Diagnostic criteria for 301.81 Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

(3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)

(4) requires excessive admiration

(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations. (This one particularly struck me after dozens of mentions of a “female sense of entitlement” in Warren Farrell’s ‘Myth of Male Power’.)

(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
 

(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes


NPD’s are also famous for being contemptuous, demeaning, and devaluaing of other people, which reminds me of the present book I’m reading entitled ‘Spreading Misandry’ which talks of the (narcissistic!) sisterhood’s need to promote contempt for men in popular culture, and the concommitant need to glorify and bring attention to female goodness/greatness.