Psychologist shares 12 questions that test whether you are a narcissist

A psychologist has revealed the 12 questions that are sometimes used to test whether someone is a narcissist.

While most of us will at some point do or say something which others might think of as selfish or self-centred, being a medically diagnosed narcissist is something else entirely, and occasionally behaving selfishly is not enough by itself.

Narcissism is named after an ancient Greek myth about a beautiful youth called Narcissus who saw his own reflection in a pool and became so captivated that he wouldn't move, with some versions having him lying there until he turned into the flower which also bears the name.

Now the medical name for being a narcissist is having 'Narcissistic Personality Disorder', one of a group of mental health conditions where someone's feelings and behaviour might make their life more difficult for them.

Dr Carmen Harra is the author of a book called You Are What You Feel, and spoke to the Daily Mail about narcissism, saying: "Healthy self-esteem is essential for emotional well-being because it allows us to value ourselves while also valuing others."

Narcissus, also known as daffodils (Getty Stock)

She added: "So where does one cross the line from esteem into entitlement? Psychologists generally distinguish between healthy confidence, vulnerable (covert) narcissism, grandiose (overt) narcissism, and the far rarer Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)."

She went on to explain the difference between these, including that NPD is the most extreme, sometimes showing 'a pervasive pattern of privilege, lack of empathy, exploitation of others, and an excessive need for admiration that significantly impairs relationships'.

Criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw told LADBible Stories that psychologists develop questionnaires to help 'standardise how we talk about diagnoses'.

"You wanna make sure that you're asking specific kinds of questions and seeing how people respond to see if they are in fact a narcissist," she said.

Dr Shaw even shared that one study found that simply asking someone 'are you a narcissist?' is actually an effective way of telling, because a narcissist might respond by saying that 'yes, but I am actually better than most people'.

But another approach that Dr Harra described to the Daily Mail details not one, but twelve questions.

These are formulated less as direct questions and more like prompts, where someone is then invited to describe how they would react to a particular scenario.

So what are the questions? Well, let's take a look.

Narcissism also has a particular medical definition (Getty Stock)

12 questions to test if you're a narcissist

1. When I accomplish something I'm proud of, my first thought is:

2. When someone else receives recognition that I wanted:

3. In a close relationship, this is most important to me:

4. What I enjoy most about social media is:

5. If I walk into a crowded party where I don't know anyone:

6. When someone gives me constructive criticism at work:

7. When someone hurts my feelings:

8. I think my friends enjoy spending time with me because:

9. Looking back on past relationships, this best describes my experiences:

10. This statement feels most accurate to me:

11. When someone sincerely apologizes after hurting me:

12. Complete this sentence: Most people would describe me as someone who...