NEW YORK – On TikTok, there is no shortage of tips for identifying a narcissist.

Look for passive aggression, one influencer suggested. A narcissist is someone who creates emotional dependency, another said.

Decades ago, the term narcissism was rarely used outside of a clinical setting or research study. Today, however, it has become a catch-all label for a broad range of disliked or frustrating behaviours, said Professor Virgil Zeigler-Hill from the psychology department at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

Narcissism, or the drive to feel special and unique, is a personality trait that exists on a continuum. Everyone has some degree of it. Those who fall higher on the spectrum are typically egotistic and vain, but that does not necessarily mean they have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).

There are specific criteria for diagnosing someone with NPD. Some of these include an unshakeable need for admiration, a heightened sense of self-importance and lack of empathy towards others. Those characteristics do not come and go. They are persistent and typically lead to distress or interfere with relationships, work or other parts of life.

How well do you understand narcissism? Here are some myths.

Those who do not meet the criteria for NPD can still inflict pain on people. The condition is rare, and is estimated to affect about 1 or 2 per cent of US adults.

But you do not need a diagnosis to be considered a narcissist. Mental health professionals describe narcissists as people who exhibit higher-than-average narcissistic behaviour or traits.

These can include low empathy, entitlement, selfishness, manipulation, deceit, blame shifting and a drive to seek admiration, status and validation, said Dr Ramani Durvasula, a clinical psychologist and author of It’s Not You: Identifying And Healing From Narcissistic People (2024).

Narcissists are especially harmful when they become vindictive or callous, or when they take advantage of others’ vulnerabilities. They also have grea...