I — An Introduction to the Narcissist

The word vampyre first appeared in Europe during the 1700s, quickly becoming widespread. Driven by superstition and the ravages of ill health, our ancestors believed in a ghoulish form of vampirism: nocturnal creatures draining the blood from hapless victims. Thankfully, modern generations perceive a more sophisticated version. Today’s vampire is a contemporary creature, sucking out the energy—the life force—of another human being.

We have all likely been guilty of this form of vampirism.

As you read through the demonstrable traits of the vampire, you may find that you are already living with one, working with one, or at the very worst: you are one. In modern psychology, we often label these destructive behaviors as narcissism—a profound, clinical inability to see beyond oneself. A vampiric trait can range from taking advantage of someone’s generosity to downright destroying another person’s life for one’s own benefit. While it may be uncomfortable to acknowledge the vampire within each of us, luckily, the creature in most of us is pretty tame, rarely venturing beyond minor transgressions.

This piece sets out to look at some of the more extreme forms of vampirism. Hopefully, this will enable you to identify who in the great crowd of human life is more vampire than others, and how to avoid them in relationships and business. Worryingly for some, it may also reveal vampiric traits you readily recognize in yourself.

Take two extremes of good and evil.

At one end, you have the Buddha. At the other, Henry VIII.

The former is the epitome of spiritual enlightenment. The latter was a lustful, debauched, and tyrannical ruler who was wont to strike off the heads of his beloved wives. While there may be individuals more blessed or wicked than these two, for argument’s sake, let us assume both historical figures represent total opposites.

Now, take a good, long look at your own character. Between the Buddha and Henry VIII, where do you lie?

If you think you rest outside the bounds of the Buddha, you are truly angelic. If you believe you rest beyond King Henry’s bounds, you are already damned to a perpetual Hell. For the rest of us, we reside somewhere in between.

The more virtuous are nearer the Buddha; the more depraved are nearer King Henry. By necessity, we all have some of Henry within us, just as we all have some of the Buddha. We all possess the potential to demonstrate the traits and actions of both—whether through an act of charity or a white lie, we all carry the capacity for both.

The “bad” is the vampire in us.

We all possess the potential to project our characters and identities to usurp the energy of another. When we acknowledge this uncomfortable truth, we can identify these wrong actions—Henry’s actions. This allows us to choose the contrary: the good actions of the Buddha for a better life.