What is the difference between narcissism and self -esteem?

narcissism and self -esteem are two terms that relate to the self -concept and the resulting behavior of a person. Although they may sound superficially similar, narcissism and self -esteem are in fact the opposite patterns of thinking and behavior. While narcissism involves unrealistically high self -concept and desire to manage attention and admiration, healthy self -confidence realistically balanced look at yourself and the desire to pay attention only through merit.

One of the key differences between narcissism and self -esteem is how well reality is perceived. A narcissistic person enforces his talents, achievements and goals without reference to the objective reality of the situation. For example, a narcissistic person could be sure he was the best runner in the track team, although he appears fourth in every race. A person with a healthy self -esteem is able to accurately assess their abilities and does not tend to allow flights of fantasy to be extremely and unrealistic.

Another important difference between narcissism and self -esteem is how failure or disappointment is managed. With healthy self -esteem, one can be able to look at a poorly solved situation and discover ways he could do better. In addition, good self -esteem can prevent the person from allowing non -destroying or endangering overall self -esteem; While the disappointment may occur, the person's view of himself did not drastically. One of the most classic symptoms of narcissism is the inability to take the blame for failure; With rare self -confidence, narcissist is likely to become defensive and seeks ways to blame others.

As one considers and treats others, it can also be important for distinguishing narcissism and self -esteem. Because a narcissist tends to look at a confidential problem, others may appear as pawns or tools to be used rather than equally important individuals. A narcissist can quickly drop from friends or family members who do not give the desireda lot of praise or admiration or have skills in competition with its own. Narcissists can also be prone to lying or manipulating others to get what they want, because their own procedure is often their primary aspect. While a person with healthy self -esteem is unlikely to accept bad treatment, it can be better able to perceive other people as straight and treat them with the same level of respect and ethics that they desire.