The Rise of Narcissism

Narcissism is a term that is bandied about a lot these days, but do we really understand what it means? Often, we think it's about vanity, because it originated when Narcissus fell in love with his reflection, but true narcissism is more serious and potentially destructive than that. And then there's the malignant narcissist, the person we really need to steer clear of - fall foul of them, make them look foolish, and they'll hunt you down until they've exacted their horrible revenge!
I am certain we all know narcissists, those who only ever see their own perspective - any conversation comes back to them; somebody else's misfortune is seen in terms of the impact on them ("I know he's dead, but how am I going to get to bingo now?"); they lie and cheat to win, get their own way or save face; they con or exploit for their own ends; they always think they're right (and if you disagree, you're just plain wrong!). All they care about is being the best, on top, winning, the centre of attention, unconcerned about who they hurt and what they damage in the process. And don't make the mistake of thinking that they are always rude or unpleasant - they can be absolute charmers in order to get what they want.
So, no surprise that they very often make it to the pinnacle of their chosen career and are frequently extremely successful. Sadly, it seems that modern society not only nurtures this type of behaviour, but also actively promotes that characteristic in all of us. How to change it? Start with awareness.
www.independent.co.uk/news/science/narcissism-the-science-behind-the-rise-of-a-modern-epidemic-a6925...