The psychology of narcissism - W. Keith Campbell

翻译人员: Qian Zhang 校对人员: Mingyu Cui

Way before the first selfie,

自拍诞生很久以前，

the ancient Greeks and Romans had a myth

古希腊罗马流传着一个神话，

about someone a little too obsessed with his own image.

有关“某个人有点过于 迷恋自己的影像”。

In one telling,

有一个版本说，

Narcissus was a handsome guy wandering the world in search of someone to love.

那希瑟斯是一个英俊的小伙子， 他环游世界为了寻找自己的爱人。

After rejecting a nymph named Echo,

在拒绝了森林女神 艾寇之后，

he caught a glimpse of his own reflection in a river,

他瞥见了自己 在河里的倒影，

and fell in love with it.

并且爱上了它。

Unable to tear himself away,

由于其无法自拔，

Narcissus drowned.

那希瑟斯最终 溺死在了河里。

A flower marked the spot of where he died, and we call that flower the Narcissus.

一朵花在他死去的地方冒了出来， 那朵花因此得名为“那希瑟斯”（水仙花）。

The myth captures the basic idea of narcissism,

这个神话体现了 自恋的核心意思，

elevated and sometimes detrimental self-involvement.

被高估的而且有时候 有害的自我陶醉。

But it's not just a personality type that shows up in advice columns.

但这不只是一种 会出现在建议专栏里的个性，

It's actually a set of traits classified and studied by psychologists.

事实上，它由一系列的特质组成， 已由心理学家界定和研究。

The psychological definition of narcissism is an inflated, grandiose self-image.

自恋在心理学意义上的定义是 一种夸大和膨胀的自我形象。

To varying degrees, narcissists think they're better looking,

不同程度上，自恋者认为 他们更好看，

smarter,

and more important than other people,

更聪明，

而且比别人更重要，

and that they deserve special treatment.

于是他们理所应当 要有特殊的待遇。

Psychologists recognize two forms of narcissism as a personality trait:

心理学家区分了 两种形式的自恋：

grandiose and vulnerable narcissism.

浮夸型自恋 和脆弱型自恋。

There's also narcissistic personality disorder,

还有一种自恋型人格障碍，

a more extreme form, which we'll return to shortly.

它是一种更极端的形式， 我们待会再回来谈这个话题。

Grandiose narcissism is the most familiar kind,

浮夸型自恋最常见，

characterized by extroversion,

它的特点是外向、

dominance,

强势

and attention seeking.

和希望得到关注。

Grandiose narcissists pursue attention and power,

浮夸型自恋的人希望得到 注意力和权力，

sometimes as politicians,

有时候作为政客、

celebrities,

名人名媛、

or cultural leaders.

文化领袖。

Of course, not everyone who pursues these positions of power is narcissistic.

当然， 不是每个追求 权力地位的人都自恋。

Many do it for very positive reasons,

很多这么做的人 是基于非常正面的理由，

like reaching their full potential,

比如为了施展 自己全部的才能，

or helping make people's lives better.

或者是为了帮助 人们生活得更好。

But narcissistic individuals seek power

但是自恋的人 是为了寻求权力，

for the status and attention that goes with it.

是为了那种状态， 还有随之而来的备受瞩目。

Meanwhile, vulnerable narcissists can be quiet and reserved.

而脆弱型的自恋者 可以文静且内向。

They have a strong sense of entitlement,

他们对待遇 非常敏感，

but are easily threatened or slighted.

但是容易被威胁 或者被怠慢。

In either case, the dark side of narcissism shows up over the long term.

这两种情况，自恋中最阴暗的部分 是经过长时间之后才显现出来的。

Narcissists tend to act selfishly,

自恋者容易有自私的举动，

so narcissistic leaders may make risky or unethical decisions,

所以自恋的领导人可能会 做有风险或者不道德的决策，

and narcissistic partners may be dishonest or unfaithful.

自恋的伴侣可能会 不诚实或者不忠诚。

When their rosy view of themselves is challenged,

当他们美化自己的视角 被挑战的时候，

they can become resentful and aggressive.

他们会变得愤愤不平 和具有攻击性。

It's like a disease where the sufferers feel pretty good,

它就像一种病， 得了病的人自我感觉良好，

but the people around them suffer.

但是身边的其他人 却在遭罪。

Taken to the extreme,

回到前面提到的 那个极端的情况，

this behavior is classified as a psychological disorder

这种行为被界定为 一种心理障碍，

called narcissistic personality disorder.

即“自恋人格障碍”。

It affects one to two percent of the population,

人口中1%－2%的人 有这种障碍，

more commonly men.

而且多为男性。

It is also a diagnosis reserved for adults.

它还是一种只针对 成年人进行诊断的病症。

Young people, especially children, can be very self-centered,

年轻人，尤其是儿童， 可能非常自我为中心，

but this might just be a normal part of development.

但是这可能是 成长过程中的正常现象。

The fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's

第五版的《美国精神病学会的 精神疾病诊断与统计手册》中

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

describes several traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder.

描述了自恋人格障碍的多种特质。

They include a grandiose view of oneself,

其中包括自视清高，

problems with empathy,

难有同情心，

a sense of entitlement,

特权意识，

and a need for admiration or attention.

和需要被尊重和关注。

What makes these trait a true personality disorder

使得这些特质成为真正的人格障碍的是

is that they take over people's lives and cause significant problems.

他们主导别人的生活 并且造成重大的麻烦。

Imagine that instead of caring for your spouse or children,

试想一下，不去关心爱护 你的伴侣或者孩子，

you used them as a source of attention or admiration.

你利用他们作为一种 获得关注或者尊重的资源。

Or imagine that instead of seeking

假设你不去寻求对于你自己 表现的建设性意见，

constructive feedback about your performance,

you instead told everyone who tried to help you

而是去指责 每个试图帮助你的人。

that they were wrong.

So what causes narcissism?

那么，是什么导致了自恋呢？

Twin studies show a strong genetic component,

根据两项相关研究， 是一种很强的基因成分（导致了自恋），

although we don't know which genes are involved.

虽然我们还无从知道 究竟是些什么基因参与了其中。

But environment matters, too.

不过，外在环境的原因 也不容忽视。

Parents who put their child on a pedestal

如果家长把孩子 捧得很高，

can foster grandiose narcissism.

那么他们的孩子就可能 变成浮夸型的自恋者。

And cold, controlling parents can contribute to vulnerable narcissism.

冷酷的控制欲强的家长 容易培养出脆弱型自恋者。

Narcissism also seems to be higher

在注重个人价值和 自我推销的文化中，

in cultures that value individuality and self-promotion.

自恋程度也似乎更高。

In the United States, for example,

比如在美国，

narcissism as a personality trait has been rising since the 1970s,

从上个世纪70年代以来， 自恋作为一种个性特质一直在增加，

when the communal focus of the 60s

这一时期不仅自我主义运动取代了 其60年代对于公共的关切，

gave way to the self-esteem movement

and a rise in materialism.

而且物质至上精神 不断高涨。

More recently, social media has multiplied the possibilities for self-promotion,

最近，社交媒体极大地 提升了自我鼓吹的可能性，

though it's worth noting

虽然需要说明一下

that there's no clear evidence that social media causes narcissism.

目前没有明确的证据显示 社交媒体导致了自恋；

Rather, it provides narcissists a means to seek social status and attention.

但是，它为自恋者提供了 一种去寻求社会地位和关注的渠道。

So can narcissists improve on those negative traits?

那么，自恋者能不能 修正这些缺点呢？

Yes!

能！

Anything that promotes honest reflection on their own behavior

任何可以帮助自己 客观审视自己，

and caring for others,

和关爱他人的事情，

like psychotherapy or practicing compassion towards others, can be helpful.

像心理疗法或者增强同情心的训练， 都是有效的。

The difficulty is it can be challenging

难就难在，

有自恋人格障碍的人

for people with narcissistic personality disorder

to keep working at self-betterment.

难以不断地 自我努力和自我完善。

For a narcissist, self-reflection is hard from an unflattering angle.

对于一个自恋者而言， 从不讨喜的角度进行自我反省是困难的。