Over the last few years, narcissism has been on the rise. I am inclined to believe that social media has given to the rise of narcissistic behavior considering all social media platforms is the perfect involvement for an individual to seek external validation coupled with an inflated sense of self. The textbook definition of narcissism is:
A state in which the individual interprets and regard everything in relation to himself and not to other persons or things.
Narcissist are very fractured, very thin skinned, insecure and very critical of other people. They tend to project and they seek attention at all costs. Conflict follows them wherever they go. According to Web MD:
People who show signs of narcissism can often be very charming and charismatic. They often don’t show negative behavior right away, especially in relationships. People who show narcissism often like to surround themselves with people who feed into their ego. They build relationships to reinforce their ideas about themselves, even if these relationships are superficial.
While I am no mental health professional, I have observed a few common traits of individuals who are narcissistic.
- manipulative behavior
- Lack of empathy
- Need for admiration
- Arrogance-rude and abusive when they don't get what they want or things don't go their way. They will often times speak in a very demeaning way because they believe they are superior.
We can attempt to assign names to mental health disorders, and even use the world's standard in order to explain what may be going on with a person. But the Bible addresses EVERYTHING and provides us with all we need for life and godliness. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
sins; rebellion, pride
