Finally full cracked the code on my shpo boss. Although I'm not the sharpest bulb, I did do well in Abnormal Psychology (imagine that). New the boss man was a narcissist, but couldn't peg the subcategory. Until this weekend.
What Is Grandiose Narcissism?
Published: August 13, 2021 Updated: August 24, 2022
Narcissists generally crave praise and admiration while lacking empathy for others; however, not all narcissists are alike. Grandiose narcissists will display a pattern of superiority and pretentiousness that may differ from other people with the condition. Narcissism has a reputation for being treatment resistant but knowing the signs can help combat the condition.
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What Is Grandiose Narcissism?
Rather than being its own mental health diagnosis, grandiose narcissism is a term used to describe a person with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) who shows a certain set of symptoms that differ from the norm. Where other narcissists may have an underlying sense of insecurity or fragility, a person with grandiose narcissism will believe, without doubt, that they are special, unique, and superior.
Here are symptoms of grandiose narcissism:1
A need for admiration
A lack of empathy
An exaggerated sense of importance
Persistent fantasies of increased success, power, happiness, love, intelligence, or physical appearance
A belief that they are so special that they should only associate with other special people
A belief that they should receive special attention, treatment, and gifts
A tendency to take advantage of other people or situations to fulfill their goals
Lacking care, compassion, and empathy for others
Being envious of others and thinking that others are envious of them
Appearing arrogant, conceited, or self-absorbed
A person only needs five of these qualities to receive a diagnosis of NPD, meaning that someone with grandiose narcissism may not necessarily be envious of others. Instead, they may only imagine that people want to be as wonderful as they are.
Grandiose narcissists are much like other people with NPD, but some symptoms will be exaggerated. Overall, those with grandiose narcissism are more assertive and extroverted than their counterparts with standard NPD.
Grandiose narcissists will also display these symptoms:
Very high confidence and self-esteem
Superiority and entitlement
Impulsivity
Anger, hostility, and verbal or physical aggression when confronted
Exploitation of others
Because grandiose narcissists believe so strongly in their abilities and intelligence, they will display a strong distrust of experts. According to the grandiose narcissist, the expert could never know as much as they do, so anyone that disagrees with the narcissist will always be wrong.