Do you know anyone who might be considered a narcissist? The name came from Greek mythology, after Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection. Since these folks often go through life without ever seeking help for the condition, it was hard for professionals to pinpoint a set of symptoms for a true diagnosis, but they've come up with this:
To qualify as a narcissist, an individual must have "a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts," paraphrased from the fifth version of the DSM [PDF]:
— A grandiose sense of self-importance, exaggerating achievements and talents
— Fantasizes about unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
— Believes that he or she is “special” and should associate only with high-status people or institutions
— Requires excessive admiration
— Has a sense of entitlement, expects favorable treatment or automatic compliance
— Is interpersonally exploitative, taking advantage of others
— Lacks empathy, unwilling to recognize or identify others' feelings and needs
The 9 Megalomaniacal Facts About Narcissism goes into lot more detail about the condition; read them at mental_floss.