When working on my memoir, BLISS ROAD (Vine Leaves Press), one of my early readers asked if narcissism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are linked. I said not really, though the two might look alike.
Autism is a highly genetic neurological developmental disorder that messes with people’s communication systems. To neurotypical people, ASD folks like my dad might seem to lack empathy, but normally only because they might not be able to see, understand and correctly interpret the social and emotional needs of others. Yet because of that blind spot, autistic people can, like the rest of us, have narcissistic traits, such as lacking empathy or thinking we’re all that.
Narcissistic personality disorder, on the other hand, stems from environmental factors like parenting that causes children to grow into adults with a distorted self-image. To mask a low self-esteem, they might see themselves as superior to others; assume their opinions and feelings are more important; exaggerate their accomplishments; and lack empathy. Here are articles about the symptoms and causes and eight types of narcissism.
To learn more, consider reading Why is a narcissist a narcissist by J. Kenny, an article that includes how to deal with such people, which, surprisingly, can include showing compassion (without being drawn into their manipulations).
Do you know autistic people? Do you know narcissists?
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SCATTERED LIGHT, a novel, sequel to WINTER LIGHT (Nov. 2025)
THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD a historical novel
BLISS ROAD, a memoir
WINTER LIGHT, a novel
THE WIND THIEF, a novel
GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers
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