Narcissism Quotes

“The modern individual is committed to being successful, not to being a person. He belongs rightly to the 'action generation' whose motto is 'do more but feel less.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“Narcissists do show a lack of concern for others, but they are equally insensitive to their own true needs. Often their behavior is self-destructive. Moreover, when we speak of narcissists’ “self” love, we need to make a distinction. Narcissism denotes an investment in one’s image as opposed to one’s self. Narcissists love their image, not their real self. They have a poor sense of self; they are not self-directed. Instead, their activities are directed toward the enhancement of their image, often at the expense of the self.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“When wealth occupies a higher position than wisdom, when notoriety is admired more than dignity, when success is more important than self-respect, the culture itself overvalues “image” and must be regarded as narcissistic.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“One of the ways in which our culture fosters the narcissistic personality is by its exaggerated emphasis upon the importance of winning. There is a popular slogan that says winning is the only thing that counts. Such an attitude minimizes human values and subordinates the feelings of others to this one overriding goal to win, to be on top, to be number one. But”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“Narcissists are neither carefree nor innocent. They have learned to play the power game, to seduce and to manipulate. They are always thinking about how people see and respond to them. And they must stay in control because loss of control evokes their fear of insanity.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“Narcissists can be identified by their lack of humanness. They don’t feel the tragedy of a world threatened by a nuclear holocaust, nor do they feel the tragedy of a life spent trying to prove their worth to an uncaring world. When the narcissistic façade of superiority and specialness breaks down, allowing the sense of loss and sadness to become conscious, it is often too late. One”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“True respect looks beneath the surface or the appearance to the inner reality, which is the opposite of the narcissistic attitude. By the same token, self-respect is based on an appreciation of one’s true or inner self, not on one’s appearance or position. We have self-respect when our actions stem from principles or deep convictions rather than motives of expediency or gain. Impressing or manipulating others brings a loss of self-respect, and without self-respect, one doesn’t respect others. The narcissistic person has no self-respect.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“And we need to know what it is to be human, if we are to avoid becoming narcissists.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“To sell out the kingdom of heaven for power is a devil’s bargain. It is the bargain that the narcissist makes.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“If being crazy means having a hard time adapting to the world as it is (a definition that I agree with), then society is crazy.”1”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“The grandiose self-image that characterises the narcissist compensates for an inadequate and ineffective sense of self. It represents a conscious effort to be different (better), but it fails to change the basic personality or the self.
By identifying with a grandiose image, one can ignore the painfulness of one’s inner reality. But the image also serves an external function in relation to the world. It is a way of gaining acceptance from others, a way of seducing them and of gaining power over them.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“Not every narcissist gains power and not every person with power is a narcissist, but a need for power is part of the narcissistic disorder.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“To know one's feelings, one has to experience them in their full intensity and that can only be done by expressing them.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“The narcissistic image develops in part as a compensation for an unacceptable self image and in part as a defence against intolerable feelings.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“They live by their wits and are identified with their ability to outsmart or outmaneuver others. That they lie or cheat is unimportant to the goal of winning or their ego image of superiority based on their ability to put one over on another person. In this philosophy of success, the end justifies the means.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“Of course, they are equally hard on themselves; their goals of power and success demand an equal sacrifice of their own sensibilities and feelings.
The important distinction, then, is between the person who operates in terms of an image and the person who functions in terms of his or her feelings.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“It is self-acceptance that is lacking in narcissistic individuals.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“effect,”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self

“In narcissistic individuals, expressions of feeling usually take two forms: an irrational rage and a maudlin sentimentality. The rage is a distorted outbreak anger; the sentimentality is a substitute for love. Hitler might be described as a person without feeling, but he was known for his intemperate rages. I would call his love for the German pure sentimentality.”
― Alexander Lowen, Narcissism: Denial of the True Self