We all have an image of a narcissist: Self-centered to the 10th degree; manipulation of relationships to be on top and gain adoration; a grandiosity. At its core, it is about the narcissist in the world, and the world is about you through a lens that is skewed, distorted.

Healthy Narcissism

Here’s the counter, the elements of what I’m calling healthy narcissism.

#1. Don’t worry so much about what others think of you.

True narcissists do this yin-yang thing where they seem to not give a damn about what others think while actually caring deeply what others think of them.

There’s that old adage, “In your 20’s you worry about what everyone thinks of you. In your 40’s you don’t care what anyone thinks of you, and in your 60’s you realize that no one thinks of you.” There’s truth in this, and narcissists seem to be stuck in their 20’s.