Narcissistic Personality

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The essential feature of narcissistic personality disorder is a persuasive pattern of grandiosity-that is an inflated since of how important one is-along with a need for admiration and lack of empathy for other people. The disorder typically begins by early adulthood, although some causes may be rooted in childhood experiences. Sigmund Freud started the psychological discussion of the disorder with his 1914 paper "on narcissism". The disorder takes its name from narcissus, who in greek mythology was the son of a river god and a nymph. As a young man he was known for his beauty. However, when narcissus rejected the love of the nymph echo, the gods grew angry with him. They caused him to fall in love with his own reflection in the waters of a pool. Gazing at his beautiful and inaccessible image, narcissus drowned when he fell into the water. The flower that bears his name sprung up when narcissus died. Narcissistic people tend to exaggerate

and accomplishments, often appearing boastful or pretentious. They tend to talk endlessly about themselves and become annoyed if the topic of conversation turns to anyone else. Fantasies of unlimited power, beauty, wealth, or achievement may consume them.Narcissistic disturbance can be found in everyone. An individual's existence would be in jeopardy if some narcissistic traits were not present. The development of problems occur when narcissistic traits become exaggerated in an individual's personality. During the first eighteen months of life an infant is provided with narcissistic defenses. The infant is able to experience being the center of their mother's world and a oneness with the mother develops. Being the center of the mother's world makes the child feel powerful and omnipotent and they know no limits to their world. However, a psychological transformation near the end of the eighteen-month period causes the disintegration of the child's oneness with the mother to take place. When this separation period...
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