Self-confident heroes and narcissists have a few things in common. Both possess strong egos, for example, but the hero has a healthy ego while the narcissist’s is disturbed. Both tend to have charismatic personalities, drawing people to them. They are often inspiring leaders, but where heroes act on behalf of the community, narcissists act to benefit themselves.
Not all narcissists are villains, but they are seldom literary heroes, although they may be principal characters. Indeed, classic narcissists are often more fascinating to readers than goodhearted heroes. This is certainly the case with military leaders and politicians, whose wounded egos create havoc in the midst of victory.
Since narcissistic characters are staples of fiction (and also, unfortunately, biography), this article provides some considerations for presenting them effectively. You don’t need to be blatantly obvious that you’re writing about a narcissist. It’s not necessary to go as far as I did in one of my novels by specifically naming a character Narcissa.* Narcissism includes a broad spectrum of behaviors from mild to severe. Nevertheless, it’s good to use a few distinguishing characteristics to help the reader get a proper fix on your fictional narcissist.
Dialog for narcissists should contain repeated first person words (I, me, my, mine). A narcissist will say my where a hero would say our and I when an honest person would say we. For example, a narcissistic boss will take credit for the ideas and work of others, while an effective manager refers to the team effort and praises the efforts of co-workers. This can be tricky to portray, however, because some narcissistic leaders praise the team in public but don’t really mean it and revert to selfish behavior when no one from outside is watching. Take care when writing such characters, especially with pronouns. Most readers will recognize the character who uses singular pronouns in private and plural ones in public. However, it is easier for an actor to convey the two-faced narcissist than for a writer to describe one in words.
Narcissists are adamant in their language, rarely doubting their own judgment. Heroes often doubt. In reality, narcissists are essentially fearful but they have thoroughly repressed their doubts and fears. Narcissists either ignore or willfully misinterpret the words of others. Thus in creating dialog, putting a non-sequitur in the mouth of a narcissist can be revealing.
Narcissists and heroes alike tend to be surrounded by bands of supporters. But they use them in different ways. The hero does not let supporters take the rap for anything. The narcissist always does. Narcissists use supporters as shields to protect them from criticism and taking responsibility.
Commonly, narcissistic and heroic characters are wounded people. What they do with those wounds reveals who is which. Most of the time, the hero bears the wounds stoically, seldom complains, and becomes stronger at the broken places. The narcissist uses the hurt as justification for self-preservation, self-aggrandizement, and to gain sympathy. Similarly, both are usually flawed individuals, but one rises above the failure or weakness while the other does not. Where the narcissist sows unintentional chaos in the community, the hero deliberately seeks to recover peace.
The extreme narcissist also has unrealistic expectations, delusions of grandeur, as well as a strong sense of entitlement. For example, a narcissistic character will feel perfectly qualified for a desired position despite having no credentials or expertise for it. Small time politicians suffering from narcissistic personality disorder have no trouble seeing themselves as viable candidates for president of the United States. A narcissist feels entitled to special attention and respect without earning either.
Narcissists can be quite charming, which is one way they create their cadres of uncritical supporters, and they sometimes reveal streaks of exhibitionism, but they show little or no empathy for the sufferings of other people. They are not psychopathic, but so captivated by their own personal dramas that they don’t have time for the stories of anyone else.
Keep these behaviors in mind when creating scenes and dialog that involve narcissistic characters.
*J. K. Rowling also created a character named Narcissa Malfoy, who first appeared in the fourth Harry Potter book. At the time I named my character Narcissa Morgan, I had not yet read the fourth Potter volume but was tickled when I did to discover that Rowling and I had independently come up with the same name. Rowling’s Narcissa is not a complete narcissist but is associated with Slytherin House, which is loaded with them.
