I recently interviewed San Diego State University psychology professor Jean M. Twenge about her new book, The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. The book is quite an achievement and deserves all of the attention it’s been getting from Newsweek and other media outlets. Bringing together an overwhelming amount of evidence from recent psychological research and pop cultural observations, Twenge creates a pretty solid case for the fact that the tendency toward self-obsession, overconfidence, and downright self-centeredness that was born out of the 1960s emphasis on the liberation of the individual has reached epidemic proportions. And as Twenge says, we’ve taken this hard-won individualism, which has brought so many important benefits to society, a bit too far. You can listen to a clip of the interview below.

From new paparazzi-for-hire businesses that give anyone with a few grand the opportunity to feel like an adored celebrity, to the sixfold increase in plastic surgery over the past decade, to new research showing that only a minority of parents still feel that obedience is a desirable quality for their children to have, Twenge paints a stark picture of our current cultural predicament that is both offensive and deeply implicating for any self-respecting narcissist. But while many of the examples she provides tend toward the extreme manifestations of narcissism in culture (Britney Spears, Reality TV, and MySpace junkies), don’t be fooled into thinking that narcissism is strictly a problem for a few celebrities and cocky CEOs. Twenge says that narcissism is a cultural affliction that affects all of us. If you don’t believe me, I challenge you take the following Narcissistic Personality Inventory test, which Twenge used as the foundation for much of her research. I took it. And while my score didn’t reach Donald Trump proportions, my numbers definitely reflect the narcissistic culture that bore me.

Below are forty pairs of statements. To take the test, record which statement in each pair best describes you. At the end, total up your score based on the provided key.

Good luck and be honest!! The results might just humble you.

1.
A. I have a natural talent for influencing people.
B. I am not good at influencing people.

2.
A. Modesty doesn’t become me.
B. I am essentially a modest person.

3.
A. I would do almost anything on a dare.
B. I tend to be a fairly cautious person.

4.
A. When people compliment me I sometimes get embarrassed.
B. I know that I am good because everybody keeps telling me so.

5.
A. The thought of ruling the world frightens the hell out of me.
B. If I ruled the world it would be a better place.

6.
A. I can usually talk my way out of anything.
B. I try to accept the consequences of my behavior.

7.
A. I prefer to blend in with the crowd.
B. I like to be the center of attention.

8.
A. I will be a success.
B. I am not too concerned about success.

9.
A. I am no better or worse than most people.
B. I think I am a special person.

10.
A. I am not sure if I would make a good leader.
B. I see myself as a good leader.

11.
A. I am assertive.
B. I wish I were more assertive.

12.
A. I like to have authority over other people.
B. I don’t mind following orders.

13.
A. I find it easy to manipulate people.
B. I don’t like it when I find myself manipulating people.

14.
A. I insist upon getting the respect that is due me.
B. I usually get the respect that I deserve.

15.
A. I don’t particularly like to show off my body.
B. I like to show off my body.

16.
A. I can read people like a book.
B. People are sometimes hard to understand.

17.
A. If I feel competent I am willing to take responsibility for making decisions.
B. I like to take responsibility for making decisions.

18.
A. I just want to be reasonably happy.
B. I want to amount to something in the eyes of the world.

19.
A. My body is nothing special.
B. I like to look at my body.

20.
A. I try not to be a show off.
B. I will usually show off if I get the chance.

21.
A. I always know what I am doing.
B. Sometimes I am not sure of what I am doing.

22.
A. I sometimes depend on people to get things done.
B. I rarely depend on anyone else to get things done.

23.
A. Sometimes I tell good stories.
B. Everybody likes to hear my stories.

24.
A. I expect a great deal from other people.
B. I like to do things for other people.

25.
A. I will never be satisfied until I get all that I deserve.
B. I take my satisfactions as they come.

26.
A. Compliments embarrass me.
B. I like to be complimented.

27.
A. I have a strong will to power.
B. Power for its own sake doesn’t interest me.

28.
A. I don’t care about new fads and fashions.
B. I like to start new fads and fashions.

29.
A. I like to look at myself in the mirror.
B. I am not particularly interested in looking at myself in the mirror.

30.
A. I really like to be the center of attention.
B. It makes me uncomfortable to be the center of attention.

31.
A. I can live my life in any way I want to.
B. People can’t always live their lives in terms of what they want.

32.
A. Being an authority doesn’t mean that much to me.
B. People always seem to recognize my authority.

33.
A. I would prefer to be a leader.
B. It makes little difference to me whether I am a leader or not.

34.
A. I am going to be a great person.
B. I hope I am going to be successful.

35.
A. People sometimes believe what I tell them.
B. I can make anybody believe anything I want them to.

36.
A. I am a born leader.
B. Leadership is a quality that takes a long time to develop.

37.
A. I wish somebody would someday write my biography.
B. I don’t like people to pry into my life for any reason.

38.
A. I get upset when people don’t notice how I look when I go out in public.
B. I don’t mind blending into the crowd when I go out in public.

39.
A. I am more capable than other people.
B. There is a lot that I can learn from other people.

40.
A. I am much like everybody else.
B. I am an extraordinary person.

SCORING KEY:

Assign one point for each response that matches the key.

1, 2 and 3: A
4, 5: B
6: A
7: B
8: A
9, 10: B
11, 12, 13, 14: A
15: B
16: A
17, 18, 19, 20: B
21: A
22, 23: B
24, 25: A
26: B
27: A
28: B
29, 30, 31: A
32: B
33, 34: A
35. B
36, 37, 38, 39: A
40: B

The average score for the general population is 15.3. The average score for celebrities is 17.8.