Spiritual Narcissism

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farouk

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tried to read through the thread but it is growing in pages and have struggled to keep up. Up until about four years ago I thought God was a Spiritual Narcissist. That was the voice I heard in the word. An example ‘for My great Name Sake’ what I heard was a tyrant with a gavel shouting and demanding ‘My Name will be made Great!’ Until slowly He revealed who is His Great Namesake ...Hebrews 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Realize that sounds bad but all I could hear for the longest time in the word was a narcissist woman hater ...but I was wrong hearing mostly maybe my own voice.
@VictoryinJesus When we spend time quietly in the Word, prayerfully; and meditate on what the Lord is saying contextually, then this is how our preconceptions can be overcome, by His grace, as His Spirit leads our understanding in Christ.
 

quietthinker

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Some people simply put, say another try's "to steal their joy"...leaving the other feeling good, and the person feeling crappy.

Others take a more scientific approach... in the electric field that surrounds a person. The goal is to Zap their energy and transfer it to themselves...trances, chants, weird stuff.

I've seen the ego thing you mention.
These things all can happen by different methods.

I don't think the topic per'se matters...but whoever the Target is...the instigator keys in on the targets passion...
Push their buttons, get their goad, get them riled up, get a rise out of them...tons of sayings...

The idea is to cause chaos, turmoil, that leaves the instigator exhilarated and the target exhaustively drained.


Glory to God,
Taken
of course there wouldn't be any on these boards with that disposition or those intentions!
 

quietthinker

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@Taken It's a bit like that now, I reckon, not so much for the money, but I've told my wife that if I have another heart attack I don't want to go to the hospital in the current climate: better to rest at home with meds than to go into an atmosphere with lots of viruses and infections and be carried off by catching something there...
are you overweight farouk?
 

Heart2Soul

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Narcissism is actually low self esteem
Just the opposite brother...
nar·cis·sism
/ˈnärsəˌsizəm/

noun
  1. excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance.
    Similar:vanity, self-love, self-admiration
    self-adulation, self-absorption, self-obsession, conceit, self-conceit, self-centeredness, self-regard, egotism
    egoism, egocentricity, egomania


    Opposite:modesty, diffidence
    • PSYCHOLOGY
      selfishness, involving a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.
    • PSYCHOANALYSIS
      self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.
 

marks

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Just the opposite brother...
nar·cis·sism
/ˈnärsəˌsizəm/

noun
  1. excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance.
    Similar:vanity, self-love, self-admiration
    self-adulation, self-absorption, self-obsession, conceit, self-conceit, self-centeredness, self-regard, egotism
    egoism, egocentricity, egomania


    Opposite:modesty, diffidence
    • PSYCHOLOGY
      selfishness, involving a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.
    • PSYCHOANALYSIS
      self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.
This is more about Narcissistic Personality Disorder, something very different.

Narcissistic personality disorder - Symptoms and causes

Overview
Narcissistic personality disorder — one of several types of personality disorders — is a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.

Spiritual Narcissism, in this sense of NPD, is when the narcissist uses spiritual themes as their means to reach their end.

Much love!
 
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marks

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Narcissism is actually low self esteem
A sense of worthlessness so profound that the sufferer feels no emotional connection to others, and believes the only way to attain to the meeting of their needs is by manipulating others. No One would every give freely to them! It becomes internalized early on, and later is never questioned. The manipulations of the sociopath/narcissist have become their only playbook.

In many cases, what they "need" is a feeling of superiority over others. This is a clear red flag when someone presents this way.

Much love!
 

Heart2Soul

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This is more about Narcissistic Personality Disorder, something very different.

Narcissistic personality disorder - Symptoms and causes

Overview
Narcissistic personality disorder — one of several types of personality disorders — is a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.

Spiritual Narcissism, in this sense of NPD, is when the narcissist uses spiritual themes as their means to reach their end.

Much love!
Biblically, to be carnal minded is enmity against God, we are taught to be spiritually minded...and on top of that we are to put on the mind of Christ...
The definition of narcissism is what I posted....the definition of narcissistic personality disorder is defined by psychology....which is the study of the psych (mind).
 
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LILAC

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I've learned that narcissism has the basis of fear. Fear does not come from God so that's how we know it actually is a spiritual battle.
 
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mailmandan

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Since narcissism is in the mental realm of our being it cannot be spiritual.
I view a "spiritual narcissist" as one who has excessive interest in or admiration of oneself in spiritual matters, which includes an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration in spiritual matters. Such people seem to believe they have all the answers and we had better listen to them in regards to spiritual matters.
 

tsr

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Narcissism is a personality disorder that does not discriminate against race, religion or gender. So narcissists can not only 'became' Christians, Christians can be narcissists. Priests can be narcissists, as can nuns, pastors, bishops, the works!

Narcissistic Personality Disorder has nine traits.
1. Grandiosity – This is an unrealistic view of oneself that they are bigger than life and better than others

2. Arrogant and Domineering – think they are better than everyone else. They know more than anyone else. Controlling of others and dominating.

3. Preoccupation with Success and Power

4. Lack of empathy – an inability to care about the feelings of others or put themselves in someone else’s shoes

5. Belief of being unique – they feel very different than other people, like there is only one person that is anything like them at all

6. Sense of entitlement – They are owed things. They are entitled to anything and everything that they want and desire, including taking over the lives of other people. There is no appreciation when people do anything for them because they were entitled to it, in the first place.

7. Requires excessive admiration – they want to be admired and paid attention to all the time. They have no tolerance for anyone else being in the spotlight.

8. Exploitative – they will take advantage of other people for their own best interest. They will take more than they give, refuse to pay people for their services in a fair way …if at all, and use people up until there is nothing left of them

9. Envious of others – they are resentful when other people have things that they feel entitles to. They become angry when they see that other people have things that they do not
 

Heart2Soul

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Narcissism is a personality disorder that does not discriminate against race, religion or gender. So narcissists can not only 'became' Christians, Christians can be narcissists. Priests can be narcissists, as can nuns, pastors, bishops, the works!

Narcissistic Personality Disorder has nine traits.
1. Grandiosity – This is an unrealistic view of oneself that they are bigger than life and better than others

2. Arrogant and Domineering – think they are better than everyone else. They know more than anyone else. Controlling of others and dominating.

3. Preoccupation with Success and Power

4. Lack of empathy – an inability to care about the feelings of others or put themselves in someone else’s shoes

5. Belief of being unique – they feel very different than other people, like there is only one person that is anything like them at all

6. Sense of entitlement – They are owed things. They are entitled to anything and everything that they want and desire, including taking over the lives of other people. There is no appreciation when people do anything for them because they were entitled to it, in the first place.

7. Requires excessive admiration – they want to be admired and paid attention to all the time. They have no tolerance for anyone else being in the spotlight.

8. Exploitative – they will take advantage of other people for their own best interest. They will take more than they give, refuse to pay people for their services in a fair way …if at all, and use people up until there is nothing left of them

9. Envious of others – they are resentful when other people have things that they feel entitles to. They become angry when they see that other people have things that they do not
Let me refer you to the Mayo Clinic website which uses peer review on topics they submit to the public web.
Quote from the author who has a PhD in psychology....
Allan Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D. was in private practice for more than thirty years. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the states ...Read More

Judging from email questions I have received, many readers are somewhat confused about the differences between people who are narcissistic versus those who have a narcissistic personality disorder. There is a large difference between the two. Let’s explore those differences:

https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/the-narcissist-versus-the-narcissistic-personality-disorder/

A mental illness is different than a personality trait.
 
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Narcissism is not mental illness. It used to be a personality disorder, (which is not the same as mental illness) until it was removed from the DSM V, due to the fact that so many Americans have become narcissistic that is now seen as normal.
 

Heart2Soul

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I've learned that narcissism has the basis of fear. Fear does not come from God so that's how we know it actually is a spiritual battle.
Good for you...doing your own research and learning.
I am an RN and I learned a great deal about mental illness while in college and I still don't know the half of it.
 

Heart2Soul

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Narcissism is not mental illness. It used to be a personality disorder, (which is not the same as mental illness) until it was removed from the DSM V, due to the fact that so many Americans have become narcissistic that is now seen as normal.
You are associating a personality trait with a mental illness. They both exist, but are separate issues.