaviours – from the healthy to the utterly pathological (known as the Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or NPD). But the “malignant” narcissist consistently manifests at least 5 of these 9 criteria. The DSM IV uses this language: “An all-pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour), need for admiration or adulation and lack of empathy, usually beginning by early adulthood and present in various contexts.” So, what matters is that these characteristics, often found in healthy people, appear: 1. Jointly and not separately or intermittently 2. They are all-pervasive (invade, penetrate, and mould every aspect, nook, and cranny of the personality) 3. That grandiose fantasies are abundantly discernible 4. That grandiose (often ridiculous) behaviours are present 5. That there is an over-riding need for admiration and adulation (“narcissistic supply”) 6
