[00:06] Way before the first selfie,
[00:08] the ancient Greeks and Romans had a myth
[00:10] about someone a little too obsessed 
with his own image.
[00:14] In one telling,
[00:15] Narcissus was a handsome guy wandering
the world in search of someone to love.
[00:20] After rejecting a nymph named Echo,
[00:23] he caught a glimpse 
of his own reflection in a river,
[00:26] and fell in love with it.
[00:28] Unable to tear himself away,
[00:30] Narcissus drowned.
[00:31] A flower marked the spot of where he died,
and we call that flower the Narcissus.
[00:37] The myth captures 
the basic idea of narcissism,
[00:40] elevated and sometimes 
detrimental self-involvement.
[00:44] But it's not just a personality type
that shows up in advice columns.
[00:48] It's actually a set of traits classified
and studied by psychologists.
[00:52] The psychological definition of narcissism
is an inflated, grandiose self-image.
[00:58] To varying degrees, narcissists think
they're better looking,
[01:02] smarter,
[01:02] and more important than other people,
[01:05] and that they deserve special treatment.
[01:08] Psychologists recognize two forms
of narcissism as a personality trait:
[01:12] grandiose and vulnerable narcissism.
[01:15] There's also narcissistic 
personality disorder,
[01:18] a more extreme form,
which we'll return to shortly.
[01:22] Grandiose narcissism 
is the most familiar kind,
[01:25] characterized by extroversion,
[01:27] dominance,
[01:28] and attention seeking.
[01:30] Grandiose narcissists pursue 
attention and power,
[01:33] sometimes as politicians,
[01:35] celebrities,
[01:36] or cultural leaders.
[01:38] Of course, not everyone who pursues
these positions of power is narcissistic.
[01:42] Many do it for very positive reasons,
[01:44] like reaching their full potential,
[01:46] or helping make people's lives better.
[01:48] But narcissistic individuals seek power
[01:50] for the status 
and attention that goes with it.
[01:53] Meanwhile, vulnerable narcissists
can be quiet and reserved.
[01:57] They have a strong sense of entitlement,
[01:59] but are easily threatened or slighted.
[02:02] In either case, the dark side of
narcissism shows up over the long term.
[02:07] Narcissists tend to act selfishly,
[02:09] so narcissistic leaders may make risky
or unethical decisions,
[02:14] and narcissistic partners may be dishonest
or unfaithful.
[02:19] When their rosy view of themselves
is challenged,
[02:21] they can become resentful and aggressive.
[02:24] It's like a disease where the sufferers
feel pretty good,
[02:27] but the people around them suffer.
[02:29] Taken to the extreme,
[02:30] this behavior is classified 
as a psychological disorder
[02:34] called narcissistic personality disorder.
[02:36] It affects one to two percent
of the population,
[02:39] more commonly men.
[02:41] It is also a diagnosis 
reserved for adults.
[02:44] Young people, especially children,
can be very self-centered,
[02:48] but this might just be a normal
part of development.
[02:51] The fifth edition of the American
Psychiatric Association's
[02:54] Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
[02:57] describes several traits associated
with narcissistic personality disorder.
[03:01] They include a grandiose view of oneself,
[03:04] problems with empathy,
[03:06] a sense of entitlement,
[03:07] and a need for admiration or attention.
[03:10] What makes these trait a true
personality disorder
[03:13] is that they take over people's lives
and cause significant problems.
[03:17] Imagine that instead of caring
for your spouse or children,
[03:21] you used them as a source
of attention or admiration.
[03:24] Or imagine that instead of seeking
[03:26] constructive feedback 
about your performance,
[03:28] you instead told everyone 
who tried to help you
[03:30] that they were wrong.
[03:32] So what causes narcissism?
[03:35] Twin studies show 
a strong genetic component,
[03:37] although we don't know 
which genes are involved.
[03:41] But environment matters, too.
[03:42] Parents who put their child
on a pedestal
[03:45] can foster grandiose narcissism.
[03:47] And cold, controlling parents
can contribute to vulnerable narcissism.
[03:53] Narcissism also seems to be higher
[03:55] in cultures that value individuality
and self-promotion.
[03:59] In the United States, for example,
[04:01] narcissism as a personality trait
has been rising since the 1970s,
[04:05] when the communal focus of the 60s
[04:07] gave way to the self-esteem movement
[04:10] and a rise in materialism.
[04:12] More recently, social media has multiplied
the possibilities for self-promotion,
[04:17] though it's worth noting
[04:18] that there's no clear evidence
that social media causes narcissism.
[04:22] Rather, it provides narcissists a means
to seek social status and attention.
[04:27] So can narcissists improve 
on those negative traits?
[04:31] Yes!
[04:32] Anything that promotes honest reflection
on their own behavior
[04:35] and caring for others,
[04:37] like psychotherapy or practicing 
compassion towards others, can be helpful.
[04:42] The difficulty is it can be challenging
[04:44] for people with 
narcissistic personality disorder
[04:46] to keep working at self-betterment.
[04:48] For a narcissist, self-reflection is hard
from an unflattering angle.