Narcissism - Jaeden Flores

  

 

 

 Project 1:

Essay 1 Argument Proposal: Narcissism 

 

Jaeden Flores

English 1302

Professor Hammett 

March 6, 2026 

 

 

 

 

Essay 1 Argument Proposal: Narcissism 

Narcissism is a trait that is portrayed as untreatable, a flaw against one's character, and overall, an unfixable personality trait (Drozek et al). However, like any other personality disorder, those with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) have the ability to regulate and regain control over their narcissistic traits, with the correct support. The treatment for those with narcissistic traits can look highly different from treatment regarding other mental disorders, with approaches that focus on self-awareness and empathy development (Drozek et al). It is important to note that the treatment process is not the difficult challenge that many narcissists seem to face.  

The main issue that narcissists run into when seeking treatment is their own reluctance in admitting to needing help. Admitting to needing help can make an individual feel vulnerable and small, as it requires them to review their own flaws. These feelings that arise from needing help can be the main triggers for a narcissist to act out and hurt the ones they surround themselves with. Despite narcissism contributing to a social epidemic of misunderstanding mental illness and encouraging self sabotage due to a reluctance in confronting the issue, solutions such as developing coping mechanisms through differing types of therapy and having access to proper education regarding the reason behind narcissistic behaviors can create a better social environment for narcissists who seek out help.  

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is often characterized as a “pattern of grandiosity, pursuit of admiration, and lack of empathy” (Bilotta et al).  Grandiosity creates a sense of exaggerated superiority and power over others, commonly also found in bipolar disorder and bipolar-induced manic episodes. These disorders can be directly influenced and triggered by the behaviors of others towards themselves, with narcissistic individuals being specifically triggered by actions that may make them feel smaller, less important, or vulnerable. Individuals with NPD who go untreated for their narcissistic tendencies tend to create a pattern of abuse and mistreatment towards the people close to them, whether it is intentional or not. Various forms of therapy offer narcissists coping mechanisms that they have the ability to develop in order to manage their symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder. 

 An example of therapy that tends to be a choice for those who are diagnosed with personality disorders, especially the kind that creates a person who struggles with empathy and human emotions, is Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT). Drozek, Unruh, and Bateman explore the effects MBT has on patients with their ability to reflect on ones own mental state, as well as the state of others. “As leading evidence-based therapy for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), mentalization-based treatment (MBT) strengthens patients’ ability to mentalize around their core areas of emotional and interpersonal challenges” (Drozek et al). This evidence-based treatment works directly with a patient’s ability to mentalize their emotional challenges, struggles with empathizing, and unstable self image.  

Having a lack of these skills regarding human emotion is often a leading cause to the mental breakdowns these individuals experience when it comes to interactions and their interpersonal relationships. However, the evidence-based therapy allows techniques and coping mechanisms to combat that. Despite its main target patients being those with borderline personality disorder, MBT allows those with narcissistic personality disorder an opportunity to create not only a better environment for themselves, but for the reputation that many narcissists are left with due to their symptoms. 

While the misunderstanding surrounding narcissism often reinforces the negative reputation associated with the disorder, creating stigmatization against many narcissists, having the proper education regarding narcissistic behaviors can create an environment that allows individuals that are narcissistic to have an easier ability to better themselves mentally. However, many are found unwilling to not only receive mental health care, but to acknowledge the issue when it comes to narcissistic behaviors due to negative stigmatization and stereotypes that are present everywhere, including the workforce.  “Mental health care providers may have hesitation concerning disclosure of their mental illness affecting their job prospects and opportunities for career growth. There is significant apprehension that their mental illness disclosure may harm their employment, especially in the private sector. Factors such as corporate regulations, personal interactions with authorities, and MHP (mental health providers) colleagues can affect how stigma is viewed. Extant literature shows that conducive workplace environment for positive mental health and having a feeling of trust in their organization upon revelations of their mental health issues promote help-seeking” (Gupta et all). Stigmatization and discrimination, especially within working environments, result in the dishonesty and otherwise avoidance of admitting to needing help, and this is to be especially applied to those who have narcissistic personality disorder. Narcissism is a disorder that is directly encouraged by a person’s unstable self image, and stigmatization directly feeds into an insecure self image, thus resulting in a cycle of self-destruction within a narcissist.  

Critics of these solutions to the narcissistic epidemic present the argument that something as simple as therapy and treatment cannot ‘fix’ or ‘cure’ a narcissist because they are adamant about refusing to change. Although part of this argument is based in truth, narcissists cannot be ‘cured’ or ‘fixed’ especially through just therapy, the results of treatment should be measured by progress in managing symptoms and learning to empathize, rather than erasing the disorder as a whole. A mental disorder is a permanent part of one’s brain, meaning there is no way of ‘curing’ the disorder; there is only learning coping mechanisms and learning to be self aware of negative or problematic symptoms. The idea that treatment can provide absolutely no help or guidance to an individual with narcissistic personality disorder contributes to the reluctance to seeking help. Scrandis explores this exact topic; “By acknowledging the underlying factors of low-self esteem and the need of approval from others, NPs (those who treat narcissists) can decrease treatment dropout and improve health outcomes in those with NPD by being nonjudgmental and by including therapeutic communication skills” (Scrandis). Through creating an environment that limits judgement and negativity to a minimum, individuals with narcissistic personality disorder are given the space that is required for them to expand on their coping mechanisms as well as combat against their own destructive symptoms they experience due to their disorder. 

While the therapy solutions for those who have to combat narcissism and narcissistic tendencies daily can be long and tiring for narcissists to fully commit to, especially emotionally, narcissists have the opportunity to receive the help to manage their symptoms and heal their instability. Furthermore, the available education regarding narcissism, acknowledging how stigmatization effects the healing process, and working to change those perceptions can help to benefit these processes of helping narcissists in managing their symptoms.  

Narcissistic personality disorder is still a widely misunderstood disorder, which is the causation of the social epidemic that many individuals experience in avoiding their symptoms and create a vicious cycle of self destruction amongst themselves. Despite this self-destructive cycle, the means for self-improvement is not impossible and can be maintained through distinct types of therapy that are catered towards the individual and their separate journey with narcissism. Additionally, expanding research that reduces the stigmatization on narcissism and its effects on a person’s mentality and self-image can greatly improve the process of the mental bettering of narcissists. Through recognizing the differing therapies and proper education as solutions to the epidemic that narcissism brings, the general population can move from misunderstanding into creating opportunities for self-growth and healing. 

Revisions List: 

• Revised citations into APA formating 

• Double checked for plagarism 

• Split longer paragraphs into shorter ones 

• Added bolded title above text 

 

References 

 

Bilotta, E., Carione, A. C., Fera, T., Moroni, F., Nicolo, G., Pedone, R., Pellecchia, G., Semerari, A., & Colle, L. (n.d.). Symptom severity and mindreading in narcissistic personality disorder. Shibboleth authentication request. http://dx.doi.org.libraryproxy.tulsacc.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0201216   

Drozek, R. P., Unruh, B. T., & Bateman, A. W. (2025). Mentalization-Based Treatment: A Promising Approach for Pathological Narcissism. Psychiatric Times, 42(11), COV+. https://link-gale-com.libraryproxy.tulsacc.edu/apps/doc/A863986771/PPPC?u=odl_tcc&sid=bookmark-PPPC&xid=a3f8bfbd 

Gupta, S. (n.d.). Mental health stigma and its relationship with mental health professionals - A narrative review and practice implications. Indian Journal of Psychiatry . http://dx.doi.org.libraryproxy.tulsacc.edu/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_412_23  

Scrandis, D. (2020). Narcissistic personality disorder. The Nurse Practitioner, 45 (5), 13-15. doi: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000653968.96547.e7. 

Project 2:

 

Essay 2: Rhetorical Analysis 

Jaeden Flores 

English 1302 

Professor Hammett 

April 24, 2026 

 

 

Essay 2: Rhetorical Analysis 

How would Franz Kafka react to the social epidemic of people consistently curating their identities to seek attention or validation at the expense of others? With today’s culture surrounding narcissism, it is believable to see that Kafka would see narcissism as the extension of the alienation and dehumanization found throughout his works. Franz Kafka was a writer who often explored the core themes to absurdist fiction, themes that included alienation, a sense of irrationality, and overall existentialism that is found in the absurdist genre. In the early 20th century, Kafka had written “The Metamorphosis”, a famous work of his that follows his themes of alienation, nihilism, and identity. This piece of Kafka’s finds relevance to this day as it explores the effects of isolation and a lost sense of individuality through a surrealistic transformation of the main character, which directly parallels modern-day narcissism, where people create an idealized version of themselves at the cost of human relationships. He would view today’s social epidemic of narcissism as a manifestation of his absurdist themes of alienation, nihilism, and distorted identity, as narcissists’ fragile self image encourages isolation, strains one’s perspective of themselves and others, and reflects a sense of futileness in life. 

Narcissism in today’s society parallels Kafka’s view on alienation and its results, as showcased by his work “The Metamorphosis.” Kafka’s views on alienation and its causation of his own existentialism and absurdist views become a core theme throughout the passage, as he writes, “His father looked hostile, and clenched his fists as if wanting to knock Gregor back into his room. Then he looked uncertainly round the living room, overhead his eyes with his hands and wept so that his powerful chest shook” (Kafka, 1912). Gregor’s transformation evokes a hostile, and then devastated, reaction from his father that makes him want to hide Gregor from sight, which illustrates how a distorted sense of identity can lead to alienation caused by others. His father’s shock and anger at his son’s transformation is caused once he realizes he does not recognize who his own son is anymore; paralleling to the consequences of narcissistic abuse and its impact on human connection, which becomes quite evident while considering external factors, including being dehumanized or made to feel worthless by others, having major influences at triggering narcissistic individuals. The isolation Gregor experiences is a consequence of his transformation, which is a reflection to how narcissistic self-image and self-isolation caused by the mistreatment of others creates strain in human relationships.  

This human connection being lost between a narcissist and regular society leads to a distorted sense of reality, due to the isolation narcissists faee and project onto others. “The Metamorphosis” explores that distorted reality, as it writes “For two whole days, all the talk at every mealtime was about what they should do now; but even between meals they spoke about the same subject as there were always at least two members of the family at home— nobody wanted to be at home by themselves and it was out of the question to leave the flat entirely empty” (Kafka 1912). Gregor is shown to be dehumanized and treated animallistically by his family due to his transformation, which reflects how distorted sense of self and his family’s deep misunderstanding about his transformation is causing a disconnect between himself and his family. The disconnect is the leading cause of the family’s resentment to build, which is similar to how narcissism can cause an individual to create an idealized version of themselves; henceforth, ultimately distorting their sense of identity and causing their peers to grow resentful of their narcissistic ways. A narcissists poor self image causes strain on not only their perspective about themselves, but about others as well, which can contribute to the feelings of distorted identity; especially when faced with resentment and accountability. Not only is Gregor’s family resentful of him, but they have slowly isolated him as result of his transformation; further pushing the theme of alienation due to his distorted identity. 

Within Kafka’s writing, sense of identity and alienation are not the only themes that he chooses to explore, though these themes do overlap with one another. “The Metamorphosis” explores themes of nihilism within the passage, which becomes apparent as Kafka dives into the existentialism Gregor experiences; “…for the time being he must remain calm, he must show patience and the greatest consideration so that his family could bear the unpleasantness that he, in his present condition, was forced to impose them” (Kafka, 1912). Due to Gregor’s transformation and his inability to work, provide help around the flat, and get out of bed as a whole, his family slowly begins to view him as more of an inconvenience opposed to the breadwinner of the family that he used to be. The main character’s inability to provide for his family leaves him feeling hollow, as if he has no purpose to his life anymore; reflecting the theme of nihilism Kafka explores throughout his writing and wishes to present to the audience. Similar to the hollowness Gregor feels from being incapable of being a provider, narcissists constantly seek out validation through their peers, and when left unfulfilled, they find no other purpose in that person or themselves anymore. Their lack of purpose can lead a narcissist to act out due to these feelings of worthlessness and can include an attempt at trying to project their fragile self image onto others around them; thus, Kafka’s theme nihilism finding its way into connecting with the themes of alienation and misunderstood identity. 

 Through Franz Kafka’s absurdist perspective throughout his work, “The Metamorphosis,” it is evident that Kafka’s view on the rise of narcissism in today’s society would be a critique of how it is a manifestation on themes such as isolation, nihilism, and a distorted identity, as individuals create an idealized version of self in attempt to seek purpose and validation in a futile life. Narcissism has the ability to provoke several different of Kafka’s themes; alienation from oneself and others, distorted identity which causes strained perception of self and others, and the futileness that life brings when given no purpose. The alienation that Gregor experiences from not only his father but his entire family further illustrates these themes, how distorted senses of reality are a causation of disconnect in human connection, and how these behaviors later lead to the existentialism Gregor experiences as the story develops. This disconnect connects with individuals developing a distorted sense of reality, as displayed by Gregor’s transformation and how it led to him experiencing dehumanization and resentment directly from his family. Kafka would find the connections between narcissism evoking alienation and Gregor’s family’s treatment towards him, as well as the distortion of reality Gregor finds within his transformation due to the mistreatment he is facing. Furthermore, the sense of nihilism the main character is forced to face shares similarities with the consequences with the social epidemic narcissism brings, including a repeated cycle of abuse, misunderstanding and mistreatment of oneself and their peers, and lack of willingness to escape their own helplessness; many are left to wonder how exactly this epidemic will end if narcissists continue to live within social isolation and distorted identities. 

 

 

Revisions List:  

• Added APA title 

• Added APA Ref page 

• Added APA in-text citations 

 

References 

Kafka, F. (n.d.). Metamorphosis. The Project Gutenberg eBook of Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5200/5200-h/5200-h.htm .  

Bilotta, E., Carione, A. C., Fera, T., Moroni, F., Nicolo, G., Pedone, R., Pellecchia, G., Semerari, A., & Colle, L. (n.d.). Symptom severity and mindreading in narcissistic personality disorder. Shibboleth authentication request. http://dx.doi.org.libraryproxy.tulsacc.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0201216  

Gupta, S. (n.d.). Mental health stigma and its relationship with mental health professionals - A narrative review and practice implications. Indian Journal of Psychiatry . http://dx.doi.org.libraryproxy.tulsacc.edu/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_412_23  

 

Reflective Essay:

 

 

Reflection Essay 3 

Jaeden Flores 

English 1302: Composition II 

Professor Hammett 

Reflective Essay 

May 8, 2026 

635

 

 

Reflection Essay 3

This Composition II course has evolved my writing skills, with these assignments and essays, and through the help of my peers and my professor. At the beginning of the semester, I was nervous about the essays in this course. I had never used PEE nor APA for essays, and it was not my strong suit when it came to wrinting essays. My previous essays were quite rough, and despite my enjoyment of writing, they were not my best. However, they were essential to providing me with the information I need to write a well-structured essay, as well as develop better writing skills.  

One of the essays I wrote that helped me with learning to connect ideas from a text to a separate topic was the Rhetorical Analysis essay, which consisted of connecting a social epidemic to absurdists authors and how they would react to said social epidemic. I had chosen narcissism and Franz Kafka’s possible reaction to it by connecting his piece “The Metamorphosis” to the epidemic. It allowed me to expand my comprehension skills by finding ways to connect Gregor’s experience with isolation and mistreatment to the traits of narcissism, or how narcissistic behavior can be reflected by Gregor’s reactions to the mistreatment he faces. With this essay, and the others that I have written, it has given me sufficient practice with organizing and properly executing my thoughts in a professional way, as well as obtaining a better understanding of narcissism and its effects on society. Narcissism is a complex personality disorder that consists of a person with deep-rooted trauma and insecurities, which as stated in my first essay, leads to a “pattern of grandiosity, pursuit of admiration, and lack of empathy” (Bilotta et al). Through the research I had performed while writing both my argumentative and rhetorical essays, I am able to come to a clearer conclusion about narcissism that helped to better my writing levels and ability to connect ideas to one another. 

 Before this course, while I did have the ability to connect my ideas, they were not always the most cohesive they could have been. An assignment to help me with that cohesiveness were the outlines before the essays were written. The outlines heavily improved my skillset when preparing the structures for my essays, especially with my Rhetorical Analysis essay. I remember feeling the lack of stress and boost of confidence while writing thanks to the outline as it helped me to clearly gather which pieces of evidence would help my paragraph flow, as well as helping me to interpret that piece of evidence coherently. However, I also gained help from the lectures and feedback from Professor Hammett. Despite the poor grades I had received on both the Rhetorical and Argumentative essays I had written, the feedback had given me insight as to where I had gone wrong with formatting and connecting my ideas.  

Another struggle I faced that this course helped was my struggles with time management and procrastination. Like any college or high school student, I struggle massively with my ability to correctly set out how much time I need for each deadline. While I had still managed t struggle from time to time with making sure I met the necessary deadlines, assignments like the outlines and Workshops allowed me time to properly reflect on and revise my essay.  

Reflecting on my experience and time with this course, I can say that while this course brought many challenges for me with time and skill levels, it provided me with a lot of learning opportunities and growth as a writer. I have a clearer understanding of clearly connecting the main points and ideas of my paragraphs with the PEE format, more experience with different formats like APA, and gained a deeper ability to analyze and interpret complex readings better.