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Are most people somewhat narcissistic?

1K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  AceEmoKid 
#1 ·
I wonder if the reason why so few people are capable of empathizing with those of us with SA or problems with socializing is because most people at their core are really borderline narcissists. I spent a long time with a person who gave me the impression for the longest time (about 3 years) that he was a completely different person from who he turned out to be. During the time I spent actually getting to know him in person, it was clear that he perceived himself as being superior (although he seemed to be completely normal, and not really any better than most people out there). It seemed to me that he thought this way only because I was clearly inferior to him in most aspects, but I believe that the same can be said for 99% of people because most of them are much higher functioning than me. He clearly had no empathy for those of us who are at the bottom of the chain, and went out of his way to remind me of all the ways he was 'superior' (i.e., all of the friends he had and the ease with which he made new ones, his prospects for the future and how he planned to live abroad with a female friend, the fact that he had supposedly scored 127 on an IQ test etc.).

In spite of that, I know he wasn't really any smarter or better than the average person. In fact, he was probably the most 'average' person I'd ever seen and having gotten to know him made me realize that the average person must be a borderline narcissist (also judging by all of the other similarly unempathic people I encountered early in life). What does everyone else think of this?
 
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#3 ·
According to a NPI test I took not so long ago they said the average American scores about a 18 out of 40 or whatever it is. I wish I could find the website I took the test at, it had all the statistics. But yes, I think it's safe to say that the majority of people have it at one level or another, but it's not fair to assume everyone you meet has it.
 
#4 ·
You pretty much hit the nail on the head with this thread. This is probably the main reason why I dislike most people.
 
#5 ·
I believe that American Culture if that is what you want to call it. Plays a lot into narcissism. A lot of men treat women as mere sex objects. Women become sex objects to get what they want. Its propagated over every media outlet you can imagine. Most people with SA suffer for it, because we tend not to follow this type of behavior, and the asshats are always the loudest!
 
#6 ·
I'm surprised that I've never seen recruiters as narcissist

I've always been the tech consultant - the only way brainless fools can get what they want is to ask me to fix their problems. I had to sit 'em and listen and explain there's more than just this and that and they say do it.

Can't do what they want without the resources. There was 'can do attitude' so immature. "Can't do" is key to finding the root cause and resolve it. Dismissing employees is not an answer.

People have such a narrow life of not understanding. Shouting fixes everything.

Recruiters ignore anyone who wants a job won't have it unless... they have fairy wings and dance in front of them
 
#7 ·
I think many people are egocentric rather than purely narcissistic. Narcissism would imply that the person likes/loves them self. I don't think that a majority of the population -- based off of how many people suffer from low self esteem, anxiety/eating/personality disorders, etc -- practices self love. But I do believe that many of us are inherently selfish/self absorbed. We align ourselves as the center of our perceived universe.

The person you used in your example however could be a narcissist, or at least he exhibit traits of arrogance and entitlement that are found in narcissism.
 
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