Today, I am sharing an article defining the 8 sub-types of narcissism. I have read several different articles on this topic, but this article explained each type in a concise, numbered list and included all currently defined sub-types.
This is a brief, but interesting read. As you will see, narcissism comes in many different forms. Please keep in mind there is a difference between narcissism and typical, healthy “narcissistic” behavior.
Key point: Narcissists use manipulation as a means to an end. Healthy individuals do not.
The Dark Triad, a term coined by Paulhus and Williams in 2002, typically refers to three severely negative personality traits – narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. “Dark Triad” refers to individuals who possess these negative traits, but may not necessarily present with a diagnosis of a full-blown personality disorder.
All three of these negative personality types (further described below) are generally marked by varying degrees of aggression motivated by self-interest, lack of empathy, and skilled manipulation.
Narcissism
Narcissism is a term often used to describe someone who is generally self-centered or obsessed with their appearance. In the dictionary, this term is defined as “excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one’s physical appearance”. However, when we are speaking of personality traits as a whole, narcissism embodies much more than that. Below is a list of narcissistic traits, as found on Medical News Today (link also provided below):
An insatiable appetite for the attention of others
Extreme feelings of jealousy
An expectation of special treatment
Exaggerating achievements, talents, and importance
Extreme sensitivity and a tendency to be easily hurt and to feel rejected with little provocation
Difficulty maintaining healthy relationships
Fantasizing about their own intelligence, success, power, and appearance
An ability to take advantage of others to achieve a goal, without regret or conscience
A lack empathy, or ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and a tendency to disregard others’ feelings
A belief that only certain people can understand their uniqueness
A tendency to consider themselves as skilled in romance
Responding to criticism with anger, humiliation, and shame
Seeking out praise and positive reinforcement from others
An expectation that others will agree with them and go along with what they want
Whatever they crave or yearn for must be “the best”
Most people would identify with a few of these traits at some point or another in their life. For example, I identify with “seeking out praise and positive reinforcement from others” sometimes, especially when I’m not feeling confident about something – whether that be appearance or certain skills with my job. I also identify with “responding to criticism with anger, humiliation, and shame” sometimes, especially when the criticism is unnecessarily harsh. Does that make me a narcissist? Absolutely not. Identifying with some of these traits is completely normal. We all have some narcissistic tendencies from time to time and that is okay! However, it becomes more serious when these traits are present all of the time across various contexts – especially when manipulation is involved.
Further, narcissism isn’t a one-size-fits-all category. Narcissism lies on a spectrum and comes in varying levels of severity. Oftentimes, we think of narcissists as extremely attractive or extremely wealthy men or women. However, narcissists can be found in any level of socioeconomic status, race, religion, occupation – you name it. Appearance doesn’t play a factor either. In terms of psychology, narcissism exists as mental condition called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). However, not all people with narcissistic traits have NPD. I have provided a list of signs and symptoms of NPD below, as found on Mayo Clinic’s website. I have also provided the link for further information.
Signs and symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder and the severity of symptoms vary. People with the disorder can:
Have an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Have a sense of entitlement and require constant, excessive admiration
Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it
Exaggerate achievements and talents
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate
Believe they are superior and can only associate with equally special people
Monopolize conversations and belittle or look down on people they perceive as inferior
Expect special favors and unquestioning compliance with their expectations
Take advantage of others to get what they want
Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others
Be envious of others and believe others envy them
Behave in an arrogant or haughty manner, coming across as conceited, boastful and pretentious
Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office
At the same time, people with narcissistic personality disorder have trouble handling anything they perceive as criticism, and they can:
Become impatient or angry when they don’t receive special treatment
Have significant interpersonal problems and easily feel slighted
React with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make themselves appear superior
Have difficulty regulating emotions and behavior
Experience major problems dealing with stress and adapting to change
Feel depressed and moody because they fall short of perfection
Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability and humiliation
Again, if you identify with some of these traits, that does not mean you have NPD. In order to be diagnosed, you must be evaluated by a trained psychologist. It is also highly important to note that many individuals with NPD never receive a diagnosis because these persons are highly unlikely to seek out professional help due to the nature of the disorder.
Machiavellianism is not a personality disorder, but rather a set of behaviors and attitudes. This term is used to describe behavior that is deceitful, calculated, and exploitative. While narcissistic behavior is described similarly, Machiavellianism is marked by strategic planning of deception over a long period of time. Two other major distinctions include the type of deception used and their attitudes about morality.
Further, the Machiavellian is more likely to break laws. The consequences of breaking the law in question will determine if it is worth the risk to fulfill their self-interest – not because it is morally “wrong” or unethical. They do not care if their behavior goes against moral code. It means nothing to them as long as they gain whatever they are seeking. Their strategic planning of deceit is done quite purposefully in order to gain a long-term advantage.
The term “psychopath” is used a lot in today’s society to describe someone behaving erratically or someone who seems “emotionally unstable”. In the area of psychiatry, the actual term for psychopathy is Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)– which describes an individual who displays patterns of manipulation and violation of others. Don’t let the word “antisocial” fool you. When used in this context, it is a descriptor term for someone who goes against the common rules of society. Below is a list of signs found on Heathline (see link provided for more information):
socially irresponsible behavior
disregarding or violating the rights of others
inability to distinguish between right and wrong
difficulty with showing remorse or empathy
tendency to lie often
manipulating and hurting others
recurring problems with the law
general disregard towards safety and responsibility
Psychopath and sociopath are similar terms, but have different meanings. See the charts provided below, as they discuss the primary differences between the two terms.
Images obtained by pediaa.com (top) and relatablethoughts.wordpress.com (bottom).
Final Thoughts
In summary, individuals possessing many of these traits are incredibly mentally and emotionally unhealthy to be around. However, it is rather tricky to pinpoint these behaviors until you have spent a lot of time with the Dark Triad individual. Often, the behaviors begin subtly and go unnoticed until you are fully invested with the individual. Although I believe we should give a person the benefit of the doubt in many circumstances, we should never completely ignore red flags, no matter how small they may seem. It could save you a lot of time and heartache. I will discuss red flags and the typical “relationship” stages of being involved with an individual with these traits in my next couple of posts.
I wanted to take a moment to discuss the name of my blog. “Take care” is often something you might say to a loved one when you are telling them goodbye. The intention behind this farewell statement is usually focused on traveling safely or, in recent times, using extreme caution to protect yourself and others from contracting COVID-19. To me, “take care” means to be cautious of your overall wellbeing which includes but is not limited to physical, mental, and emotional health.
We typically know what it means to take care of our physical wellbeing; however, the lines become blurred in regards to mental and emotional wellbeing.
Mental and emotional health are virtually dependent upon one another – emotions effect thoughts and thoughts effect emotions. However, the emotional and mental battles we have with ourselves are not evident to the outside world. Individually, we are the only ones that truly know how we feel or how certain events in our lives have impacted us. What may seem incredibly mild to one person could absolutely destroy another. Trying to communicate our feelings and experiences is another challenge all on its own. In my research and readings about mental health, an example really stuck out to me: imagine trying to explain how a strawberry tastes to someone who has never eaten a strawberry. Take a moment and think how challenging that would be. The person would never truly be able to understand what a strawberry tastes like unless they ate one themselves.
This is the perfect example in regards to mental health and related issues. Unless you have experienced it yourself, you truly cannot understand the magnitude of it. Additionally, every experience we have in life shapes how we respond to future experiences. This is why a single event may not effect one person as severely as another. It is also important to note that most people do not share every detail of their life with us. We only know as much a person chooses to share with us. And even when someone does share their stories or discusses difficult moments in their life, the negative effect of the events are not always disclosed.
Moreover, many people may also display various negative behaviors in response to how certain life events have impacted them. The internal struggles an individual faces may also effect their behaviors. This is so important to remember with every interaction we have with another person.
Further, mental and emotional issues are not “one size fits all”; therefore, it can be challenging to figure out what we should do to take care of our mental and emotional wellbeing. Unfortunately, these strategies are not taught in school and oftentimes not taught at home. Many of us are left wondering what we can do to improve our situation and not knowing where to turn for answers. It is my hope that the information I share will help someone find those answers or serve as a guide for taking care of your own mental and emotional health.
Additionally, our mental and emotional wellbeing can impact others. Our actions and behaviors are strongly related to our thoughts and emotions. Our actions and behaviors impact the people we are around; thus, effecting the way they think and feel about themselves. Therefore, we must become self-aware, take time to self-reflect, and seek self-help when necessary. Not just for ourselves, but for the impact we have on others as well.
It is equally important to consider our role in supporting individuals who may be visibly or silently suffering. Remember, many people do not show they are suffering to the outside world and even if they do, the impact of their suffering is not always disclosed. I’m a firm believer that we must take care of not only our mental and emotional health, but also that of other individuals. Don’t get me wrong, I do not believe we should assume full responsibility for someone else’s mental and emotional health. However, I do believe we must make an effort to show kindness, grace, empathy, and compassion to each other in order to motivate others to help themselves and not minimize the impact of another’s suffering. It is the intention behind our words, actions, and behavior that can mean the difference in someone seeking professional help or adding fuel to the fire that leads someone to their breaking point.
So first and foremost, we must take care of and assume responsibility for our own mental and emotional health. Once we have made those improvements in our own lives, I believe we should essentially “take care” of others by being kind, supportive, and provide encouragement as they embark on their own journey of managing, or in some cases recovering, from their mental and emotional issues.
In summary, my blog was named “Take Care,” as a reminder to take care of your own mental and emotional health; then, support and encourage others who may be struggling or suffering as well. I will be sharing information that has helped me on my journey of improving my own mental health including but not limited to personal examples, articles, books, and various strategies. Additionally, I want to offer support to others on their journey in taking care of their own mental and emotional health. If you have questions or would like to share your own personal tips or stories, feel free to leave a comment below!
Main + Meg 