The 5 Differences Between Egocentrism And Narcissistic Personality Disorder
We are the protagonists of our own lives and, therefore, it is a very common tendency to believe that the world revolves around us. In biology, selfishness is an extremely common evolutionary event, since living beings seek their own well-being in order to reproduce as much as possible, regardless of the integrity of their fellow humans. In nature, practically every act has an individual focus, since one’s permanence over time to leave more offspring is the only reason to live.
According to the theory of psychological egocentrism, human beings are not free from this evolutionary tendency.. This postulation proposes that all behavior is motivated by self-interested rewards, thus denying the existence of altruistic behaviors in our species. We instinctively seek what is pleasant, and doing good makes us receive positive rewards from the people around us.
Based on this individualistic behavior at an evolutionary level, it is very normal to find characteristics in the population such as selfishness, egocentrism and narcissism. However, not all of these psychological traits are the same, nor are they experienced in the same way. Today we present to you the differences between egocentrism and narcissistic personality disorder.
How to Differentiate Egocentrism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissism and egocentrism are two ideas that are closely related, but they are used in slightly different areas. Let’s see below how these concepts differ, in summary.
1. Different scales: disorder versus characteristic
Being egocentric is a characteristic of a person’s personality, while Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a clinical entity that requires treatment, included in the dimensional model of personality disorders.. They are not on the same scale: one thing is a negative trait, while the other incurs the pathological condition.
It is estimated that in the United States, 1 to 15% of the population suffers from narcissistic personality disorder, with a higher prevalence in men than in women. Furthermore, since it is a clinical condition, it is not uncommon for it to be accompanied by other physical and/or emotional pathologies, such as anorexia nervosa, dependence on harmful substances (especially cocaine), other personality disorders and depression.
2. Narcissism and egocentrism: one understands the other
Although narcissism could also be conceived as a trait (at the same level as egocentrism), it is almost always used in the psychiatric field to describe the pathological disorder.
A person with NPD is egocentric, since the patient has an excessive perception of his or her own being, a deep need for attention, delusions of grandeur and other events related to high individual esteem, always dependent on the approval of others.
On the other hand, an egocentric person believes that his or her own opinions or interests are more important than those of others, but this does not have to be accompanied by the rest of the pathological traits that characterize narcissistic personality disorder. In short, a person with NPD is self-centered by definition, but not all self-centered people suffer from NPD.
3. Egocentrism is not a disorder
Despite sounding repetitive, it is necessary to emphasize this idea. The concept of “narcissist” can be put at a lower level to describe certain mild traits, but Egocentrism cannot be labeled as a disorder in any case. Therefore, it is not quantifiable by clinical measures, as is the case with NPD.
As it is a clinical entity, narcissistic personality disorder must be able to be diagnosed based on certain parameters. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders shows us the parameters that a patient must meet in order to be considered as such.:
For a person to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, they must meet 5 or more of these parameters from the perspective of the health professional who cares for the person. As you can see, this clinical entity follows a standardized pattern.
Being self-centered is an undesirable trait that a person may want to change to improve their social skills, but it does not require medical treatment per se.. If this characteristic is part of a broader psychological disorder (such as NPD), then therapeutic attention is required.
NPD is usually treated with psychodynamic therapy, that is, trying to address the underlying elements (childhood abuse, excessive parental praise, etc.), while cognitive behavioral therapy can be useful to modulate certain behaviors of the patient. Although there is no specific medication for this disorder, accessory problems (depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies and others) can be addressed pharmacologically.
Summary
As you have seen, We are faced with two similar terms, but in no case comparable.. A narcissistic person is inherently self-centered, but not all people with traces of self-centeredness suffer from narcissistic personality disorder.
In addition to this distinction, it is necessary to be clear that in the case of narcissistic personality disorder (NDD) we are dealing with a pathology, a psychological disorder that must be addressed beyond individual morality and opinion. People with NDD require psychotherapeutic care and, in some cases, pharmacological treatments for associated events. For all these reasons (and for the patient’s well-being), a disorder should never be confused with a trait.
