The 7 Types Of Narcissism

Narcissism alludes to the myth of the Narcissus, that love to the image of oneself. Nothing could be further from the truth … do these people love themselves so much or do they want to be loved to cover the love they lack?

There is a lot of talk about narcissistic people, but do we really know what they are like? Are they people with high self-esteem or just the opposite? In this article we will briefly explain what this personality pattern consists of, and we will focus on the different types of narcissism that can exist.

As we will see, narcissism is characterized by a pattern of grandeur and fantasy; They are people with little or no empathy who always seek their benefit, and who constantly highlight their great achievements and strengths. However, a disguised narcissist is not the same as another dependent, for example. What differentiates each type of narcissism?

What do we understand by narcissism?

Narcissism is defined as a behavioral pattern of greatness, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. When a person is narcissistic they can manifest some of these symptoms, and this does not have to constitute a personality disorder. However, when the symptoms are accentuated and interfere with the functioning of the person (or cause discomfort), then we speak of narcissistic personality disorder.

In both cases, both in narcissism (as a less serious personality characteristic) and in narcissistic personality disorder, according to DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders ), the person shows characteristics or behaviors such as:

Exploitation of personal relationships for personal gain.
Airs of greatness and arrogance.
Low self-esteem (which he masks with his seemingly confident behavior).
Fantasies of success, power, beauty …
Express feelings of privilege.
Beliefs that others envy you (or envy others).
Etc.

Types of narcissism

Depending on the characteristics of the narcissistic person, we can speak of different types of narcissism. Although this categorization is not supported by any diagnostic manual, the truth is that their possible existence has been postulated. We describe some of the most frequent:

Covert narcissism

Covert narcissism is defined as that used by people who, at first glance, seem charming and even devoted to others, but who are really only looking for their own benefit. Thus, they are people with the typical characteristics of narcissism, but who act in a more subtle or covert way.

Dependent narcissism

Another type of narcissism is dependent narcissism. In these cases, we speak of people with a very pronounced need to feel approved and admired by others.

They make them believe that they feel superior to others, but in reality, behind this “shell” hides a very low self-esteem that needs to be nurtured and fed with the praise of the people around them. The strong dependency makes them look for relationships at all costs, always to exploit them and get some kind of benefit.

Impulsive narcissism

Beyond the symptoms of narcissism, here we are talking about people with a low tolerance for frustration and a very marked impulsivity. They can emit disproportionate responses to the situations they live, especially in situations that they consider unfair. This type of behavior often causes them to have conflicts with others.

Powerful narcissism

They are narcissists who want to always be in control of the situation, in addition to reason. They go with an air of superiority and they believe they are very special and powerful, either because of their socioeconomic status, because of their work, their beauty …

As always, it is a half belief, volatile and vulnerable, because behind it there is always a low self-esteem (covert). They tend to impose their will on others.

Unconscious narcissism

Another type of narcissism is the unconscious. Here the features may be more subtle, and the person may not realize that they are acting narcissistic. However, self-exaltation, arrogance and denial of one’s own weaknesses appear.

Vulnerable narcissism

Also called hypervigilant or hypersensitive narcissism, they are shy and withdrawn people, who can appear vulnerable. They are also characterized by being very sensitive and with low self-esteem that is more evident than in other types of narcissism. They also feel a great need to be attended and approved.

Perverse narcissism

Also called malignant narcissism , they are people who act without thinking about the consequences of their actions (if that benefits them). Another trait that characterizes them is selfishness; They don’t mind trampling, cheating, or manipulating others if they get what they want. Thus, they have this point of malice that other types of narcissism do not have.

Do you know someone with narcissism …?

Narcissistic people, although a priori they may seem very attractive and interesting, end up generating rejection in their environment. Surely if you know someone with narcissism, their arrogance and arrogance has ended up causing you to distance yourself from these people.

However, we must bear in mind that, behind this “facade” and this shell of greatness and superiority, a low self-esteem is often hidden, as we have said, in addition to feelings such as loneliness or the fear of not being accepted. That is why they need so much that admiration, others, because from within they do not know how to love each other.

For these reasons, let’s not fall into the trap of seeing these people as relentless, arrogant and invulnerable, because they are not. What’s more, they often need help and don’t know how to ask for it. On the other hand, it is understandable that we feel rejection towards them, because we all like to surround ourselves with people who make us feel good.