Too Little or Too Much

A dynamic model such as psychoanalysis can explain the rise in narcissism and apparently contradictory hypotheses suggested for the phenomenon. Evolutionary biological, social, and psychological perspectives, and the regulatory processes and self-organizing systems inherent in life itself, all have a role in influencing the nature and levels of narcissism in the culture. Parenthood, itself, can act as a strong counterforce to narcissism, and the concern for self and others, otherwise known as ethics, can prevail. Both parochial self-centered interests and ethical universalistic principles continue to evolve and neither is likely to dominate the society for very long.