The Subtle Differences Between Narcissism & High Self-Esteem
Both begin at an early age, but they create completely different paths for people.
For years, psychologists and the media have defined narcissism as self-esteem gone overboard or inflated self-esteem or ego. Perpetuated by self-improvement gurus, many of us painted in our minds and in others that narcissism is essentially that and that’s been the conversation for years. Articles about confidence or boosting self-esteem were tailored to those who struggled in certain aspects but didn’t push as far to suggest we should keep growing that — lest we become narcissists and cause more damage.
But in recent years, that logic has been challenged as more research is being conducted in both self-esteem and narcissism. And what this research suggests is that we’re currently wrong about many things such as:
- Its development
- Where it comes from
- The consequences
- And the potential outcomes
Essentially everything we know about narcissism and its close relation to self-esteem is wrong based on this research. Furthermore, learning about those differences can help us get a better grasp of the relationship between these two.
