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Healthy-Vanity versus Narcissism Quiz

A healthy dose of vanity leads to a comfortable level of self-esteem. Narcissism, on the other hand, is an unhealthy self-absorption that should be addressed. At the very least, it is a serious personality flaw. In worse cases, it's a recognized psychological disorder. Narcissism can have an extremely negative effect on a sufferer's daily life, personal relationships and performance at work.

Can you tell the difference? Read the questions below and decide if you think the statement is healthy vanity or narcissism.

1. I care about how I look.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
2.  I’m usually late when I go out, because I know I’m going to make a sensational impression on everyone who sees me.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
3. I always judge people based on how they look.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
4.  It’s natural to be worried about how you look, how you feel, and how you perform in our age-prejudiced world.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
5.  I’m turning 30, and if I get any wrinkles I’ll go crazy.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
6.  I’m turning 40, and I want to minimize wrinkles.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
7.  I’m considering using injectible substances to help erase frown lines because they make me look tired and angry.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
8.  I love going to Botox parties every month or so—they’re so much fun!
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
9. I know that plastic surgery will change my life.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
10.  If I’m out to dinner and there’s a mirror in the restaurant, I look in it only to check to see if there’s anything stuck in my teeth.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
11.  If I’m out to dinner and there’s a mirror in the restaurant, I obsessively check myself because I know I look fabulous.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
12.  I can’t look at myself without touching or rearranging my hair.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
13.  Sometimes I can’t help myself from thinking, I don’t know what I would do if I weren’t so good-looking.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
14.  Once in a while, I can’t help myself from thinking, Wouldn’t my life or career be so much better if I were prettier, even though I know deep down that I’d rather be judged on my brains and not my looks.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
15.  I obsessively scan the women’s magazines looking for the newest procedures, and I make an appointment as soon as I read about something that sounds great. V N 16. I always deny having had any cosmetic work done.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
16.  I always deny having had any cosmetic work done.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
17.  I have to admit that sometimes I like a good gossip about who’s had what done, even though I know it isn't particularly nice.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
18.  I love to spread good gossip about who’s had what cosmetic work done.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
19.  I can’t help myself from being critical of my friends when they let themselves go, because, in my experience, people who let themselves go have stopped caring and their diminished self-esteem shows on the outside.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
20.  When I get to a restaurant and they don’t give me the best table, I can’t believe it. Everybody should be able to see how gorgeous I look.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
21.  I’m not thrilled about having to go to the gym after a long day, but I know I have to exercise to stay in shape, so I force myself to go anyway.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
22.  I need to know that I have the best figure of anyone else in the gym, or else I just want to cry.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
23.  I think anyone who is morbidly obese is lazy, and I don’t care if that’s a super-judgmental statement.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
24.  I make sure that the size tags are visible when I drape my coat over a chair at a restaurant, so everyone can see that I’m a size 0.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
25.  I’ll go back to my plastic surgeon multiple times because that darn doctor just didn’t get it right the first time, and I need to look perfect.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
26.  Some of the time, I look at myself and say, “You look pretty darn good today!”
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
27.  I see defects in my face or visible body parts that no one else does.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
28.  The more procedures I have, the younger I’ll look.
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
29.  I’ll do whatever it takes to be thin!
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
30.  I may have stopped lying about my age once I hit 75, but my looks still matter!
Healthy Vanity::Narcissism
Please complete the unanswered questions highlighted above.

After looking at the answers, you should have a pretty good idea of the traits of both healthy vanity and unhealthy narcissism. The goal is to help you have a realistic outlook on your looks and your life.

Having a healthy self-esteem about your looks is not narcissism—it's healthy vanity. A certain amount of this healthy vanity is a good thing. It points to a high level of self-assurance and a level of comfort with yourself that is very attractive. People with a healthy vanity are able to see and work with their good and bad points to the best of their ability. They have a realistic and healthy view of themselves and others.

A narcissist, on the other hand, is someone obsessed with looks, status or anything that can be lorded over others who are less fortunate. Narcissists are often notoriously unable to understand that their inflated views of themselves verge on the pathological, which means they need professional help to manage their grandiosity.