Event

Profs & Pints: Reflecting on Narcissists

Profs and Pints presents: Reflecting on Narcissists, a look at the myth, reality, and treatment of narcissistic personality disorder, with Brian A. Sharpless, licensed clinical psychologist, visiting research fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London, and author of Psychodynamic Therapy Techniques.

Do narcissists really love themselves? Are they really self-confident? Are celebrities more narcissistic than the rest of us? Does a persons social media use tell us anything about their narcissism?

These are just a few of the fascinating questions that will tackled by Brian Sharpless, a regular on the Profs and Pints stage. He will discuss the idea of narcissism throughout history and across cultures, define what narcissistic personality disorder means to psychologists and psychiatrists, and summarize what the field knows about this condition and its treatment.

You may be particularly surprised to learn about the different ways that narcissism can manifest. Some of these are far from the arrogant overconfidence that we associate with the narcissist stereotype. For example, many people with narcissism live their lives with chronic feelings of inadequacy. In order to avoid feeling humiliated, they closely observe others so that they can figure out how they should behave. In fact, some narcissists may actually look depressed to an untrained eye.

Finally, Dr. Sharpless will give some practical tips and techniques to help you deal with the narcissists in your life. You'll walk out with a different perspective on yourself and other people, with new knowledge that may help you maintain healthier relationships. (Advance tickets: $12. Doors: $15. Save $2 with student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later. Please arrive in plenty of time to place any order and be seated and settled before the talk begins.)