Random Thoughts Saturday, July 22, 2017
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) was published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1994.
This is how the APA defined Narcissistic Personality Disorder in the DSM:
A person suffering from NPD is defined or characterized by:
An exaggerated sense of importance of one’s experience and feelings;
Ideas of perfection;
A reluctance to accept blame or criticism;
A lack of empathy;
A grandiose sense of self importance;
Feelings of entitlement;
A preoccupation with fame, wealth and achievement;
A craving for admiration, attention and praise;
Excessive emphasis on displaying beauty and power;
The belief that one is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high status people or institutions;
A tendency to take advantage of others to achieve one’s own ends;
And last but not least,
Arrogant , haughty behaviors or attitudes.
Lacking a medical degree, I am humbly forced to recuse myself from diagnosing any particular person or president as suffering from NPD as defined by the APA.
But that shouldn’t restrain any readers, pundits or TV news hosts from taking this diagnostic tool and using it to analyze the recent or long term activities of any person or presidents in the news today. A person who is indulging in otherwise inexplicable behavior may well be a person or president who is suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Jim McMeans
Danielsville, GA