Pathological Narcissism
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Pathological narcissism, also referred to as narcissism personality disorder, is one of the more common disorders that affect people; it affects individuals from all walks of life. Some believe pathological narcissism is a beneficial, or that it can be good for the individual, while others believe that to be far from the truth. While narcissism exists within everyone to some degree, people living with pathological narcissism speak and think of themselves at all times, making it difficult to cultivate relationships with other people. Because this is a habit for them, narcissists often find it difficult to develop close relationships with other people. This, ultimately, can impact one's social skills and everyday living.
There are characteristics that distinguish a pathological narcissist from a healthy one. Symptoms of a pathological narcissist include:
- Exaggeration of talents
- Delegating one's work to others
- Always being the center of attention
Furthermore if pathological narcissist fail at something, he or she will most always point the blame elsewhere while accepting full responsibility for things that go correctly. Individuals with pathological narcissism can be difficult to deal with. However, with proper treatment and awareness, their behavior can be controlled.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is fairly new in terms of receiving recognition as a separate and distinct disorder. Individuals with the disorder hold a grandiose vision of self and exhibit traits and behaviors aimed at getting attention and adulation to support this vision. They are ruthless in their pursuit of self-gratification. These individuals show no concern for the needs of others. Individuals who exhibit pathological narcissism may harm only those they come into contact with or they may turn their inner rage onto complete strangers who have achieved the level of success they long for.
Recognition of narcissistic personality disorder is fairly recent. One individual who suffers from the condition is Theodore Kaczynski, more commonly known as the Unabomber. Kaczynski terrorized the nation for two decades. Like other serial murders that suffer from the condition, Kaczynski exhibited all of the classic signs of the disorder. His overriding goal was to convince the nation he was the "wiliest, most sophisticated and terrifying bomber in the nation" and that he could attack anywhere and anytime.
Kaczynski carried out his attacks by selecting random individuals he believed had wronged him in some way. Most of these individuals were highly successful and provoked his envy. As an adolescent Kaczynski dreamed of becoming a famous mathematician as was often referred to as the little genius. At Harvard he isolated himself from others. His time at Harvard presented him with proof that he was not especially talented. As with most narcissistic individuals, he needed to be the very best or accept that he was nothing at all. He pain and bitterness mixed with his image of the grandiose self. To gain recognition and adulation he turned to sending bombs in the mail. The bombs were usually sent to individuals who had achieved success and therefore, presented a treat to him. Kaczynski's vanity and his belief he could not be caught led him to provide the FBI with the clues that finally resulted in his capture.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a dangerous and debilitating personality disorder that harms both the individual suffering from NPD and the people he or she comes into contact with. People with NPD are unable to form close or caring relationships and tend to take their rage out on those who threaten them in some way. Very little is known about NPD due to the relatively short time it has received attention as a distinct and separate disorder. Given the risks and dangers associated with the disorder it is reasonable to expect more attention will be paid to NPD in the future.