Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a pattern of self-centered or egotistical behavior that shows up in thinking and behavior in a lot of different situations and activities. People with NPD won't (or can't) change their behavior even when it causes problems at work or when other people complain about the way they act, or when their behavior causes a lot of emotional distress to others (or themselves? none of my narcissists ever admit to being distressed by their own behavior -- they always blame other people for any problems).
This pattern of self-centered or egotistical behavior is not caused by current drug or alcohol use, head injury, acute psychotic episodes, or any other illness, but has been going on steadily at least since adolescence or early adulthood.
Whatever they may be doing, in their own view, they are the star, and they give the impression that they are bearing heroic responsibility for their family or department or company, that they have to take care of everything because their spouses or co-workers are undependable, uncooperative, or otherwise unfit. They ignore or denigrate the abilities and contributions of others and complain that they receive no help at all; they may inspire your sympathy or admiration for their stoicism in the face of hardship or unstinting self-sacrifice for the good of (undeserving) others.
But this everyday grandiosity is an aspect of narcissism that you may never catch on to unless you visit the narcissist's home or workplace and see for yourself that others are involved and are pulling their share of the load and, more often than not, are also pulling the narcissist's share as well.
Narcissists cultivate solipsistic or "autistic" fantasies, which is to say that they live in their own little worlds (and react with affront when reality dares to intrude).
They want praise, compliments, deference, and expressions of envy all the time, and they want to be told that everything they do is better than what others can do.
Sincerity is not an issue here; all that matter are frequency and volume. Narcissists use other people to get what they want without caring about the cost to the other people.
They are unwilling to recognize or sympathize with other people's feelings and needs. They "tune out" when other people want to talk about their own problems.
They show arrogant, haughty, patronizing, or contemptuous behaviors or attitudes.
SOUND FAMILIAR??? This isn't a joking matter, it's a very serious, dangerous mental illness and to have someone like this ruling the country with an iron fist, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous. I want to see his past medical records that he won't release. Guarantee you he has been on lots of meds.
He also demands to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements. Narcissists are obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence, unequalled brilliance.
He requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation - or, failing that, wishes to be feared and to be notorious. The narcissist feels entitled. He demands automatic and full compliance with his unreasonable expectations for special and favorable priority treatment. A a result, he is often "interpersonally exploitative", i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends.
Narcissists lack empathy. They are unable or unwilling to identify with, acknowledge, or accept the feelings, needs, preferences, priorities, and choices of others. The narcissist is arrogant and haughty. He feels superior, omnipotent, omniscient, invincible, immune, "above the law", and omnipresent (magical thinking). Rages when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted by people he considers inferior to him and unworthy.
read more:
Joe,
This is going to be a “0bammy Dearest” 4 years long.
Start your hangars. (hangers?) (Little metal things that hang up clothes and are used to beat theater seats during a certain movie. I never did that, but I saw pictures. I am more of a “Rocky Horror” type myself.)