Narcissism
From an evolutionary perspective, it’s natural for us to feel that we are at the centre of the universe. “We have got to be narcissistic to a certain degree because of the biological imperative that makes us think it’s important to pass on our own DNA,” explains behavioural psychologist Professor Philip Corr. “We see the world from an egocentric perspective.” It is this feeling that allows us to be independent, but that can spill over to believing that we really are the most important thing in the world. If we start to believe that we are truly exceptional, despite evidence to the contrary, then our distorted perception of our own sense of self has become pathological – perhaps even turning into Narcissistic Personality Disorder. While pathological narcissism like this is rare, most of us from time to time still experience a germ of that secret feeling that we are rather special.