Personality refers to the way that a person is in the world, referring to their specific patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Personalities grow from within a person, and remain fairly consistent over time and space. Although everyone has a unique life story and personality, certain personality traits and types can be observed.
Some personality traits and types (ways of thinking, feeling and behaving) are harmful and can be classified by psychologists and psychiatrists as clinically disordered.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is an example of a personality disorder.
This disorder has received significant attention in the Oscar Pistorius trial. Clinically speaking, narcissistic personalities are people with an unrealistic sense of self-importance and uniqueness.
This translates into arrogant thoughts, feeling and behaviours, which lead to exaggerating achievements and associations with successful people, the need for attention and admiration, a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, and an exploitation of other people.
Understandably, these patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving have a negative impact on a disordered person’s work performance, social life and relationships. Psychologists and psychiatrists provide treatment for these disorders.
