In a recent article in the UK’s Daily Telegraph, Jordan Peterson described the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, as a “narcissist,” and, given the fact that Mr. Peterson is a clinical psychologist, we might legitimately think that he would know. We needn’t explore the reasons for this label now, but I’ve noticed recently that the accusation of “narcissism” is used more and more. Certainly, there are many famous people from the past who now merit that designation: Napoleon, Hitler, Henry VIII, and still more recently, such as Howard Hughes and even, up to the present, Kim Jong-un. To be in that company isn’t a good thing!
Of course, for any psychological designation, there’s a spectrum: One can have a mild, chronic, acute, or even grave condition. What, then, are the symptoms—as defined by modern psychiatry—of this condition? Here are some: grandiosity (exaggeration of their achievements), a need for admiration, a lack of empathy, a sense of entitlement, manipulative behavior, a fragile self-esteem, and a difficulty in maintaining relationships.
