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What You See May Not Be What You See
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as merely a natural reaction to their obvious perfection. After all,
“What’s not to like about me?” Some narcissists even may complain
that their talent and beauty are burdens they must bear.
Narcissists have difficulty learning alternative behaviors; but over
time, and with some assistance—as with all personality disorders—
they can learn to moderate their behaviors and the negative effect
they have on others. The real problem for others is when narcissistic
features, especially a sense of entitlement and a lack of empathy,
shade into antisocial and destructive behaviors. When this happens,
the pattern might be described as aggressive or malignant narcissism,
which is difficult to distinguish from psychopathy.
Another example is histrionic personality disorder, which has a
number of characteristics, the two most salient being emotionality
and a need for approval that others may find excessive. These individuals
tend to come across as overly dramatic, emotional, and possibly
theatrical for the social situation they are in. They sometimes
dress and act flirtatiously in an attempt to garner attention. Unlike
the narcissist, though, they do not always need to feel superior—
they’ll accept a supportive role, if available, which can provide them
with the psychological support they need.
The number of individuals who can be diagnosed with narcissistic
(only 1 percent of the general population) or histrionic (2 to 3
percent) personality disorders is small. In fact, many more individuals
appear as “narcissistic” or “histrionic” to those around them than
actually have these disorders. In addition, some true psychopaths are
mislabeled narcissistic or histrionic because of the self-centered or
emotional features they display in public. This makes diagnosis difficult
and often confusing for those with limited face-to-face experience
with these individuals. Only qualified psychologists or
psychiatrists can diagnose a personality disorder, including psychopathy,
and differentiate it from others that may look similar.
Note: The above is a simplified explanation of personality disorders.
Interested readers are directed to the DSM-IV, used by psychologists
and psychiatrists, for a more complete discussion of
similarities and differences.