pathological narcissism in poker: help or hindrance?

[ratel]

Point taken, but I wasn't thinking so much of "succumbing to it" as using it as a means to an end. People who are shrewd and dedicated enough to channel their grandiose flakiness into productive, real-world achievements are really onto something, IMO.

Besides, if narcissistic personality disorder is really the worst trait you can have as a poker player, why is it so MASSIVELY overrepresented in WSOP bracelet-winners compared to the average population? Dude, I mean really--check it out:

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Narcissistic Personality Disorder
DSM IV Criteria

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, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

(3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)

(4) requires excessive admiration

(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations

(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others

(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Something to think about! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[swingdoc]

Ratel

You're missing the very important criteria defining ANY personality disorder:

[ QUOTE ]
A. Experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture. This pattern is manifested in two (or more) of the following areas:

cognition
affect
interpersonal functioning
impulse control

B. The enduring pattern is inflexible and pervasive across a broad range of personal and social situations.

C. The enduring pattern leads to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

D. The pattern is stable and of long duration and its onset can be traced back at least to adolescence or early adulthood.

E. The enduring pattern is not better accounted for as a manifestation or consequence of another mental disorder.

F. The enduring pattern is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition such as head injury.

[/ QUOTE ]

Obviously some degree of narcissism is necessary for us to play poker at all. Pathologic narcissism, by definition, is harmful to one or more areas of our life. Obviously, we're talking about degrees of narcissism here, but since you specifically asked about the PD, I thought I hsould point this out. One side point, I suspect that too great a degree of narcissism (among other things) leads directly to problem gambling.