How to Tell If Your Friend Is a Narcissist
A guide for evaluating and handling relationships when narcissism interferes
Humans are naturally interested in the darker idiosyncrasies of human nature, such as sociopathy and psychopathy. In fact, understanding these disordered traits and tendencies isn’t just some sick fascination, but can be a useful tool for having healthier relationships.
Narcissism might seem to be the least scary of the disorder types, as it is often confused with other social behaviors. Many people even assume it’s a natural repercussion of the social media age. However, the Royal College of Psychiatrists identifies a person with a narcissism disorder as having the following traits:
- Having a strong sense of self-importance
- Dreaming of unlimited success, power, and intellectual brilliance
- Craving attention from other people but showing few warm feelings in return
- Taking advantage of other people
- Asking for favors that are not returned
Communications specialist Preston Ni explains in Psychology Today that narcissism goes beyond being self-obsessed: “It is more accurate to characterize the pathological narcissist as someone who’s in love with an idealized self-image…
