Situational Narcissist

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Narcissistic Personality Symptoms

grandiosity / exaggeration
fantastic thinking / romantic
believes special / unique
requires admiration
entitled / demanding
exploitive / manipulative
lacks empathy
envious / jealous
arrogant / haughty

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Celebrity is the mask that eats into the face.

-John Updike

Acquired Situational Narcissism? Doctor Robert B. Millman, a professor of psychiatry at Cornell Medical School invented this new disorder. It appeared in a newspaper article about some new celebrity who was getting into trouble. The article talked of how ordinary people can be pushed into the lime light and suddenly have fans and media worshiping them as if they were gods. Rock stars and the reality TV participants come to mind. People (almost everyone) want to be famous and get noticed.

Even professional people can fall under the sway of power and fame. Doctors and lawyers and politicians can feel as if they are all important. If this new found fame goes to their heads they may show signs of narcissism.

The question we should all ask is , "did the chicken come before the egg?" Does a narcissist go into a profession to achieve attention and power; do pacifists become policemen? Do ordinary people taste fame and their egos become inflated?

Why do people worship famous people? Why do we elevate a few to a star status? Do we need narcissist to fulfill some deep need or lack in ourselves? Are these famous people slaves of their fame and of our needs? Are we feeding their egos and why?

Based on an article in the New York Times by Stephen Sherrill.