| In the manifestation of their narcissism, female and | | | | includes elements of idealised over-valuation, of |
| male narcissists, inevitably, do tend to differ. They | | | | self-preoccupation, and of objectification of one's self |
| emphasise different things. They transform different | | | | (THAT which have all the advantages is what we |
| elements of their personality and of their life into the | | | | want to become). It demonstrates a deficient ability |
| cornerstones of their disorder. | | | | to empathise and some grandiose sense of |
| Women concentrate on their body (as they do in | | | | entitlement ("I deserve to have the best |
| eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia | | | | opportunities/advantages") and omnipotence ("I can |
| Nervosa). They flaunt and exploit their physical | | | | be whatever I want to be - despite nature/God"). |
| charms, their sexuality, their socially and culturally | | | | This feeling of entitlement is especially manifest in |
| determined "femininity". They secure their Narcissistic | | | | some gender dysphoric individuals who aggressively |
| Supply through their more traditional gender role: the | | | | pursue hormonal or surgical treatment. They feel that |
| home, children, suitable careers, their husbands ("the | | | | it is their inalienable right to receive it on demand and |
| wife of..."), their feminine traits, their role in society, | | | | without any strictures or restrictions. For instance, |
| etc. | | | | they oftentimes refuse to undergo psychological |
| It is no wonder than narcissists - both men and | | | | evaluation or treatment as a condition for the |
| women - are chauvinistic and conservative. They | | | | hormonal or surgical treatment. |
| depend to such an extent on the opinions of people | | | | It is interesting to note that both narcissism and |
| around them - that, with time, they are transformed | | | | gender dysphoria are early childhood phenomena. This |
| into ultra-sensitive seismographs of public opinion, | | | | could be explained by problematic Primary Objects, |
| barometers of prevailing winds and guardians of | | | | dysfunctional families, or a common genetic or |
| conformity. Narcissists cannot afford to seriously | | | | biochemical problem. It is too early to say which. As |
| alienate those who reflect to them their False Self. | | | | yet, there isn't even an agreed typology of gender |
| The very proper and on-going functioning of their | | | | identity disorders - let alone an in-depth |
| Ego depends on the goodwill and the collaboration of | | | | comprehension of their sources. |
| their human environment. | | | | There are mental disorders, which afflict a specific |
| True, besieged and consumed by pernicious guilt | | | | sex more often. This has to do with hormonal or |
| feelings - many a narcissist finally seek to be | | | | other physiological dispositions, with social and cultural |
| punished. The self-destructive narcissist then plays | | | | conditioning through the socialisation process, and |
| the role of the "bad guy" (or "bad girl"). But even | | | | with role assignment through the gender |
| then it is within the traditional socially allocated roles. | | | | differentiation process. None of these seem to be |
| To ensure social opprobrium (read: attention), the | | | | strongly correlated to the formation of malignant |
| narcissist exaggerates these roles to a caricature. A | | | | narcissism. The Narcissistic Personality Disorder (as |
| woman is likely to self-label herself a "whore" and a | | | | opposed, for instance, to the Borderline or the |
| male narcissist to self-style himself a "vicious, | | | | Histrionic Personality Disorders, which afflict women |
| unrepentant criminal". Yet, these again are traditional | | | | more than men) seems to conform to social mores |
| social roles. Men are likely to emphasise intellect, | | | | and to the prevailing ethos of capitalism. Social |
| power, aggression, money, or social status. Women | | | | thinkers like Lasch speculated that modern American |
| are likely to emphasise body, looks, charm, sexuality, | | | | culture - a narcissistic, self-centred one - increases |
| feminine "traits", homemaking, children and childrearing | | | | the rate of incidence of the Narcissistic Personality |
| - even as they seek their masochistic punishment. | | | | Disorder. To this Kernberg answered, rightly: |
| Another difference is in the way the genders react | | | | "The most I would be willing to say is that society |
| to treatment. Women are more likely to resort to | | | | can make serious psychological abnormalities, which |
| therapy because they are more likely to admit to | | | | already exist in some percentage of the population, |
| psychological problems. But while men may be less | | | | seem to be at least superficially appropriate." |
| inclined to DISCLOSE or to expose their problems to | | | | Quotes from the Literature |
| others (the macho-man factor) - it does not | | | | "Specifically, past research suggests that exploitive |
| necessarily imply that they are less prone to admit it | | | | tendencies and open displays of feelings of |
| to themselves. Women are also more likely to ask | | | | entitlement will be less integral to narcissism for |
| for help than men. | | | | females than for males. For females such displays |
| Yet, the prime rule of narcissism must never be | | | | may carry a greater possibility of negative social |
| forgotten: the narcissist uses everything around him | | | | sanctions because they would violate stereotypical |
| or her to obtain his (or her) Narcissistic Supply. | | | | gender-role expectancies for women, who are |
| Children happen to be more available to the female | | | | expected to engage in such positive social behavior |
| narcissist due to the still prevailing prejudiced | | | | as being tender, compassionate, warm, sympathetic, |
| structure of our society and to the fact that women | | | | sensitive, and understanding. |
| are the ones to give birth. It is easier for a woman | | | | In females, Exploitiveness/Entitlement is less |
| to think of her children as her extensions because | | | | well-integrated with the other components of |
| they once indeed were her physical extensions and | | | | narcissism as measured by the Narcissistic Personality |
| because her on-going interaction with them is both | | | | Inventory (NPI) - Leadership/Authority, |
| more intensive and more extensive. | | | | Self-absorption/Self-admiration, and Superiority |
| This means that the male narcissist is more likely to | | | | Arrogance- than in males - though 'male and female |
| regard his children as a nuisance than as a source of | | | | narcissists in general showed striking similarities in the |
| rewarding Narcissist Supply - especially as they grow | | | | manner in which most of the facets of narcissism |
| and become autonomous. Devoid of the diversity of | | | | were integrated with each other'." |
| alternatives available to men - the narcissistic woman | | | | Gender differences in the structure of narcissism: a |
| fights to maintain her most reliable Source of Supply: | | | | multi-sample analysis of the narcissistic personality |
| her children. Through insidious indoctrination, guilt | | | | inventory - Brian T. Tschanz, Carolyn C. Morf, Charles |
| formation, emotional sanctions, deprivation and other | | | | W. Turner - Sex Roles: A Journal of Research - Issue: |
| psychological mechanisms, she tries to induce in them | | | | May, 1998 |
| a dependence, which cannot be easily unravelled. | | | | "Women leaders are evaluated negatively if they |
| But, there is no psychodynamic difference between | | | | exercise their authority and are perceived as |
| children, money, or intellect, as Sources of Narcissistic | | | | autocratic." |
| Supply. So, there is no psychodynamic difference | | | | Eagly, A. H., Makhijani, M. G., & Klonsky, B. G. (1992). |
| between male and female narcissist. The only | | | | Gender and the evaluation of leaders: A |
| difference is in their choices of Sources of Narcissistic | | | | meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 111, 3-22, and ... |
| Supply. | | | | Butler, D., & Gels, F. L. (1990). Nonverbal affect |
| An interesting side issue relates to transsexuals. | | | | responses to male and female leaders: Implications |
| Philosophically, there is little difference between a | | | | for leadership evaluations. Journal of Personality and |
| narcissist who seeks to avoid his True Self (and | | | | Social Psychology, 58, 48-59. |
| positively to become his False Self) - and a | | | | "Competent women must also appear to be sociable |
| transsexual who seeks to not be his true gender. But | | | | and likable in order to influence men - men must only |
| this similarity, though superficially appealing, is | | | | appear to be competent to achieve the same results |
| questionable. | | | | with both genders." |
| People sometimes seek sex reassignment because of | | | | Carli, L. L., Lafleur, S. J., & Loeber, C. C. (1995). |
| advantages and opportunities which, they believe, are | | | | Nonverbal behavior, gender, and influence. Journal of |
| enjoyed by the other sex. This rather unrealistic | | | | Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 1030-1041. |
| (fantastic) view of the other is faintly narcissistic. It | | | | |