42 Signs that You are a Narcissist

Narcissists are unable to have healthy loving relationships. The pathological type of narcissism comes in two forms: The first, which occurs primarily in young adulthood, is characterized by an inflated sense of self, promiscuous relationships, and unpleasant behavior. The second form, which is more enduring and disturbing, is characterized by highly volatile and disturbed interpersonal relationships.

The first form is less harmful than the second. Young adults who are arrogant can, through life experience, gain a more realistic sense of self. They can stabilize and learn to have healthy loving relationships. The second form, the true form of narcissistic personality disorder, is almost impossible to treat. No amount of life experience can usually correct it, and it is usually not medically treatable. Years of psychotherapy are usually required to recover from narcissistic personality disorder.

Discover your level of selfishness with these 42 signs of narcissism. This is not a diagnostic tool. If you think you may have a personality disorder or another mental disorder, you should ask your primary care physician for a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist in your area.

1. You envy people who are more successful than you or appear to be more successful than you.
2. You think you are unusually talented.
3. You were one of the popular kids in high school.
4. You have difficulty trusting people.
5. You think it’s okay to cheat on your romantic partner, as long as he or she doesn’t find out.
6. Your parents praised you a lot as a child.
7. You enjoy it when people admire you or give you attention.
8. You have difficulty making romantic relationships last.
9. You don’t have friends you feel comfortable sharing everything with.
10. You often feel treated unfairly by peers or coworkers.

11. You enjoy talking when a lot of people are listening to you.
12. In your opinion, you tend to excel at what you do.
13. You aim to become (more) popular.
14. You often feel that you don’t get what you deserve.
15. You enjoy making important decisions that have a big impact on the lives of others.
16. You have more than one sexual partner on average per year (including casual relationships).
17. You take criticism seriously.
18. You have been accused (unfairly) of being insensitive to the feelings of others.
19. You rarely act completely spontaneously.
20. You sometimes take advantage of others to get what you want.
21. You have a lot of mood swings (even if you don’t show it).
22. People need to see you as superior, charming, or handsome.
23. You spend a lot of time calculating your next move in all aspects of life.
24. You often find ways to avoid or defend yourself against shame.
25. You have an intense fear of rejection.
26. If you are treated unfairly, you strongly desire revenge.
27. You are quick to get angry or upset when your expectations are not met.

28. You are sometimes (unfairly) accused of being manipulative or controlling.
29. You are often the center of attention at major social events.
30. You have been (unfairly) accused of being selfish.
31. You tend to exaggerate your accomplishments.
32. Most people are less important than you, in your opinion.
33. You hide any insecurities you may have.
34. You take criticism personally.
35. You talk about yourself a lot in social situations or on social media.
36. You find it very annoying when people disagree with you.
37. If you are asked to do a group task, you prefer to be in charge.
38. If you can avoid it, you will not let others make decisions for you.
39. You are very concerned about how others perceive you.
40. The main reason you have sex is to enjoy pleasure or to control your sexual partner.
41. You prefer people in your life to make fewer emotional or intimate demands on you.
42. You prefer masturbation or abstinence to emotional closeness with your sexual partner.