Created for an introductory art education course, this slideshow shares research findings related to narcissistic behavioral disorder. View more at facebook.com/mirrorsproject.

1. Narcissism vs. Healthy Vision and Expression
of Self
Introduction to Art Education: Issues Based Collaborative Project
Katy Johnson
Hannah Westmoreland
Heather Fouts
Taryn

2. Defining the Disorder:
Narcissism
Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated
sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration. Those with this
condition believe that they are superior to others and hold little regard for the feelings
or circumstances of other people. Narcissists can behave in socially distressing ways,
limiting their ability to function in personal and professional relationships. Often
behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the
slightest criticism. (Mayo Clinic Staff)

3. Collaborative Project Goal
Via public art and social
networking we hope to
promote overall self-
awareness; to learn
together how to
employ healthy
methods of expressing
oneself artistically and
professionally without
loosing respect for the
feelings and
circumstances of
others.

4. Details of Project
• As a group we created and maintain a Facebook page titled
“Mirrors” to record progress of this project and communicate
via social networking.
https://www.facebook.com/mirrorsproject?ref=hl
• We each created artifacts to be placed publicly to direct
attention to our Facebook page. As a group we distributed our
artifacts in locations people would be looking in mirrors:
restrooms, beauty salons, tanning bed booths, dressing
rooms, tattoo parlors.
• We focused our research on four areas related to narcissism:
– Narcissism on the Internet
– The Psychology of Insecurity
– Consumerism and Importance of Name Brands/Labels
– Behavioral Health: Coping With and Combating
Narcissism

5. Artifacts Created By
our Group

6. • Observers use three
characteristics when Narcissism
determining an online
narcissist:
• quantity of social
on the
interaction
• attractiveness of the
Internet
individual and
• the degree of self
promotion in the main
photo
• - World Health Organization
ICD-10 (2008)
• “In data from 37,000 college students,
narcissistic personality traits rose just as fast as
obesity from the 1980s to the present, with the
shift especially pronounced for women.”
• - “The Narcissism Epidemic,” J. M. Twenge &
W. K. Campbell

7. Is Facebook really making us
lonely?
Narcissism on Internet was meant to help
the Internet broaden our horizons – instead
doing the opposite
continued… Narcissists are using Facebook
the same way they use their
other relationships: self
promotion with an emphasis on
quantity of over quality
In an anonymous online study,
people admit to posting pictures
simply to get “likes” or “reblogs”,
not to stay connected.
- World Health Organization (2008)

8. Insecurity is an
The Psychology of
emotion brought Insecurity
on by the mental
torment of the
desire to be
perfect. Peers,
media, and culture
influences a person
to change what
they really are
physically and
mentally.

9. Society’s priorities on what’s really important
in life seem to be lying in what’s the
hottest trend in clothing and beauty
products.
“A mans Self is the sum total of all that he CAN
call his, not only his body and his psychic
powers, but his clothes and his house…his
lands, and yacht and bank account” –
William James
Statistics from James J. Farrell’s book,
“One Nation Under Goods”
Consumerism
“Malls express our consumer culture, revealing us to
ourselves
and the
Importance
of Labels

10. The Nacirema
Horace Miner wrote a critique on the Nacirema, including
information on certain practices and beliefs in their culture.
Every house has one or more shrines devoted to avoiding debility and
disease of the body through ritual and ceremony.
“The focal point of the shrine is a box or chest which is built into the
wall. In the chest are kept the many charms and magical potions
without which no native believes he could live…”
Were it not for the ritual of the mouth, which includes inserting a
small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical
powders, and visiting a holy-mouth-man that even “if there are no
naturally occurring holes in the teeth, large sections of one or more
teeth are gouged out so that the supernatural substance can be
applied. In the clients view, the purpose of these ministrations is to
arrest decay and to draw friends”

11. Nacirema backwards spells…
American!

12. Narcissism is
Fueled by
Culture
• Parenting: “My child deserves
better than what I had.”
• Popular Media: Teaching the
“acceptable image” and
persuading the purchase of
“necessary things.”
• Professionalism: The belief that
abundance of confidence will
lead to success in life.
• Entitlement: Development and
imitation of ways to “work”
systems (i.e. welfare, federal
aid, union support, legal
processes) for personal benefit
and exploitation.

13. Behavioral • Narcissism has been declared a
Health: What “behavioral disorder” and even an
“epidemic in America” by various
psychologists and other professionals
to Consider (NBCNews.com)
• Narcissistic Behavioral Disorder is treated
professionally by use of psychotherapy
and anti-depressant / anti-anxiety drugs
(Mayo Clinic Staff)
• Not everyone who behaves selfishly or
with elevated self-esteem is a narcissist.
• A healthy balance of self-worth and
humility/modesty is something generally
learned through life experiences.

14. Confidence
Lov
e

15. Refrences
• Aboujaoude, Elias. "Rise of the Online Narcissist." Psychology Today. N.p., 16 Feb. 2011.
Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/compulsive-
acts/201102/rise-the-online-narcissist>.
• Buffardi, Laura. "Narcissists Can Be Identified By Their Facebook Accounts -
Psychologists." Narcissists Can Be Identified By Their Facebook Accounts - Psychologists.
N.p., 22 Sept. 2008. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.science20.com/news_articles/narcissists_can_be_identified_their_facebo
ok_accounts_psychologists-32720>.
• Campbell, Kieth. "The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement —Book."
The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement —Book. N.p., n.d. Web. 25
Nov. 2012. http://www.narcissismepidemic.com/.>
• Marche, Stephen. "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" The Atlantic May 2012: n. pag.
Web.
• YouTube. Dir. Sam Vaknin. Perf. Sam Vaknin. YouTube. YouTube, 10 Aug. 2010. Web. 25
Nov. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgyd8YEKh80>.

16. References
• De Victoria, PhD., S. L. (n.d.). How to Spot a Narcissist | World of Psychology. Psych Central - Trusted mental health,
depression, bipolar, ADHD and psychology information .. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/08/04/how-to-spot-a-narcissist/
• Kelley, Raina. "Are We in a Narcissism Epidemic? - Newsweek and The Daily Beast." The Daily Beast. Newsweek, n.d. Web. 13
Nov. 2012. <http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/04/17/generation-me.html>.
• Lyon, Lindsay. "Narcissism Epidemic: Why There Are So Many Narcissists Now - US News and World Report." Health News
Articles - US News Health. N.p., 21 Apr. 2009. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-
health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2009/04/21/narcissism-epidemic-why-there-are-so-many-narcissists-now>.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. "Narcissistic personality disorder - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/narcissistic-personality-disorder/DS00652>.
• NBCNews.com. "Me, me, me! America’s ‘Narcissism Epidemic’ - books - booksmiscellaneous - TODAY.com."TODAY - Top
News Stories, Video Clips, Recipes and Guests | TODAY.com. Today Books, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.
<http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30312181/ns/today-books/t/me-me-me-americas-narcissism-epidemic/>.