We all have narcissistic traits. Having some sense of our own specialness isn’t just normal, it’s actually psychologically healthy. The problems start when people go beyond normal levels, and become addicted to feeling special.
On today’s episode of the Being Well Podcast, we talk with Dr. Craig Malkin to explore narcissism and narcissistic traits.
Today Forrest is joined by Dr. Craig Malkin to explore narcissism and narcissistic traits. They talk about the different forms narcissism takes, the difference between narcissistic traits and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), red flags, dealing with narcissists, treatment options, and finding the “right amount” of feeling special.
About our Guest: Craig is a Lecturer in Psychology for Harvard Medical School, a licensed psychologist with several decades of clinical experience, and the author of Rethinking Narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists. He also has a great YouTube channel.
Key Topics:
- 0:00: Introduction
- 1:35: Narcissism as a pervasive universal trait
- 4:10: What differentiates healthy narcissism vs. disordered narcissism?
- 5:45: “Triple E” – exploitation, entitlement, empathy impairments
- 6:45: Incapable of empathy, or unmotivated?
- 9:10: What distinguishes having narcissistic traits from having NPD?
- 13:05: Extraverted, covert, and communal narcissism
- 23:10: Healthy and unhealthy narcissistic traits often go together
- 25:20: Insecure attachment
- 28:30: Emotional hot potato
- 32:10: Social and cultural power dynamics
- 36:25: What does healing narcissism look like?
- 42:55: What modalities do you use in therapy?
- 45:20: Difficult relationships, communal activation, empathy prompts
- 50:35: Extinction bursts and using anxiety responses in therapy
- 53:25: How do you repair with your partner?
- 57:05: Recap
