“Beware of narcissists” – that’s the tenor in many guidebooks and social media bubbles. But are people affected by narcissistic personality disorder really that bad? An honest look behind the grandiose mask.
A smartly dressed man, around 30 years old, confidently sits down in the therapy chair. Let’s just call our imaginary patient Nils A. It’s his first session at Prof. Dr. Stefan Röpke, specialist in psychiatry, psychotherapy and medical director of the Oberberg specialist clinic in Potsdam. And Nils A. is upset. “I recently started an internship. Even during the probationary period, I was bullied out of the company because my colleagues were jealous. I mean, I could have taken on the role of boss in the first week,” he tells the psychiatrist.