ABSTRACT
Reading this book reflects the reader's pursuit of his or her own vital narcissistic professional interests. The recent emphasis on narcissism as being mainly pathologic has, however, given the term a bad reputation. That it is essential for life has been overlooked. The key distinction is between being centered in the self, which includes consideration of others, and being exclusively self-centered, excluding others. For example, if I am writing this paper as a reflection of my own grandiosity and see you the reader as existing only as a source of mirroring, that grandiosity is pathologic narcissism. On the other hand, if I perceive it as an interest by my colleagues in my work, and I acknowledge their interest, that is healthy narcissism.
