Healthy Narcissism

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

So lately I've been reading a few articles that tell me that 'Healthy Narcissism' is okay. But who gets to define what is Healthy Narcissism and what is not? How can you test something like that? It's not like a clear answer, like saying 'A glass of water is healthier than a glass of coke.'

And how specifically is Narcissism the opposite of Empathy? Have we even thought this through. I don't even think there is such a thing as Narcissism or Empathy in real life. Things are just kinda how they are, you know. =/

So clearly define for me, what 'Healthy Narcissism' is as opposed to 'Bad Narcissism.' World leaders all tend to be tall and good looking, very image-focused. Would we really trust somebody who doesn't have the self-confidence to keep up their appearance and strength?

[Brilliand]

So lately I've been reading a few articles that tell me that 'Healthy Narcissism' is okay. But who gets to define what is Healthy Narcissism and what is not? How can you test something like that? It's not like a clear answer, like saying 'A glass of water is healthier than a glass of coke.'

And how specifically is Narcissism the opposite of Empathy? Have we even thought this through. I don't even think there is such a thing as Narcissism or Empathy in real life. Things are just kinda how they are, you know. =/

So clearly define for me, what 'Healthy Narcissism' is as opposed to 'Bad Narcissism.' World leaders all tend to be tall and good looking, very image-focused. Would we really trust somebody who doesn't have the self-confidence to keep up their appearance and strength?

"Narcissism" sounds like one of those words that people throw at their opposite quadra. "Healthy Narcissism" sounds like that quadra assuming that the first quadra is talking about only their morons and trying to say "We're not all bad."

Yes. Yes you are.

[Logos]

So lately I've been reading a few articles that tell me that 'Healthy Narcissism' is okay. But who gets to define what is Healthy Narcissism and what is not? How can you test something like that? It's not like a clear answer, like saying 'A glass of water is healthier than a glass of coke.'

And how specifically is Narcissism the opposite of Empathy? Have we even thought this through. I don't even think there is such a thing as Narcissism or Empathy in real life. Things are just kinda how they are, you know. =/

So clearly define for me, what 'Healthy Narcissism' is as opposed to 'Bad Narcissism.' World leaders all tend to be tall and good looking, very image-focused. Would we really trust somebody who doesn't have the self-confidence to keep up their appearance and strength?

While obviously not the most accurate source of information, you may want to check out Wikipedia's article on narcissism.

[Hot Scalding Gayser]

I already did.

It's interesting but still too vague.

[Creepy-Diana]

.

[xkj220]

Depends on whether it's at the expense of other people or not, whether or not it's healthy. If you're so self-absorbed that you're blind to how you're affecting others with your behavior - that's unhealthy. If you however, are self-confident, self-assured, and know your strengths, but also recognize the strengths and value of other people, then you're on the right track.

What if you are aware of how your actions might affect negatively others, but you do it anyway because you believe that's the best way to do something?

[Creepy-Diana]

.

[sigma]

And how specifically is Narcissism the opposite of Empathy?

Healthy Narcissism *IS* internal Empathy. Is the Empathy you give yourself.
It's like internal talk on this tone: "Ok, ok, you screw things big time but you didn't meant to screw them, you tried to do your best but things just turned out wrong. Sometime they do. Learn what is needed to be learn and move on."

[Creepy-male]

So lately I've been reading a few articles that tell me that 'Healthy Narcissism' is okay. But who gets to define what is Healthy Narcissism and what is not? How can you test something like that? It's not like a clear answer, like saying 'A glass of water is healthier than a glass of coke.'

And how specifically is Narcissism the opposite of Empathy? Have we even thought this through. I don't even think there is such a thing as Narcissism or Empathy in real life. Things are just kinda how they are, you know. =/

So clearly define for me, what 'Healthy Narcissism' is as opposed to 'Bad Narcissism.' World leaders all tend to be tall and good looking, very image-focused. Would we really trust somebody who doesn't have the self-confidence to keep up their appearance and strength?

Healthy Narcissim I agree is a stupid word since its misleading, but I understand what they are trying to say..... I think they say "Healthy Narcissim" because all to often people throw around narcissist as a label for people they believe are overly confident and too image-concious. Saying "Healthy Narcissim" is the way for the author of these articles to kind of fight back against the over use of the label narcissist. Simply refering to "Healthy Narcissim" as "Confidence" would not have established that connection.... so the use of the paradoxal word is meant to serve as a kind of communication in itself... for the psychologically minded its confusing though.

The real problem with labeling "bad" and "good" narcissism... is that in traditional speech narcissism is consider to be a psychological disorder.... so by definition narcissism is consider to be "bad".

However if we were to speak more fundamentally.....

I think there is a positive and negative polarity to Confidence
and
I think there is a positive and negative polarity to Image-Conciousness

The positive polarity of Confidence is in "believing in yourself" and all that stuff
The negative polarity of Confidence I believe is hubris and overestimation
The positive polarity of Image-Conciousness is self-expression
The negative polarity of Image-Conciousness is vanity

Politicians presenting themselves nicely is important for self-expression... their demeanor and appearance helps communicate a message of what they are about. The problem is when that message is undermining what their true intent is.... when its a faccade.... the politican dresses in a manner that seems honorable and respectable, but his intentions are less than.

[Waddlesworth]

World leaders all tend to be tall and good looking, very image-focused. Would we really trust somebody who doesn't have the self-confidence to keep up their appearance and strength?

I'd say that the best/most influential world leaders(in politics and government, not so much business) are less likely to be tall, typically being just below average in stature. I think that this makes them seem tougher/more confident.

[creger]

when the the majority of people are narcissists, the ones that aren't narcissists are narcissists to the narcissists.

[Creepy-male]

when the the majority of people are narcissists, the ones that aren't narcissists are narcissists to the narcissists.

^ post-modernistic thinking..... its all relative, its all subjective.......

[Jarno]

when the the majority of people are narcissists, the ones that aren't narcissists are narcissists to the narcissists.

no, the ones that aren't narcists are called LOSERS.

[xkj220]

no, the ones that aren't narcists are called LOSERS.

No, he has a point. It's very amusing because these sort narcissists tend to band together to accomplish things, giving an appearance of cohesion. but it's all false, because at the first chance they get, they backstab their "friends" without any qualms in order to get ahead. You can observe this very clearly in the field of politics. When a politician that seems genuine and not a narcissist enters the scene, they detect it and temporarily associate to bring him/her down in any way possible.

[Creepy-male]

No, he has a point. It's very amusing because these sort narcissists tend to band together to accomplish things, giving an appearance of cohesion. but it's all false, because at the first chance they get, they backstab their "friends" without any qualms in order to get ahead. You can observe this very clearly in the field of politics. When a politician that seems genuine and not a narcissist enters the scene, they detect it and temporarily associate to bring him/her down in any way possible.

Well I think thats because its easier to be not narcissistic when your out of the scene, but when you enter the scene being narcissistic becomes a much more attractive option. But this really just seems like insanity, just be practical about it. People are either exhibiting narcisstic behavior or they are not, and narcissticism is by definition considered a bad thing. Stamp it, Seal it, and Ship it off....