What Even Is a Narcissist & Do I Know One?

I’m definitely not one…am I? Are you?

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

The word narcissist seems to be everywhere right now; in the news, on social media, in conversation. It’s one of those words that I’d always just assumed I understood — cruising through conversations without having to say — hold up — what even is a Narcissist?

I’d always thought my ex was one, but couldn’t tell you why specifically. I’d always assumed I’m not one, but I’d struggle to prove it.

So let’s explore the word a little and figure out who is one and how we can know.

Origins of the word Narcissist come from the Greek myths

Narcissus was the name of a young handsome man who fell in love with himself and spent all day looking at his own reflection in the waters of a spring. Eventually he ‘pined away’ or killed himself and the flower that bears his name sprang up where he died.

Narcissus is a type of flowering perennial plant of the amaryllis family, of which the most common is the daffodil Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

For many years, narcissism was associated with hubris and egoism — a complete absorption with oneself, but in the late 1800s, the meaning shifted to something more clinical.