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The Characteristics Of Narcissism

Decent Essays

INTRODUCTION
Being attractive is a mandatory virtue for any individual, considering the fact that the media today heavily influences us to an extent that certain physical features are fantasized to devalue those of other physiques. As subjective as it is, the perception of beauty is a controversial phenomenon. Dionne and Davis (2012) believed that “personality is a lens through which this view [perception of beauty] is filtered” and “this lens of personality can also serve to bias the judgments we make about body size and shape and the consequences of these judgments on self-worth” (italics added).
Narcissism
To what owes such judgment on this particular subject lies rather under one’s personality. Such complexity is introduced as narcissism; a term defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1987 in their third and revised edition “a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy and behavior), lack of empathy, and hypersensitivity to the evaluation of others, beginning by early adulthood and …show more content…

Morf and Rhodewalt (2001) believed that self-affirmation has a significant impact on how a narcissist is born. When self-needs were not met in childhood, they would seek to achieve them in their later relationship, causing it to be “imbued with hostility and mistrust” (Morf & Rhodewalt, 2001). Likewise, Patricia described herself as “not good enough for her parents” and thus, reacted with “enraged when criticized or treated badly”; of which this behavior was seen under high “angry hostility” (Corbitt, 2002). In addition, a narcissist also exhibits “grandiosity and self-importance” repetitively (Morf & Rhodewalt, 2001). Such selfishness was evident when Patricia showed lack of empathy for other employees to be in charge of an unpleasant job that she was first assigned to (Corbitt,

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