Are We All Narcissists? The Phenomenon of Narcissism from Mythology to Pathology

We are all – narcissists, tightrope walkers of self-esteem, but all – in different ways. We walk on a tightrope stretched between healthy self-love and pathological triumph. Between these extreme points lies the narcissism of everyday life, determined by the cultural context. The types of narcissism are numerous – a true archipelago of various forms. The journey through this archipelago is dedicated to the research of psychoanalyst Vittorio Lingiardi. Starting with myths and artistic works, the author moves on to the analysis of classic clinical studies (Lacan and Freud) and the latest theories of the 21st century, illustrating every shade of narcissism with examples from literature and cinema.