Narrative Accounts of the Self

doi:10.1017/9781009445955.023

22 - Narrative Accounts of the Self

Differentiating Narcissistic from Non-Narcissistic Personalities

from Part V - Perspectives on Borderline and Narcissistic Personality

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 June 2025

Louise Williams

Edited by

Konrad Banicki and

Peter Zachar

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Konrad Banicki: Affiliation:
Jagiellonian University, Krakow
Peter Zachar: Affiliation:
Auburn University, Montgomery

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Summary

In this chapter, I present Three-Tiered Narrativism, a version of the narrative account of the self. I show how this framework can help us differentiate individuals with pathological narcissism from healthy personalities. After explaining what characterizes pathological narcissism using this framework, I show that the framework can more simply explain the various diagnostic criteria laid out for Narcissistic Personality Disorder in the DSM-5. I then show how this framework more easily lends itself to the dimensional model of personality. Finally, I gesture at how this framework may be useful in differentiating all the Cluster B Personality Disorders.

Keywords

pathological narcissism narrativism Narcissistic Personality Disorder dimensional model of personality DSM-V

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: Conceptualizing Personality Disorder
Perspectives from Philosophy, Psychological Science, and Psychiatry
, pp. 386 - 399

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009445955.023 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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References

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