Malignant Narcissism: A Brief Overview

Health • October 2009 • Views: 809

There is a creature that exists in human form that has become distinctly different than those of us who do struggle against selfishness. In a very deliberate and conscious way these people have made a decision to not fight against their selfish impulses. They have embraced them. They have found ways to completely justify them. They are quite proud of their freedom to do anything they want to anyone they want. They may be quietly smug about it or openly boastful; nevertheless, they’re proud of their ability to get their way.

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8 comments

abu_garcia Sun, Nov 1, 2009 8:16:23am

The author’s personal angst obscures the rational information she attempts to pass along. This is not unusual for someone who has suffered from trying to deal with a narcissist at close range, but not really helpful with regard to the “problem” in society. It does help the victim in the stage when they need to feel that others stand with them as they try to get over the experience.

Narcissists are damaged goods and they wreak havoc on those they contact. There appears to be a genetic susceptibility where some people react more strongly to bad parenting or a deprived childhood with the greed and self-obsession of narcissism. There is probably some survival value to the trait or it would not be preserved in the gene pool, but that does not mean you should like these people.

Like sociopaths, the only thing one can do is learn to recognize them, avoid them (at almost any cost), and let the law deal with them when they slip up enough to draw its attention.

As long as one continues to react emotionally to the experience one is still a victim. Been there, done that.

iceweasel Sun, Nov 1, 2009 1:10:59pm

re: #1 abu_garcia

Agreed on all counts. And a free blog on blogspot is not the best place to learn about a psychological condition, especially one that isn’t even recognised by the DSM-IV.

A good starting place for anyone interested in NPD would be the bible of the APA, the DSM-IV’s entries on Narcissistic Personality Disorder. After that, access to psychology journals and texts is required.

There is a ton of bad information on the net about these conditions (personality disorders). For example, so-called malignant narcissism isn’t yet even a recognised disorder. So far it’s the theoretical construct of one canadian psychologist IIRC, — and something touted by internet hacks like Sam Vaknin, who has no training or degree in psychology but has built a web empire on writing hackery about it all over the web. In short, access to a university library and reading some psych journal articles is required, as well as psych texts.

iceweasel Sun, Nov 1, 2009 1:28:40pm

BTW, I have downdinged the link because that article is crap and makes a crucial error in its very first paragraph, by claiming that ‘malignant narcissism’ is the same thing as NPD. It isn’t.

Malignant narcissism should be considered a theoretical or ‘experimental’ diagnostic category.

That’s wikipedia. Wikipedia also has some egregious errors in its article, for example citing Sam Vaknin as a source. But they get that right.

For serious information on the theoretical construct of malignant narcissism, bearing in mind that it is not recognised as a standalone diagnosis by any psychiatrist, psychologist, the American Psychological Association, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (currently in its 4th edition), nor is it recognised by the body equivalent to the APA in Europe (that would be the WHO categories of psychiatric illness), get access to a university database if possible, or go to a good library with access to PSYCH-INFO (the electronic database used by all psych researchers, indexing all academic articles).

What you don’t do is read free blogs set up by someone with no academic or research or medical qualifications whatsoever— if you want to actually research the medical/psych concept that is, as opposed to reading someone’s personal experience. The latter may be emotionally helpful, but it isn’t going to give you objective info.

iceweasel Sun, Nov 1, 2009 1:39:16pm

I see that we have entered the arena of downdinging comments by me which provide factual information. Interesting.

Jimmah Sun, Nov 1, 2009 1:59:15pm

re: #4 iceweasel

Pathetic behaviour, whoever is doing that.

Sharmuta Sun, Nov 1, 2009 2:00:36pm

re: #5 Jimmah

As pathetic as those who mindlessly upding everything some people say, whoever is doing that.

iceweasel Sun, Nov 1, 2009 2:37:25pm

re: #5 Jimmah