How to deal with the narcissist in your life

Understanding why narcissists are they way they are is the first step in learning to live with them

Patience and understanding are key.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Most of us know the myth of Narcissus and Echo: An improbably gorgeous dude ignores a sweet girl who has fallen in love with him. Instead of accepting her love, he prefers to spend all his time staring at his own reflection in a pool of water. She pines away until only her voice remains (hence the term "echo") and the gods, ever critical of human hubris, turn the jerk into a plant.

A couple of millennia later, the term "narcissist" is still used — often incorrectly — to define someone who is unusually self-absorbed, conceited, or vain. While these traits can be irritating, they are not pathologies, and they usually only hurt the people who over-indulge in them.

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Leslie Turnbull

Leslie Turnbull is a Harvard-educated anthropologist with over 20 years' experience as a development officer and consultant. She cares for three children, two dogs, and one husband. When not sticking her nose into other peoples' business, she enjoys surfing, cooking, and writing (often bad) poetry.