Sociopathic Narcissists

Narcissism is a continuum that runs from the humble, with very little narcissism, to those who are very self centered. Most if not all of us have some degree of narcissism but when it is severe it becomes pathologic and what I term sociopathic narcissism. I call it sociopathic because it is the cause of much of the ills of society. Sociopathic narcissit think they know what is best for everyone and they become addicted to telling others what to do. Power is a good thing but they try to turn it into the ultimate thing and in doing so make it an evil thing. It is more common in oldest children and may start with telling their younger siblings what to do. They are rewarded by their parents for this and this reinforces the behavior. It then progresses to being class bullies or the kid who tells every one else what to do. They mistakenly see themselves as leaders being blindwd to the fact that leaders lead by example not by telling others what to do.Initially their narcissism comes off as "charisma" and they often make a good first impression but once you get to know them you realize they are shallow and self-centered. They are attracted to positions of power in churches, government and business the same way pyromaniacs are attracted to being firefighters. It crosses parties lines. In the conservative verity they want to tell you how to live and what to do with your body. In the liberal variety they tell how to uses your property and run your business. They are very manipulative. You can easily spot them in meetings as the one who comes with their own agenda and tries to control the discussion.