This article was co-authored by Jay Reid, LPCC and by wikiHow staff writer, Dev Murphy, MA. Jay Reid is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in private practice in San Francisco, CA. He specializes in helping clients who have survived a narcissistic parent or partner. Treatment focuses upon helping clients identify and challenge self-diminishing beliefs as a result of narcissistic abuse. Jay holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and an MS in Clinical Psychology from Penn State University.
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You may have heard of narcissism, a mental health condition linked to severe self-absorption and a lack of empathy for others. But what’s the counterpart of this condition? There are a few personality types that might be viewed as “opposites” to narcissism, including empathism, echoism, and altruism. But what exactly are these personalities, and what are the signs you might be one of them? Stick around: we’ve consulted the experts and gotten the skinny on these nuanced personality types, as well as signs they might apply to you!
Things You Should Know
- Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is characterized by a lack of empathy and a tendency to be ultra-focused on the self.
- Opposites of NPD might include empathism, echoism, and altruism, which are all heavily focused on others, and less focused on the self.
- You might be the opposite of a narcissist if you’re incredibly self-sacrificing and compassionate, or if you hate the limelight.
Steps
wikiHow Quiz: Am I a Narcissist or an Empath?
Expert Q&A
Tips
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about narcissism, check out our in-depth interview with Jay Reid, LPCC.
References
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9742-narcissistic-personality-disorder
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9742-narcissistic-personality-disorder
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/human-kind/201901/having-empathy-and-being-empath-what-s-the-difference
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/romance-redux/201809/9-things-everyone-should-understand-about-echoists
- ↑ https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/altruism/
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-freedom/201602/10-traits-empathic-people-share
- ↑ https://www.mhanational.org/co-dependency
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/romance-redux/201809/9-things-everyone-should-understand-about-echoists
- ↑ https://www.imedpub.com/articles/the-cognitive-neuroscience-of-narcissism.php?aid=22149