don't know really. Probably best to ask my ex and my best friend and cut it down the middle somewhere assuming their answers were different.

Think the healthy range but they really should have a quiz

Are you kidding? I could defoliate the Forest of Approval!

I suppose it depends upon whom you’re asking. I’m willing to wager there are those who would rate me at least a 20 while others would swear I’m totally selfless. I suppose I should fess up the fact that if I like someone I would give them the shirt off my back but if I don’t like someone I’m very, very cold

Is suffering from low esteem the opposite of narcissism?

There is also something called 'anti-narcissism' included in the DSM-V as a variant of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder(s)

This is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Narcissists do NOT think they are better than other people. This is just another bigoted, ignorant take on it. It is simply irresponsible for untrained laypersons to pretend they can define mental disorders.

A narcissist is Someone whose self esteem relies largely or entirely on the opinions of others.

This DOES mean that MANY people will ACT like they are superior, because if the people around them aren't impressed with them then they fall apart. This DOES mean the SOME of them are so bogged down in this fear that they are unable to think of how other people think. And this is not a good thing of course.

Trump is a narcissist and you see how he has to SAY he is the best at all times, and completely freaks out if he is criticized- but NOT because he THINKS he is better. If you know you are better, why would you care about the opinions of others? He desperate for us to think he is the best, the richest, the most everything, and everything he does is gold, because otherwise he will feel he is the worst.

I am asking no one to feel sorry for Trump. Just to comprehend that he does not think he is the best, he needs you to think it so he can feel it. Make sense, right? People with a healthy self esteem are generally comfortable with who they are, and are fairly humble. They don't need to impress you.

Note now that you are armed with this definition, you can imagine that the group of people who rely on others for self esteem-- the narcissists by an honest definition-- might be larger than those who we see and think are assholes. And this is true. Not everyone deals with this condition in a way that hurts others. Some narcissists just feel like shit and don't even try to have you think well of them, because they feel they do not deserve anything good. Can you think of anyone like this? Someone who is always miserable.

And there are other ways to react as well. Perhaps a mixture, for instance.

I was literally interested to be diagnosed as a narcissist in my 30s because, I had heard a few times I was the nicest person someone knew. In fact at age 14 I had resolved to have a positive effect on everyone I met. Of course it was the narcissist in me that made me need to think that was possible!! But of course the people you know of as narcissists probably never had that goal. I also do truly care about pretty much everyone I meet, or read about, or see on TV... A narcissist empath, weird concept!

I went into the bookstore to the psychology section to learn what narcissism was, and found 7 books out of 8 were about how horrible narcissist are. Only one was a thoughtful, careful and caring description, analysis, and exploration of the topic. This was the test, for me. A narcissist thinks they are special, different from others.

Now, before you think "she thinks that? What an asshole!" note that my immediate response was "Doesn't everyone?" I could not (and still sort of can't) imagine feeling like we are all the same.

Now, I did want, and intend, to be world famous, but I can be forgiven for that because both my grandfather and my mother WERE (Mom IS). So it wasn't that strange to think that I might have their brain. But I truly thought that everyone had a unique sense of being different than the world.

Once I explored the topic I had to admit to myself that that wasn't the only trait I had. I exaggerate. When I wrote up there that I had heard that "a few times," that I was the nicest person people had met, I had to edit it from "often" and before that from "generally." I actually do not remember how often or how many times, but I want to believe it was often and I want you all to believe that I am just always nice and everyone agrees. Otherwise I feel shitty about myself. But once I learn I have a flaw I work hard on it, so I now try very very hard not to exaggerate. I still want you to think that I am so damn nice; and I am bummed not to be able to make you believe it! But my conscience holds me back. And we are all multi-faceted; and apparently I have enough self esteem to handle what does literally feel to me like humiliation.

Of course I am hoping that people have a high opinion of me after I wrote this. For honesty or something. I can't help it. It is how I am built. Ignore me. But I hope you can see that being a narcissist does not translate into being an asshole. Just, some people react to the narcissist trait of lack of self esteem, by being assholes.

Yeah, she was kind of vague and did not site any sources...

Hmm. I think that I am in the healthy range. I am humble, but don't mind being recognized for accomplishments. I am always thankful, to myself, circumstances, people who have helped me and who have trusted me. I never forget a kindness I receive from someone. Never.

Looks like I'm in the middle healthy range but I thought I would be more like 8ish!

Im so flawed im slowly dying I have Kidney Desease and Diabetese and im allergic to so much im more flawed then a broken robot smashed by a steam roller I'd say I score about a 0 on that scale there is nothing special about me at least I can't think of anything Diabetese has taken everything from me from job to love

That's interesting but to say we are all narcissistic in some way Leeds me to believe that you ain't narcissistic if you believe in God I know a lot of Believers that are narcissistic and they have taken that test and scored very high they use the belief of God even though you can't prove he exist as a means to say I'm going where no one else is going because I know God our personal scale so therefore I'm going to that magical place in the clouds granted there are a lot of non-believers there that way too but i know people who are avid believers and show alot of sighns of self perfection and self admiration to a high point lol

I think I'm in the 4-6 range but sometimes I may slide into a 2 or 3,

I dunno..not sure what knowing any of this does, since it seems to be built into our personalities. I think highly of myself and don't mind being the center of attention, and usually am, but don't go out of my way.

I don't care either way as I'm perfectly happy curled up with a Kindle book or out photographing birds in the swamps and jungles.

But I enjoy singing/playing in bands/groups, being in TV shows, radio shows, having my own radio shows, and teaching, etc. It's more about what I'm used to, and extremely good at.

When most people freeze in front of an audience, even if I feel neutral about it, I soon have them in the palm of my hand. I do it usually because it's my job or it's expected of me, and can take it or leave it.

Not everyone can do what I do, so I'm often sought after.

I'm about a 4 honestly, and only that high not because of narcissism but impulse control problems. I react first and foremost to "I want it" instead of thinking about how it affects those around me.

I'd say I range from 0 to 2.. The 0 part really is a problem.

As a practicing sociopath, I don't really care where I am on YOUR scale.

I’m about a 1 right now, maybe a 3.9 on a good day. Haven’t had a good day in a little while though. And @exilesky me too but I think that only applies as the unhealthy type of narcissism if you’ve already established you’re a high number on the scale by the other metrics. Maybe not, in which case maybe I’m totally an introverted narcissist that just so happens to also be so introspective that I know it and hate myself? Who knows, but I remain skeptical. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, but I’ll bet it’s harder to pronounce than that.

Hmm - is there an actual quiz for narcissism? I know how accurate they are! Haha. My sister accused me of having narcissistic personality disorder and when I told that to my therapist (asking her 'how do you know if you have it or not?', she laughed and laughed and laughed and when she finally caught her breath she said 'has she MET you?' I think I have always been socially dysfunctional and some people misinterpret that and can create all kinds of personalities for me that don't actually exist, because it's hard to get to know me. But my sister should know me pretty well and know that my dysfunction is exactly that, not narcissism. It's really strange to me how other people can totally misread others.

I wonder what a reasonable amount of self-regard is, and what score reflects that? If it is a zero score on this test, is that someone who has no regard for themselves at all? What's the score that puts you in the danger area?

I think I'm between 4-6 on the spectrum, but the description of the introverted narcissist really does sound familiar.