Why We're Drawn to Narcissists

Charm, confidence, and charisma can mesmerize. But what does this tell us about ourselves?

Rembrandt, “Self-Portrait with Beret and Gathered Shirt,” 1630. For today’s art, I thought of looking for images of narcissism, but instead decided to show its opposite, so well embodied in the work of Rembrandt.

Have you ever found yourself fascinated by someone you knew (or soon discovered) was an extreme narcissist?

Did you ever wonder why you couldn’t see through, or resist, this person’s grandiosity and contempt for others; why you didn’t automatically find him or her unworthy of your attention?

The answers to these two questions tell us a LOT about human dynamics, and even more about our own emotional Achilles heels.