Shining on the Stage: Narcissism and Performing Arts / İcrada Öne Çikmak: Narsi̇si̇zm Ve Sahne Sanatlari

Abstract

Narcissism is defined as a personality disorder by clinical psychologists, who consider narcissists as seekers of admiration with a lack of empathy. According to social psychologists, narcissists are self-assured individuals with leadership traits and excessive interest in themselves. This study makes a literature review to find out about the beneficial and non-beneficial characteristics of narcissists, their relationships, anger management and decision making processes, as well as the reflections of these features on performing arts, which may force artists to be narcissistic. Narcissists' interpersonal relationships are generally weak and they tend to be aggressive towards criticism and negative feedback. They focus on reward and give risky decisions due to overconfidence, making them attractive and dangerous at the same time. Performers should distinguish between an inner self and a commercial self in order to eliminate the harmful effects of narcissism and to have a more peaceful and healthy performing life.