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Narcissistic Personality Symptoms

  1. grandiosity / exaggeration
  2. fantastic thinking / romantic
  3. believes special / unique
  4. requires admiration
  5. entitled / demanding
  6. exploitive / manipulative
  7. lacks empathy
  8. envious / jealous
  9. arrogant / haughty

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All text is copyrighted © Stephen McDonnell 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,2008, 2009. 2010, 2011.

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NPD on TV

I am tempted to say almost every American TV show is about narcissism or portrays narcissistic behaviors. TV reflects everyday culture, so...

The rise of reality TV shows is based on the endless supply of narcisissts who want to become famous - it isn't about the money. Because very few of them get the million dollar prize. But they do become 'famous' for awhile, or 'infamous' and all the narcisissts who watch them get a vicarious thrill.

Two English TV shows embody narcissism as well. Keeping Up Appearances is the mundane neighbor who has to be better than the Jones. Absolute Fabulous portrays a has been high fashion model who is the opposite of her dream. The two female stars are self involved, selfish women who work in the fashion industry. Their foibles affect their family and friends to the point where they appear ridiculous.


I was first alerted to the TV when a narcissistic acquaintance and her daughters started to act like the Absolute Fabulous TV show, saying the same things. Reality copying art. It was awful, chilling. After I watched the show, I understood. I will give you an example.

In one episode the two British women have this brilliant idea to do an article on door knobs in America, so they hop on the Concord and spend the weekend taking pictures of door knobs in New York. On their return, the mother asks her daughter why the house has been changed around and cleaned. She replies she has had some friends over for her birthday. Stung by this rebuke, the mother feels guilty and instead of apologizing she goes into a tirade about how she spent hours giving birth to her daughter and how her daughter should give a party for her mother. You get the picture.

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