Jeff Russell

A very informative and enjoyable read, if I may say so!

This topic, the notion of non-clinical narcissism, is something I've thought about a lot over the years. What you describe I've conceptualized as "the egocentricity spectrum." I do think these mental states and resulting behaviors fall on a rather wide spectrum, and as you say, everyone has it to some degree, even if in a minute amount. I personally think this casual narcissism is an evolutionary trait that helps us avoid constantly slipping into a state of existential despair, and thus have a much better chance of survival in this very weird and unpredictable world. Unfortunately in many cases this "narcissism" goes beyond a manageable level and gets out of hand, resulting in pathological levels of crude selfishness and solipsism.