The Self-Esteem to Narcissism Pipeline

I don’t play the whole winners and losers thing. I dropped out of society long ago, and I haven’t had to play the winners and losers game ever since. It just went away.

I’m a lot less social but I’d rather be alone than wish I was. I like myself just fine. When I’m alone, I’m hanging out with the coolest guy in the whole damn world. Sure, he’s an idiot and a fucktard, but he’s still great if not the greatest. Other people are around, and they’re being unpleasant? There’s the door. I don’t need friends or people anymore. You can treat me decently or be gone.

Therapists pointed out that I like myself a lot. They said I wasn’t a narcissist. Instead they said I had high self-esteem, which is generally considered to be a sign of good mental health. Sure, some might them overbearing or a bit “much,” but most people are ok with it. And I’ve found that when I’m in that mood, and I’m talking to a young man, he often starts mirroring it right back at me. It’s as if he’s saying

You think you’re gr…