Ep 20: Narcissism Gone Bad | 5 Signs It's Pathological

In this episode of the Personality Couch Podcast, we (licensed clinical psychologists Doc Bok and Doc Fish) unpack the 5 major signs of pathological narcissism, as well as 3 bonus invisible signs of narcissism. We explore warning signs of pride, superiority, vanity, and inauthenticity (among others!), providing insights into how these traits manifest in behavior and relationships. We also explore how anger and lack of empathy manifest. We end the episode by discussing vulnerable narcissistic themes that are less observable, like emptiness, helplessness, and low self-esteem. Our discussion highlights everyday narcissism, as well as darker aspects of it, including antisocial and murderous examples of such.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Pathological Narcissism
• 01:28 Defining Pathological Narcissism
• 04:55 Sign 1 of Pathological Narcissism: Pride & Self-Righteousness
  • 07:06 Defining Defensive Self-Sufficiency
  • 08:45 Vigilante Narcissism
• 10:45 Sign 2 of Pathological Narcissism: Superiority & Inferiority
  • 13:20 Specialness & Entitlement
• 16:50 Sign 3 of Pathological Narcissism: Vanity & Inauthenticity
• 19:23 Sign 4 of Pathological Narcissism: Anger & Contempt
• 22:45 Sign 5 of Pathological Narcissism: Decreased Empathy & Callousness
• 26:12 Invisible Signs of Pathological Narcissism (Vulnerable Narcissism)
• 32:44 Summary and Closing

References

• Blaney, P. H., Krueger, R. F., Millon, T. (Eds.). (2014). Oxford textbook of psychopathology (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
• McWilliams, N. (2011). Psychoanalytic diagnosis: Understanding personality structure in the clinical process (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.