If you…

-like your own Facebook statuses…

-look at yourself in every reflective surface…

-are bored of conversations unless they’re all about you…

-give your friends framed pictures of yourself for their birthdays…

-name all your pets after yourself…

-take a dance class just to look at yourself in the mirror for a grade…

-love when your significant other wears your clothes, so you feel like you’re hooking up with yourself…

-always keep your phone on loud in class just so people look at you when it goes off…

…then you might be a little egotistical — or even worse, a narcissist.

Dictionary.com defines narcissism as “inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.”

It’s a personality disorder named after a beautiful young man in Greek mythology named Narcissus. He fell in love with his reflection in a pool, wasted away and died because he couldn’t stop staring at himself.

“I think my ex-boyfriend was kind of a narcissist,” said Echo Bartel, sophomore fashion design major. “He acted like I should be proud to be dating him and I’m like, ‘You’re really not that good of a catch.’”

Narcissism is not just high self-esteem, said Jason Miller, director of the Counseling and Human Development Center.

Someone with high self-esteem knows the social norms, Miller said. When they’re talking about themselves a lot and not allowing others to share, they realize it and think, “I need to stop talking.”

Narcissists don’t know when to stop. They don’t recognize social norms or tact because they are in love with themselves. They think everyone wants to know everything about them, he said.

“If they do something good, it’s a huge deal,” said Amelia Chamberlain, freshman integrated social studies major. “But if someone else does, it’s like ‘Oh, whatever.’”

Although students are able to identify traits of narcissists, pinpointing people with the disorder can take some time.

“You never know (a narcissist) until you get to know them, “said Israel Garrett, freshman justice studies major. “Until you have a conversation and notice how many times they bring themselves up.”

Narcissists are “really good at keeping up their facade at first,” said Caitlin Rhoades, sophomore music composition major. “You figure it out the more you get to know them.”

Narcissists may be difficult to deal with, but it’s important to remember that they don’t mean to act so egotistical. They can’t help it.

“The thing a lot of people forget is they don’t wake up in the morning and make the conscious decision to be that way,” Miller said. “It’s just who you are, and you don’t know the difference.”

People who are just arrogant are making the decision to intimidate and can change their ways at any time, Miller said. Narcissists don’t realize they’re doing anything wrong, so they rarely change unless they get help.

However, narcissists rarely come in to the Counseling and Human Development Center seeking help, since they don’t realize they have a problem.

“It’s not so much who they hang around, but who’s willing to hang around them,” Miller said. “It’s hard for them to keep friends, and easy to lose them.”

You can contact Kelsey Misbrener at [email protected].