This meme isn't totally accurate and sounds like someone's subjective opinion, but they do a good job of explaining certain things in regard to how some people act.
Below is a more strict clinical definition.
"Narcissistic personality disorder — one of several types of personality disorders — is a mental condition 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."
I so often see people throwing this word around and blaming other people while acting as if they are perfect and had nothing to do with the equation and in some cases that may be true.
For example when I was growing up one of my "friends" used to brag somewhat often about how he was cheating on his girlfriends and that bothered me a lot...
I hadn't really found my voice enough at that point to tell his girlfriends even though I was strong enough to resist many of the immoral things that that same "friend" tried to get me to do.
It always bothered me because I knew how dishonest and immoral he was and I was super honest, kind and compassionate, yet he got all the women and I'm still a loser virgin at almost 40 years old... Weird how that works eh?
He did that kind of stuff to pretty much all of his friends and family as well... He would build them up and act all nice and then all of a sudden start breaking people down and making them feel horrible... Then he would build them back up again and do it in a way where he was able to psychologically control them to a significant extent.
This is very similar to how governments around the world use trauma based mind control to control their populations, and I dunno how he was such an expert at it at such a young age... But, he was really good at it.
All that being said though, I think many people use the word as an excuse to shift blame away from themselves towards the other while highlighting the bad others do and ignoring or minimizing the bad they themselves do.
The reason I think that is because I used to do that as well, after having my heart broken by many women who I felt were dishonest with me I started to use that word in such ways.
Then I got open and reflective enough with myself to question if maybe I was also a narcissist?
I realized that I was in certain ways and that many people who claim to be selfless and people pleasers are actually like a different kind of narcissist where they act kind in such ways because of a big ego and in order to get attention and things like that.
Which reminds me of a woman I met who was into BDSM and she taught me about that subject a bit and got into the philosophy and explained how she believed that it's actually the "submissive" one who is in control even if it seems like it's the "dominator".
Human psychology can be very tricky! Sometimes when you think you're the one who is doing the using, you're actually the one being used!
So, these days I tend to think that everyone has a bit of narcissist in them and it's only in realizing that and recognizing that that we can more free ourselves from such kinds of behavior.
Of course some are "worse" or more "extreme" than others, however... When we are able to recognize that in ourselves even if it isn't as extreme or as bad as others I think that can be extremely helpful!
We're all human (I think?) and we all have our own flaws and issues, so to go around always pointing the finger at others and claiming they are narcissists as if we are not is I think a sign of narcissism itself.
It's a crazy weird strange odd world out there! And... If you're not careful you'll not only have someone else behaving like a narcissist toward you, you'll be acting like one as well without even knowing it!
So... My message for today would be, try to be aware of what's going on and be careful as to what kind of energy you want in your life from not just other people but yourself as well!
(I don't own this image, it's a meme I found on social media and am sharing in a fair use sense)
I thought of you, while listening to the first speaker, at the link below this morning! Have you come across the work of Matt Khan before? I found the conversation here so on point, with the topics of narcissism and even judgement and love. It would be so wonderful if you decided to join me in listening to these conversations. Each day we get an email with a new speaker, and it is free to listen for the first 48 hours. I find these talks so perfect to incorporate into my daily routine. Maybe you will enjoy them too.
https://waxelasananda.com/aoa6/
No, I don't think so? The name sounds kind of familiar, but I'm just not sure. And, oh? That's interesting. Thanks for the link, I'll look into it and check it out. :) Hope you're doing well!
Most people are part of a cult and don't even know it!
Indeed! I'd say many are part of many cults as to me the word "cult" is short for "culture" and there's all kinds of culture people are a part of without even realizing it. Quite a fascinating thing to think about!
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I think you are right, we are all a bit narcissistic. But some people seem to be worse than others. Although we all tend to think we're okay and others aren't. We are complicated creatures.