Narcissism
/ˈnɑːrsɪsɪzəm/
Definitions
Excessive admiration of oneself; self-centeredness; vanity. In psychology, it refers to a personality disorder characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others.
/ˈnɑːrsɪsɪzəm/
Excessive admiration of oneself
Her narcissism was evident in her constant need for praise and admiration.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone who's *super* into themselves. They always talk about how great they are, need everyone to tell them how amazing they are, and don't really care about anyone else's feelings. That's narcissism in a nutshell, like the person who only posts selfies and brags about their accomplishments on social media.
👶 For kids: When someone thinks they're the best at everything and loves looking at themselves all the time. Like a superhero who only cares about their own powers.
More Examples
The politician's narcissism alienated many potential supporters.
Psychologists often study narcissism to better understand personality disorders.
How It's Used
"The psychologist diagnosed the patient with a personality disorder marked by narcissism."
"His narcissism was evident in the constant selfies and self-promotion."
Idioms & expressions
narcissistic personality disorder
A mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others.
"The diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder explained the patient's challenging behaviors."
From Greek Νάρκισσος (Nárkissos), the name of a character in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own reflection. The suffix '-ism' indicates a belief or practice.
The term gained prominence in the early 20th century within psychoanalysis, particularly in the writings of Sigmund Freud. Initially, it was used to describe a stage of development and then evolved to denote a personality disorder.
Memory tip
Think of Narcissus admiring his reflection; this self-obsession defines narcissism.