Where Does Narcissism Begin?
Are we born with narcissism or is it a learned behaviour? All humans have narcissistic tendencies which are a healthy part of everyone's personality. But what about people whose narcissism is out of control?
For the most part scientists have discovered that narcissism, anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are not conditions that people are born with. So therefore; a person who is extremely narcissistic learned this behaviour and it became a part of their personality during childhood.
Most narcissists grew up with parents who enabled bad behaviour. These people were probably taught that self-entitlement and expecting the finest things and treatment in life was what they deserved as human beings. Some narcissist's were never disciplined properly as children and some were possibly raised in such a strict environment that perhaps the strictness bordered on cruelty. In a family where one or both parents were narcissists, the chances are that one parent enabled the other's behaviour or it could be that they enabled each other.
Sometimes there are no reasons why a person ends up with unhealthy narcissistic behaviours, or in some cases NPD. Despite looking into this person's past, their childhood seems to have been normal and they are simply unlucky to have inherited this trait. This is where one wonders if narcissism is genetic too. But, when it comes to the narcissists I have met, they all have one thing in common. One or both of their parents were narcissists, had some kind of personality disorder or mental illness.
So how do you know if you are a narcissist? How do you tell if you have NPD or ASPD. ASPD has been likened to sociopaths and psychopaths. According to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM - IV, psychopaths and sociopaths have been grouped together under ASPD. But when you read the different criteria for diagnosing sociopathy or psychopathy, the two conditions have different criteria. So, some of these awful dysfunctional parents that we hear about could very well have sociopathic tendencies or psychopathic ones.
There is supposed to be a new version of the DSM coming out soon; which means there may have been new discoveries in the area of mental illness. Perhaps we will see more information about these personality disorders. If you are interested to know whether you do have unhealthy levels of narcissism, read my article:
[http://www.bubblews.com/news/669870-how-can-i-tell-if-i-am-narcissist]
For the most part scientists have discovered that narcissism, anti-social personality disorder (ASPD) and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are not conditions that people are born with. So therefore; a person who is extremely narcissistic learned this behaviour and it became a part of their personality during childhood.
Most narcissists grew up with parents who enabled bad behaviour. These people were probably taught that self-entitlement and expecting the finest things and treatment in life was what they deserved as human beings. Some narcissist's were never disciplined properly as children and some were possibly raised in such a strict environment that perhaps the strictness bordered on cruelty. In a family where one or both parents were narcissists, the chances are that one parent enabled the other's behaviour or it could be that they enabled each other.
Sometimes there are no reasons why a person ends up with unhealthy narcissistic behaviours, or in some cases NPD. Despite looking into this person's past, their childhood seems to have been normal and they are simply unlucky to have inherited this trait. This is where one wonders if narcissism is genetic too. But, when it comes to the narcissists I have met, they all have one thing in common. One or both of their parents were narcissists, had some kind of personality disorder or mental illness.
So how do you know if you are a narcissist? How do you tell if you have NPD or ASPD. ASPD has been likened to sociopaths and psychopaths. According to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM - IV, psychopaths and sociopaths have been grouped together under ASPD. But when you read the different criteria for diagnosing sociopathy or psychopathy, the two conditions have different criteria. So, some of these awful dysfunctional parents that we hear about could very well have sociopathic tendencies or psychopathic ones.
There is supposed to be a new version of the DSM coming out soon; which means there may have been new discoveries in the area of mental illness. Perhaps we will see more information about these personality disorders. If you are interested to know whether you do have unhealthy levels of narcissism, read my article:
[http://www.bubblews.com/news/669870-how-can-i-tell-if-i-am-narcissist]
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