"Narcissistic traits are pretty common - most of us enjoy a little admiration or praise, feel stung by criticism sometimes, and spend our adolescence nursing a secret belief that maybe we might be special, actually. In moderation, these personality traits bolster the self-regard we need to function in the world. They don't necessarily make you a "narcissist" - someone with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), a rare condition marked by grandiosity, preoccupation with power and status, lack of empathy, arrogance, and a pattern of exploitation."
"Now, we borrow this value-laden word to pathologize people who disappoint or irritate us, turning it into cultural shorthand for standard-issue thoughtlessness, selfishness, and poor behavior online. By plucking technical language from one domain and applying it in another, we blur the boundary between describing reality and augmenting it. The result is that words we use in this way carry distinct associations but no longer clear meanings, and they can lose their utility in the process."
Narcissistic traits are common and, in moderation, support the self-regard needed to function. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a rare clinical condition defined by grandiosity, preoccupation with power and status, lack of empathy, arrogance, and exploitative patterns. Routine reactions like feeling hurt after a performance review or forgetting to message a friend do not meet clinical diagnosis and are ordinary human experiences. The label "narcissist" often becomes a value-laden shorthand for thoughtlessness or selfishness online. Conceptual stretching occurs when terms move away from original anchors, retaining moral charge but losing clarity and practical utility.
Read at Big Think
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