Location: Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of
Member Since: Jan. 03, 2010

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Sam Vaknin

Biography

Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East as well as many other books and ebooks about topics in psychology, relationships, philosophy, economics, and international affairs.

He served as a columnist for Central Europe Review, Global Politician, PopMatters, eBookWeb , and Bellaonline, and as a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent. He was the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101.

Smashwords Interview

Narcissism is a very misunderstood term. In the popular lexicon, it seems to be used interchangeably with self-confidence or self-absorption. How do you define narcissism?
Narcissism (rather, pathological narcissism) is the absence of a functioning self (or, to be more precise, Ego).

It is the constant dependence upon other people to gain self-esteem, to regulate a sense of self-worth and to gain self-confidence.

Narcissism is, therefore, other-absorption rather than self-absorption.

The narcissist is attuned to input (real or perceived) from other people because in the absence of such constant feedback he feels annulled, non-existent, void (and in many respects, he is). I use he, though everything I say here applies equally forcefully to women narcissists.

The narcissist constructs an elaborate, largely fictitious, grandiose image of himself (the False Self). He then hurls it at people and monitors their every reaction. Reactions that conform to the misinformation purveyed by the False Self generate flooding, immersive sensations of omnipotence, omniscience, brilliance and perfection.

Reactions that negate the False Self cause narcissistic injury:- a terrible, insupportable, excruciating agony. The narcissist administers mental painkillers to himself by discounting ("devaluing") the source of the hurtful reaction, by dismissing the reaction itself, or by altering the False Self to conform to it - in short, by activating a mechanism known as "cognitive dissonance".
Is there such a thing as healthy narcissism, and at one point would you say that narcissism enters the realm of pathology?
Narcissism is an integral part of our development as humans. A residue of it survives well into adulthood. It is essential, it keeps us alive. It drives us to achieve things and to seek the approval of other humans. It helps us bond with significant others, motivates us to raise children, to consume, to study, to explore, to discover, to invent, to innovate. It is a powerful engine of human and personal progress.

Pathological narcissism has very little to do with healthy narcissism. It thrives on ANY kind of attention, even on a negative one (infamy, fear, hatred) and from ANYONE (the narcissist has no significant or meaningful others in his life). It is divorced from reality (fails the reality test). The False Self is... well ... false. It is a concoction, a confabulation, a distorted invention, replete with magical thinking and ideas of reference. It leads to dependence rather than to inter-dependence, to conflict rather than to collaboration, to sadistic behaviours rather to tender emotions and intimacy. It is a malignant form of narcissism because it takes over the host and then kills it.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Sam Vaknin online

Website: http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com
Twitter: @samvaknin
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/samvaknin
Blog: http://samvak.tripod.com/guide.html

Where to buy in print

http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/thebook.html

Books

Speculations and Physics by
Price: Free! Words: 57,650. Language: English. Published: October 17, 2014 . Categories: Nonfiction » Philosophy » Metaphysics
Essays and articles about modern physics, speculations in science, pseudo-science and the alleged incompatibility between God and modern science.
The Death of Sex and the Demise of Monogamy by
Price: Free! Words: 61,460. Language: English. Published: October 17, 2014 . Categories: Nonfiction » Sex & Relationships  » History of sex
Sex is dead and so is monogamous marriage. What will replace them? Read about alternative lifestyles (such as swinging), sexual preferences (such as bi- and homosexuality), sexual paraphilias (such as incest, fetishism, and pedophilia), and the role of malignant narcissism in the disintegration of relationships between men and women.
Links and Factoids by
Price: Free! Words: 41,440. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Reference » Study guides, Nonfiction » History » Civilization
Anthology of fascinating historical and scientific facts and links to relevant Web sources.
The Hitler File EXCERPTS by
Price: Free! Words: 57,690. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General, Fiction » Adventure » General
(3.00 from 2 reviews)
What was in Hitler's personal file kept by the Nazi Party's own intelligence agency, the SD? Israel Sarid Roth, only son of two survivors of the Holocaust is about to find out, as a routine assignment in Jerusalem plunges him into the center of a deadly nightmare.
The Suffering of Being Kafka by
Price: Free! Words: 44,530. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Poetry - single author, Fiction » Literature » Plays & Screenplays
A second volume of short stories and poetry translated from the Hebrew.
MindGames by
Price: Free! Words: 28,300. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Horror, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General
Short stories about bizarre mental health disorders. The mind is the most terrifying place of all!
Healthcare Reform Checklist by
Price: Free! Words: 19,170. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » Social services, Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Medical insurance
Checklist for reforms in the healthcare sector: purchasing, provision, delivery, commissioning, and stewardship. Detailed case studies from Germany and Eastern Europe.
TrendSiters - Digital Content and Web Technologies by
Price: Free! Words: 179,860. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Computers & Internet » ebook readers, Nonfiction » Computers & Internet » Digital publishing
Essays dedicated to the new media, doing business on the web, digital content, its creation and distribution, e-publishing, e-books, digital reference, DRM technology, and other related issues.
Small Business Manual by
Price: Free! Words: 28,650. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Starting up, Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Small business & entrepreneurship
Issues in owning and managing a small business in developing and poor countries.
The Exporter's Handbook by
Price: Free! Words: 12,980. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Business & Economics » International business, Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Business Law
A tutorial for export transactions - from financing to shipping, INCOTERMS and contracts.
Corruption and Financial Crime by
Price: Free! Words: 155,370. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Business Law, Nonfiction » True Crime » Nonviolent
Essays about corruption, money laundering, crime, and international finance.
The Labor Divide by
Price: Free! Words: 55,220. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Economics, Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Careers
Modern labour theories and practice. Covers issues like employment, unemployment, migration, brain drain, entrepreneurship, workaholism, and trade unions.
Capitalistic Musings by
Price: Free! Words: 96,930. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » History » Civilization, Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Economics
Critical analysis of the foundations and tenets of capitalism and of the dismal science - economics.
The Facts and Fictions of the Securities Industry by
Price: Free! Words: 59,040. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Law » Business & commercial law, Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Stock market investing
The securities industry, its markets, instruments (equity, debt, derivatives), trading strategies, underlying economic models, and future.
Putin's Russia by
Price: Free! Words: 34,450. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » History, Nonfiction » History » Russian
Russia's economy and politics under President Vladimir Putin.
Terrorists and Freedom Fighters by
Price: Free! Words: 53,390. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » Terrorism, Nonfiction » History » War
The history of four terrorist organizations in the Balkans and a general introduction to terrorism and freedom fighting. Also includes essays about religious co-existence in the Balkans and about pathological narcissism as a precursor to terrorism.
Empire and War by
Price: Free! Words: 63,560. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » Terrorism, Nonfiction » History » War
The antecedents and aftermath of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the role of the United States in international affairs.
The Belgian Curtain - Europe after Communism by
Price: Free! Words: 29,860. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » Current affairs, Nonfiction » History » European » Europe / Baltic States
The European Union, NATO, the euro, and central and eastern Europe after the fall of communism.
Macedonia: A Nation at a Crossroads by
Price: Free! Words: 210,890. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » Current affairs, Nonfiction » History » European
The economy, culture, society, politics, and Balkan geopolitics of the Republic of Macedonia and its people.
After the Rain - How the West Lost the East by
Price: Free! Words: 85,490. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » History, Nonfiction » History » European
An anthology of more than 50 articles regarding the politics, economics, geopolitics and history of countries in central and eastern Europe and the Balkans.
The Silver Lining - Moral Deliberations in Films by
Price: Free! Words: 17,110. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Philosophy » Contemporary philosophy, Nonfiction » Entertainment » Entertainment industry
Moral deliberations and philosophical dimensions in eight modern films.
Issues in Ethics by
Price: Free! Words: 49,150. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Philosophy » Contemporary philosophy, Nonfiction » Religion & Spirituality » Religion & politics
Issues in ethics: the right to life, cloning, abortion, animal rights and other controversial topics.
Bioethics and Population by
Price: Free! Words: 21,440. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Philosophy » Contemporary philosophy, Nonfiction » Law » Legal theory
Issues in the ethics and practice of demography and bioengineering - population control, the right to life, cloning, and abortion.
Essays on God and Freud by
Price: Free! Words: 31,070. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Psychology » History, Nonfiction » Philosophy » Religious philosophy
Six essays about the alleged incompatibility between God and modern science and four essays about Psychoanalysis and its role in the landscape of modern, scientific psychology and evidence-based psychotherapies.
Cyclopedia of Philosophy by
Price: Free! Words: 381,260. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Philosophy » Contemporary philosophy, Nonfiction » History » Civilization
Cyclopedia of issues in modern philosophy: The philosophy of science and religion, the cognitive sciences, cultural studies, aesthetics, art and literature, the philosophy of economics, the philosophy of psychology, and ethics.
The Conundrums of Psychology by
Price: Free! Words: 32,720. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Psychology » History, Nonfiction » History » Civilization
The fundamental assumptions underlying the modern study of psychopathology examined.
The Developmental Psychology of Psychopathology by
Price: Free! Words: 38,980. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Psychology » Clinical psychology, Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Mental health
Psychopathology as the outcome of problems in early childhood development.
Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited EXCERPTS by
Price: Free! Words: 47,650. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Psychology » Clinical psychology, Nonfiction » Relationships & Family » Dysfunctional relationships
The Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and relationships with abusive narcissists and psychopaths - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), journal entries, excerpts from the archives of the Narcissism List.
Narcissism Book of Quotes by
Price: Free! Words: 62,210. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Mental health, Nonfiction » Relationships & Family » Dysfunctional relationships
The Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and relationships with abusive narcissists and psychopaths: the point of view and lessons of the victims.
Abuse, Trauma, and Torture - Their Consequences and Effects by
Price: Free! Words: 48,910. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Relationships & Family » Dysfunctional relationships, Nonfiction » True Crime » Family violence
The effects on victims and survivors of traumatic experiences, long-term and repeated abuse, and torture. Includes in-depth profile of the Narcissistic Abuser and hundreds of links to literature and resources.
Narcissistic and Psychopathic Leaders by
Price: Free! Words: 31,540. Language: English. Published: January 3, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Psychology » Clinical psychology, Nonfiction » Politics & Current Affairs » World leaders
Narcissistic and psychopathic leaders come in all shapes and degrees of virulence. Learn to recognize them in various settings (the workplace, religion, politics) and to cope with the toxic fallout of their "leadership".

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