How do you know if you are a sufferer? Apparently you just need to show five (or more) of the following symptoms:
- has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
- is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
- believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
- requires excessive admiration
- has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
- is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
- lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
- is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
- shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
Luckily, I only suffer from four of the symptoms (3, 6, 7 and obviously 9), which apparently means I'm normal.
Source - Narcissism: Denial of the True Self
Game for today: Can you beat my score?
Solution to yesterday's trivia question (What else is special about the number 42?) - 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.