While the Bible does not use the term narcissism, it speaks clearly about this topic. A while ago, a woman attacked me for using that term. I felt it was a Freudian term and that my use of it was frankly unethical. You didn’t really give me a chance to explain, so I’ll do it here for the benefit of anyone reading this. Although Wikipedia is sometimes an unreliable source, the origin of the term is correct. You read:

The term “narcissism” comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus (Greek: Νάρκισσος, Narkissos), a handsome young Greek man who, according to Ovid, rejected the desperate advances of the nymph Echo. This causes Narcissus to fall in love with his reflection in a pool of water.

In addition, let me give you modern definitions of narcissism so we can compare them to what the Bible says about such narcissism in biblical individuals.

Narcissism:

Excessive interest in or admiration for oneself and physical appearance
Egoism, which involves a sense of entitlement, lack of empathy, and need for admiration, as characterizing the personality type.
Egoism arising from a failure to distinguish oneself from external objects, either in very young children or as a feature of a mental disorder.

In comparison, let’s look at the definition of narcissism in the Bible in 2 Timothy 3:2-5:

For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, arrogant, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, dishonest, fierce, disdainful of goodness, unfaithful, arrogant, arrogant, and covetous. In pleasures and not lovers of God, having a form of piety but denying its power. And from these people, turn away!

Yikes! However, the features of narcissism in the Bible are clearly defined here. The Bible is not naive when it comes to human nature. For those of us who have witnessed narcissism up close, this list does a pretty good job of describing a narcissistic person. But in all honesty, the following verses really break my heart and convict me as well. 2 Titus 3:

For from this are those who enter into homes and take captive captive forgetful women laden with sins, led away by various lusts, who learn at all times and are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

I tend to be naive by nature. For many years, it never occurred to me that people could often be evil. I did not begin to recognize evil in others until I saw evil in my own heart. Like the naive women in the story of Titus, I blamed myself for my ex-husband’s abuse and studied the Bible, searching for how to be a good wife. However I couldn’t face the real truth. I also became a bit narcissistic and worried about what a divorce might look like. As the Lord began to free me from my pride and fear, I began to tell myself the truth about my husband.
The Old Testament gets into this event as well. Proverbs 6:16-19 says:

These are the six things that the Lord hates,
Yes, there are seven detestable things to him:

proud look,
lying tongue,
Hands that shed the blood of innocents

The heart that devises evil plans,
Fast feet in running to evil,

The false witness who speaks lies,
And whoever sows discord between brothers.

I couldn’t help but notice that the first thing mentioned was pride, which is the hallmark of a narcissist. In both the Old Testament and New Testament lists, the lack of sympathy is striking. It takes a lack of love on a deep level to treat others in these ways. The best description I’ve heard of the Ten Commandments is that they are instructions about creating community. Narcissism is the complete opposite of society.

I suppose it all comes down to having a conscience. Many of us have a false conscience. This means that we are more afraid of being caught in Biblical narcissism or being seen as a bad person than we are of doing evil or being a bad person. But true conscience is based on love and compassion. A true conscience understands that others can be hurt just as we are. Others can be as destroyed by cruelty or indifference as we are.

These descriptions of narcissism in the Bible speak to predatory behaviors. Narcissists need victims to feed on. The true love expressed by the narcissist’s victims is the same food the narcissist needs to survive. I suppose I find it ironic that our culture is fascinated with vampires. Vampires have already infiltrated our society.

I will leave you with this piece of information from Proverbs 14:16:

The wise man fears evil and shuns it.
But the fool is raging and self-confident.

Proverbs say a lot about fools, and many of them relate to narcissists, but this one seems particularly apt. If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then self-confidence at its worst, confidence in our own integrity, is dangerous. Praise be to God for His grace that makes us remember our weaknesses as well as the gift of repentance.