It’s harder than ever to adequately define personality and character-related pathology because the spectrum of dysfuntion has become so broad, varied, and normalized.
Narcissism, in its varied and often subtle forms, is so prevalent, it can go unnoticed. And we can even give it a pass or enable it. That is, of course, until the worst manifestations of it drag us to unbearable depths.
An unfortunate number of folks bring all sorts of pain into their lives because they neither love themselves enough nor know how to love themselves properly. But self-love can be pathological, too, which is what the narcissism spectrum is all about.