The Guardian

Am I a narcissist? You asked Google – here’s the answer | Anouchka Grose

Every day millions of internet users ask Google life’s most difficult questions, big and small. Our writers answer some of the commonest queries
A detail from Caravaggio’s painting of Narcissus. Photograph: Leemage/UIG via Getty Images

Inevitably, yes. The question is, how deep is your love? is seen by some as a matter of layering. For , there is primary and secondary narcissism – primary narcissism meaning the drive for self-preservation, and secondary narcissism meaning seeing yourself as if from the outside and thinking, you are great. You’re pretty much born with the first one (although it can get eroded), and then the second one comes along later. If you’re a basically nice person, your well-balanced narcissism won’t get in the way of your capacity to

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