What does the Bible say about narcissism?

Question: "What does the Bible say about narcissism?"

Answer: Narcissism is a term derived from Greek mythology. Narcissus was a handsome youth who fell in love with the nymph Echo, but when she spurned his advances, he was doomed to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool. He pined away his whole life obsessing about his image and eventually turned into a flower, the narcissus. The myth of Narcissus has given rise to the personality disorder known as narcissism, which is characterized by vanity, conceit, egotism, and self-obsession. Biblically speaking, the simple term for narcissism is selfishness.

Philippians 2:3 is the primary verse that addresses selfishness. Paul says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Selfishness and vanity are the epitome of narcissism, and they are particularly destructive and have no place in the Christian life. As Christians, we are be modest and humble (Colossians 3:12), and live in submission to God (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:7) and to one another “with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3 KJV). Humility sees the best traits in others and the lowliest traits in self. It does not envy the graces and gifts of others, but rejoices in them. The truly humble man seeks to serve others; the narcissist seeks only to serve himself.

Narcissism is bound up in selfish ambition—putting one’s needs and desires above all else—and leads inevitably to discord, envy, strife and evil. These are of the devil, whose desire is to sow discord among believers and thereby discredit their witness in a watching world. James makes this point in James 3:13-18, contrasting selfishness—which is satanic in nature—to the “wisdom from above” which is “pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” The narcissist has no time for others; their needs and desires are irrelevant to him. His focus, like Narcissus whose life was wasted staring at his own reflection, is completely self-absorbed. His life is of little value to himself, to others, or to God because he considers himself the center of the universe. He has displaced God from the throne of his life and placed himself firmly upon it.

The ‘cure’ for narcissism is the same as for any sin—repentance and a commitment to Christ as Lord of our lives. Only through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit can the narcissist become a true child of God, dedicated to Him and seeing others as better than himself. Only then can he become a slave of Christ and know the true freedom submission provides.

Recommended Resource: The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson.