The 9 types of narcissism, and how to easily recognize them
Having a good self-esteem is important in many aspects of our lives. This factor makes it easier for us to get involved in important projects that can lead us to improve our quality of life, it makes things easier for us when it comes to socializing, and contributes to the fact that crises and small day-to-day defeats do not overwhelm us at all.
However, like almost any psychological factor linked to personality, an excess of self-esteem can bring problems ... both for oneself and those around him. When these high levels of self-love become narcissism, everything changes.
In this article we will see what are the different types of narcissism and how they can be expressed in a person's behavior.
- Related article: "Narcissistic personality disorder: how are narcissistic people?"
The different types of narcissism
We could define narcissism as a psychological predisposition to obtain the recognition of others in the form of expressly positive evaluations or indirectly, with an especially respectful treatment and mixed with admiration.
In addition, narcissistic people are characterized by complying with other traits that are in keeping with that expansive self-love: the ideas of grandiosity about oneself , the predisposition to underestimate the rest of people, and the difficulties when it comes to empathizing, among other things.
It is a personality element that can be present in different degrees of intensity, so that the more extreme it is, the more likely it is to fit into one of the groups of symptoms of a mental disorder. In any case, not all people with a high level of narcissism have a mental disorder that significantly damages their quality of life.
But in the same way that we can find differences in the degrees of intensity of this mental phenomenon , it is also possible to recognize some qualitative differences in the ways in which narcissism is expressed. Specifically, Dr. Bruce Stevens offers a classification of types of narcissism that can help us better understand all the nuances of this element of personality.
1. Dependent
In this case we are not talking about the stereotype of a person who is delighted to have known herself, very happy with who she is and what she can achieve. Unlike; this type of narcissism is characterized by the desperation with which validation is sought by others .
Thus, these people combine a certain feeling of very subtle superiority, on the one hand, with the realization that this superiority can not be put into practice, and therefore it is necessary to receive special treatment to compensate for that situation. Their desire to obtain approval from others gives them an obsessive character.
2. Powerful
It is a type of narcissism centered on demonstrations of power, that is, imposing its will on the rest. Who presents it, enjoys submitting to those around him .
3. Fantasioso
These types of narcissists isolate themselves in an imaginary world in which their feelings of greatness correspond to how they see themselves. The tendency to fantasize is, then, a way to solve the incongruity of feeling special at the same time that they believe they are mediocre in their concrete way of behaving on a day-to-day basis.
4. Body centered
This is one of the types of narcissism in which more importance is given to the projected image before others. In particular, all the attention is focused on the evaluation of one's own body, and on the way in which corresponds to certain beauty canons .
Of course, this appreciation for aesthetics is also reflected in the need to receive compliments and compliments in a regular manner.
5. Trickster
In this category are people who they feel good about themselves when they feel skilled when they try to deceive others in exchange for a personal benefit. It is a type of narcissism that has much in common with typically psychopathic traits.
6. Lover
It is a type of narcissism oriented to the life of a couple and to love. In this case, the unreasonable expectations about what should be the relationship maintained with another person makes it very easy to enter into crisis.
The romantic bond is idealized , since it is maintained that the one of oneself is a special love, and for that reason, when the problems appear, a constructive mentality is not adopted before them.
- Maybe you're interested: "12 tips to better manage couple's discussions"
7. Salvador
The person sees himself as someone capable of transforming lives and, specifically, of educating other people to fit in a way of being that fits the personality of oneself.
8. Furious
In this case, the person has a very low threshold of frustration when it detects that it has been disrespected or that it has not been treated with due diligence. As a result, outbursts of anger are unjustified.
Their social life is often very uneven because any situation of ambiguity can lead to problems.
9. Martyr
The ideas of grandiosity focus in this case on the idea that one is more worthy of the normal because he suffers and because he sacrifices himself.
