In case you’re interested in the mental illness du jour, at least here in the United States, NewScientist has an article on the latest in the field, and manage to write it without reference to our leading example:
Looking back, the signs were obvious: an extreme need for control, a pathological tendency to exaggerate and an almost comical sense of superiority.
My family member claimed to know more than everyone about everything, no matter the topic. He claimed to have the makings of a world-class teacher, doctor, writer or athlete, while also boasting about his modesty. Any disagreement would result in shouty rants or violent outbursts.
Family friends could barely believe it when I told them. “When he meets us, he acts like charm personified,” is how one put it.These were all classic traits of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), a condition characterised by a disregard for the feelings of others combined with an extreme sense of self-importance, often manifesting in interpersonal abuse. At the time, however, I had no way to make sense of this family member’s behaviour – this was before the conversation around narcissism had reached its current level of social saturation. [“The truth about narcissists: How to handle them, and can they change?” David Robson, NewScientist (27 September 2025; paywall)]
A good article, if it makes me clutch at my throat a bit. I think I ran into several of this type in the early days of my social media experience.
