How Narcissistic Are You?

Not only are you very unlikely to be narcissistic, but you're actually very generous and selfless in your daily life. Rather than worrying about yourself most of the time, you focus on others and the world around you. You don't find yourself especially important or extraordinary, and you more often take interest in others' special qualities, needs, and skills.

Like most of us, you tend to be more concerned with your own well-being than with the well-being of others, but who can blame you? That's natural selection at work! Taking care of yourself doesn't make you self-centered or a narcissist; it makes you a practical, upstanding human being who probably gives his or her fair share to others too. You are most likely not narcissistic.

You may not have all of the traits associated with narcissism, but you do have some of the more common ones. You might be easily hurt by personal criticism, and you feel like the people in your life underestimate or underappreciate your many outstanding qualities. You seek to be understood by others but find this extremely difficult, since only a select few people in this world have the capacity to truly understand you. One day, you hope to find your soul mate, your dream job, and your perfect life, just as you've always imagined them all, and you won't settle for less.

You take self-love and self-care to the next level. You're not necessarily narcissistic, because you have a fairly realistic self-image, and you don't always put yourself above all others. But you do consider yourself highly important, and you probably consider your physical and emotional well-being the most important aspect of your daily life. You're probably not a narcissist, but you're certainly not without narcissistic traits.

Remember in grade school when we were told that we're all like unique snowflakes and that we could do anything we set our minds to? Well, while many kids doubted those statements wholeheartedly, you took them and ran with them. You believe you're truly different from everyone else in the best possible way and that you really can lead a life of meaning worthy of any romantic comedy or Shakespearean epic if you just set your mind to it. You may rate higher than most when it comes to narcissistic traits, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're a true-at-heart narcissist.

You may have many of the traits associated with narcissism, but that still doesn't mean you're necessarily 100 percent narcissistic! You tend to put yourself and your needs ahead of others, and you likely view yourself as a rare and especially important person in this world. You prefer to be a leader rather than a follower, and you'd likely rather stand out than blend in. But remember, just being self-centered and even a little selfish doesn't mean it's true narcissism!