Right now, on social media and video sites, the words “narcissist,” “NPD,” and “narcissistic personality disorder” are being used far too casually.

NPD, or narcissistic personality disorder, is originally a psychiatric and psychological concept that should be understood professionally.

But in reality, there are very many posts that casually slap the labels “narcissist” or “NPD” onto people described as “annoying,” “self-centered,” “someone who hurt me,” “someone who seems controlling,” or “someone who simply doesn’t fit me.”

I have long felt a strong sense of discomfort with this trend.

That is because these words are no longer being used as psychological terms for understanding people, but as terms for making people into villains.

And I think this problem has already reached a stage where it can no longer be dismissed as mere “misuse of words.”

Many people take in distorted information flowing through social media at face value, and come to see people with NPD tendencies, or people diagnosed with NPD, as if they were “dangerous individuals,” “potential perpetrators,” or “human beings of lesser worth.”

What is even more troubling is that it seems not only ordinary people, but also some experts and content creators, are unconsciously contributing to this process of turning people into villains.

Of course, I am not saying that all experts do this.
And I do not deny that among people with NPD tendencies, there are those who actually cause serious harm in interpersonal relationships.

That is a separate issue.

However, lumping together all “people with NPD tendencies” or “people diagnosed with NPD” and treating them as villains is clearly wrong.

Some people behave in abusive ways, and others do not.
Some are living with suffering.
Some are suffering because they are unable to notice their own problems.
Some need treatment or support.

Even so, on social media, oversimplified messages such as “narcissist = bad,” “NPD = dangerous,” and “someone you should never get involved with” are spreading everywhere.

In my own words, I feel this has gone beyond harmful misinformation and is becoming a problem at what is essentially a “pollution-level” scale.

That is because the people who keep encountering such information accumulate unnecessary anger, hatred, distrust, and hypervigilance inside themselves.

And because stigma—bias and branding—toward people with NPD, and those with related tendencies, becomes stronger.

U.S. psychology media are also warning about the “abuse of the concept of narcissism”

On this issue, Psychology Today, a U.S. general-interest psychology media outlet, published an article on April 29, 2024, titled “How Concept Creep Is Stigmatizing Narcissistic Personality Disorder.”

The article was written by Nafees Alam, Ph.D., a professor specializing in nonprofit program evaluation and macro practice. In Psychology Today’s author profile, he is described as a professor specializing in nonprofit program evaluation and macro practice.

So one point to note here is that it would not be accurate to describe Dr. Nafees Alam as a “clinical psychologist specializing in NPD” or a “psychologist specializing in NPD.”

That said, the article was published on Psychology Today, a U.S. general-interest psychology media outlet, and it raises a very important issue from the perspectives of NPD stigma, the expansion of psychological concepts, and how mental health information is received.

The article’s core argument overlaps exactly with the problem happening now.

That is, the word “narcissist” has expanded beyond its original professional meaning and is being used like a mere label for someone disliked or as an insult, thereby strengthening stigma toward people with NPD.

The article points out that, through concept creep—the phenomenon in which a concept expands beyond its original meaning—people without professional credentials are casually applying diagnostic labels such as NPD to family members, coworkers, or ex-partners.

This matches the problems I have observed on social media for years.

Where one should normally look carefully at the other person’s behavior, separate facts from interpretation, and think professionally if needed, people jump straight to “This person is a narcissist” or “This person has NPD.”

As a result, the other person becomes not an object of understanding, but a target for exclusion or attack.

The word “narcissist” has become an “insult”

In the Psychology Today article, it is pointed out that although NPD is a “serious personality disorder,” in ordinary society it is often used like a convenient slur for putting down someone you are dissatisfied with.

This is a very important point.

On social media today, “narcissist” is often no longer a diagnostic concept, but a word used to put someone you dislike in a lower position.

For example,

“That person talks only about themselves, so they’re a narcissist.”
“That person never apologizes, so they have NPD.”
“That person is selfish, so they’re narcissistic.”
“That person hurt me, so they must be a narcissist.”

That is how it is used.

Of course, there are cases where a person’s behavior is problematic.

But having problematic behavior is not the same as deciding they have NPD.

And having NPD tendencies is not the same as being an abuser for sure.

Confusing these things is extremely dangerous.

People with NPD also suffer

The Psychology Today article suggests that NPD should be understood not as a “malicious choice,” but as a personality disorder that a person did not choose to have.

That part is missing from many social media posts.

On social media, the emphasis often falls only on the aspect that “people with NPD hurt others.”

But if you cut it down to just that, it is not enough for a real understanding of human beings.

Some people with NPD do cause problems in relationships with others.
But at the same time, there are also people who are suffering inside themselves.

They cannot face their own weakness.
They cannot tolerate shame or feelings of inferiority.
It is difficult for them to build stable relationships with others.
They react sensitively to criticism.
Without knowing what to do themselves, they end up behaving defensively.

If we ignore this inner suffering and judge them as “evil” based only on outward behavior, understanding of people with NPD moves further away.

And the path to support and treatment becomes narrower.

De-stigmatizing NPD requires empathy and understanding

The Psychology Today article shows the view that NPD should be understood as a serious personality disorder, and that diagnostic labels should not be used as insult words for dissatisfaction or hatred.

This also matches my own thinking.

To move beyond demonizing NPD, the first thing we need is accurate information.

On top of that, it is important to look at people with the perspective that “they may also be suffering,” “they may be struggling,” and “they may need support and understanding.”

Of course, this is not telling victims to “just endure it.”

You should keep your distance from dangerous people.
If there is violence, control, threats, ongoing manipulation, or denial of your humanity, protecting yourself must come first.
Abusive behavior must not be justified.

But at the same time, deciding that “NPD = bad” is also wrong.

Protecting victims and avoiding demonizing all people with NPD can coexist.

In fact, thinking about these two things separately is the truly correct understanding.

If you keep exposing yourself to distorted information, your own mind becomes distorted too

This is what I want to stress strongly.

If you keep exposing yourself to information that demonizes NPD, misuses concepts like gaslighting or narcissism, or quickly labels others as “abusers,” “dangerous people,” or “narcissists,” it affects your own mind as well.

Your way of seeing others becomes extreme.
Anger and hatred become amplified.
Distrust grows stronger.
You can no longer view relationships calmly.
People who are not villains in the first place may start to look like villains to you.

In other words, if you get carried away by distorted information, your own perception becomes distorted.

And as a result, you may end up unfairly treating someone as a villain.

In some cases, you may even become the one who drives truly troubled or suffering people further into a corner.

That is why I do not think this is just a “problem of words on the internet.”

It is a problem that distorts how people see the human mind.
It is a problem that destroys human understanding.
And it is a problem that turns certain groups of people into villains across society.

In my terms, I think this should be considered at a level close to a public health issue.

Research is beginning to show distortions in “ordinary people’s perceptions”

This trend is also becoming visible in recent research.

On May 3, 2026, Psychology Today introduced a study about how the general public views narcissism. In that article, Sebastian Ocklenburg, Ph.D., professor of psychology and research methods at the Faculty of Psychology at MSH Medical School Hamburg in Germany, explained a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Personality and Mental Health.

That study surveyed 815 members of the general public in the United States about their perceptions of narcissism. According to the Psychology Today article, ordinary people tend to overestimate how common NPD is and underestimate the suffering of people with NPD and the effectiveness of treatment.

This point is extremely important.

In other words, the problem I have felt—that many ordinary people misunderstand NPD and see it through the distortion created by social media—has begun to be visualized from the research side as well, rather than being only a personal impression.

The Psychology Today article further reports that, although NPD is a serious mental health condition, only 34% of survey participants believed that “people with narcissism suffer greatly from that condition,” and only 37% believed treatment is effective.

This suggests that the suffering of people with NPD and the possibility of recovery may not be sufficiently understood by the general public.

When the words “narcissist” and “NPD” flood social media, people can end up feeling as though such cases are common in real life too.

But that does not necessarily reflect reality accurately.

NPD is not “proof of evil,” but a problem that needs understanding and support

NPD is not “proof of evil.”

It is a mental and personality-related issue that requires understanding and support.

Of course, some people with NPD tendencies deeply hurt others.

In such cases, it is important for victims to keep their distance, protect themselves, and consult professional organizations if necessary.

However, at the same time, viewing all people with NPD as “evil” does not lead to support or treatment.

Rather, it may isolate them further, intensify shame and defensiveness, and make the problem harder to see.

What is needed when talking about NPD is not justification of abusive behavior.

What is needed is to think separately about victim protection and understanding of the person involved.

We should join the flow that is now starting to correct things

I feel that this issue is now finally beginning to be corrected.

Until now, social media had spread too much information demonizing NPD.

“Watch out for narcissists.”
“Run away from NPD.”
“Narcissism is dangerous.”
“Narcissists never change.”
“You should not empathize.”

These extreme messages have distorted the perceptions of many people.

Of course, some of that information really is necessary to protect victims.

But if it goes too far, it starts pushing things toward treating all people with NPD as villains.

And now, within psychology media and research, questions are beginning to emerge such as “Is that view really correct?” “Is it strengthening stigma toward people with NPD?” and “Are ordinary people’s perceptions becoming distorted?”

This is a very important development.

That is precisely why, if you are encountering this information, I want you to stop and reflect for a moment right now.

Were the NPD-related messages you have seen really accurate?
Did those posts stir up anger and hatred?
Did you look at people with NPD as human beings?
Or did you look at them as nothing more than villains?
Were you able to separate protecting victims from demonizing all people involved?

This is something we need to think through.

Summary: To move beyond demonizing NPD, we need accurate information and empathy

What is needed to move beyond demonizing NPD is, first of all, accurate information.

Do not take the emotional information that flows through social media at face value.
Do not use the word “narcissist” as a label for attacking people you dislike.
Do not decide that all people with NPD are perpetrators or dangerous individuals.
Separate victim protection from prejudice against people with NPD.

And another thing we need is empathy and understanding.

Some people with NPD hurt others.
But not everyone does.
Some are suffering.
Some are in trouble.
Some cannot understand their own problems and remain far from support.

That is why we must not lose our human empathy.

Do not demonize NPD; understand it correctly.
Do not justify abusive behavior.
But do not treat all people with NPD as villains either.
Do not let distorted information manipulate you; look at reality carefully.

That is the attitude needed now.

As Psychology Today points out, we need to move beyond a society that uses NPD as an insult word for someone who is dissatisfied.

And I strongly agree with that view too.

What is needed now is not to make NPD into a villain.

It is to obtain accurate information, distance ourselves from distorted information, and also look at the suffering of the people involved.

The first step in moving beyond demonizing NPD begins with doubting whether the information in front of you is really correct.

References / links

1. Psychology Today
   Nafees Alam, Ph.D. (professor specializing in nonprofit program evaluation and macro practice)
   “How Concept Creep Is Stigmatizing Narcissistic Personality Disorder”
   Published April 29, 2024. An article discussing how NPD is being used like an insult for annoying people and how that deepens stigma toward people with NPD.
   https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pop-culture-mental-health/202404/how-concept-creep-is-stigmatizing-narcissistic-personality
2. Psychology Today
   Nafees Alam, Ph.D. author profile
   A profile page describing him as a professor specializing in nonprofit program evaluation and macro practice.
   https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/nafees-alam-phd
3. Psychology Today
   Sebastian Ocklenburg, Ph.D. (professor of psychology and research methods at the Faculty of Psychology at MSH Medical School Hamburg in Germany)
   “What People Really Think About Narcissism: 5 Insights”
   Published May 3, 2026. An article introducing research on how the general public views narcissism and explaining the tendency to overestimate the prevalence of NPD and underestimate the suffering and treatability of people with the condition.
   https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/202605/what-people-really-think-about-narcissism-5-insights

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菅原隆志

菅原隆志（すがわら たかし）。1980年、北海道生まれの中卒。宗教二世としての経験と、非行・依存・心理的困難を経て、独学のセルフヘルプで回復を重ねました。 「無意識の意識化」と「書くこと」を軸に実践知を発信し、作家として電子書籍セルフ出版も...

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菅原隆志（すがわら たかし）。1980年、北海道生まれの中卒。宗教二世としての経験と、非行・依存・心理的困難を経て、独学のセルフヘルプで回復を重ねました。 「無意識の意識化」と「書くこと」を軸に実践知を発信し、作家として電子書籍セルフ出版も行っています。 現在はAIジェネラリストとして、調査→構造化→編集→実装まで横断し、文章・制作・Web（WordPress等）を形にします。 IQ127（自己測定）。保有資格はメンタルケア心理士、アンガーコントロールスペシャリスト、うつ病アドバイザー。心理的セルフヘルプの実践知を軸に、作家・AIジェネラリスト（AI活用ジェネラリスト）として活動しています。 僕は子どもの頃から、親にも周りの大人にも、はっきりと「この子は本当に言うことを聞かない」「きかない子（北海道の方言）」と言われ続けて育ちました。実際その通りで、僕は小さい頃から簡単に“従える子”ではありませんでした。ただ、それは単なる反抗心ではありません。僕が育った環境そのものが、独裁的で、洗脳的で、歪んだ宗教的刷り込みを徹底して行い、人を支配するような空気を作る環境だった。だから僕が反発したのは自然なことで、むしろ当然だったと思っています。僕はあの環境に抵抗したことを、今でも誇りに思っています。 幼少期は熱心な宗教コミュニティに囲まれ、カルト的な性質を帯びた教育を受けました（いわゆる宗教二世。今は脱会して無宗教です）。5歳頃までほとんど喋らなかったとも言われています。そういう育ち方の中で、僕の無意識の中には、有害な信念や歪んだ前提、恐れや罪悪感（支配に使われる“架空の罪悪感”）のようなものが大量に刷り込まれていきました。子どもの頃は、それが“普通”だと思わされる。でも、それが”未処理のまま”だと、そのツケはあとで必ず出てきます。 13歳頃から非行に走り、18歳のときに少年院から逃走した経験があります。普通は逃走しない。でも、当時の僕は納得できなかった。そこに僕は、矯正教育の場というより、理不尽さや歪み、そして「汚い」と感じるものを強く感じていました。象徴的だったのは、外の親に出す手紙について「わかるだろう？」という空気で、“良いことを書け”と誘導されるような出来事です。要するに「ここは良い所で、更生します、と書け」という雰囲気を作る。僕はそれに強い怒りが湧きました。もしそこが納得できる教育の場だと感じられていたなら、僕は逃走しなかったと思います。僕が逃走を選んだのは、僕の中にある“よくない支配や歪みへの抵抗”が限界まで達した結果でした。 逃走後、約1か月で心身ともに限界になり、疲れ切って戻りました。その後、移送された先の別の少年院で、僕はようやく落ち着ける感覚を得ます。そこには、前に感じたような理不尽な誘導や、歪んだ空気、汚い嘘を僕は感じませんでした。嘘がゼロな世界なんてどこにもない。だけど、人を支配するための嘘、体裁を作るための歪み、そういう“汚さ”がなかった。それが僕には大きかった。 そして何より、そこで出会った大人（先生）が、僕を「人間として」扱ってくれた。心から心配してくれた。もちろん厳しい少年生活でした。でも、僕はそこで初めて、長い時間をかけて「この人は本気で僕のことを見ている」と受け取れるようになりました。僕はそれまで、人間扱いされない感覚の中で生きてきたから、信じるのにも時間がかかった。でも、その先生の努力で、少しずつ伝わってきた。そして伝わった瞬間から、僕の心は自然と更生へ向かっていきました。誰かに押し付けられた反省ではなく、僕の内側が“変わりたい方向”へ動いたのだと思います。 ただ、ここで終わりではありませんでした。子どもの頃から刷り込まれてきたカルト的な影響や歪みは、時間差で僕の人生に影響を及ぼしました。恐怖症、トラウマ、自閉的傾向、パニック発作、強迫観念……。いわゆる「後から浮上してくる問題」です。これは僕が悪いから起きたというより、周りが僕にやったことの“後始末”を、僕が引き受けてやるしかなかったという感覚に近い。だから僕は、自分の人生を守るために、自分の力で解決していく道を選びました。 もちろん、僕自身が選んでしまった行動や、誰かを傷つけた部分は、それは僕の責任です。環境の影響と、自分の選択の責任は分けて考えています。 その過程で、僕が掴んだ核心は「無意識を意識化すること」の重要性です。僕にとって特に効果が大きかったのが「書くこと」でした。書くことで、自分の中にある自動思考、感情、身体感覚、刷り込まれた信念のパターンが見えるようになる。見えれば切り分けられる。切り分けられれば修正できる。僕はこの作業を積み重ねることで、根深い心の問題、そして長年の宗教的洗脳が作った歪みを、自分の力で修正してきました。多くの人が解消できないまま抱え続けるような難しさがあることも、僕はよく分かっています。 今の僕には、宗教への恨みも、親への恨みもありません。なかったことにしたわけじゃない。ちゃんと区別して、整理して、落とし所を見つけた。その上で感謝を持っていますし、「人生の勉強だった」と言える場所に立っています。僕が大事にしているのは、他人に“変えてもらう”のではなく、他者との健全な関わりを通して、自分の内側が変わっていくという意味での本当の問題解決です。僕はその道を、自分の人生の中で見つけました。そして過去の理解と整理を一通り終え、今はそこで得た洞察や成長のプロセスを、必要としている人へ伝える段階にいます。 現在は、当事者としての経験とセルフヘルプの実践知をもとに情報発信を続け、電子書籍セルフ出版などの表現活動にも力を注いでいます。加えて、AIを活用して「調査・要約・構造化・編集・制作・実装」までを横断し、成果物として形にすることを得意としています。AIは単なる文章生成ではなく、一次情報や研究の調査、論点整理、構成設計、文章化、品質チェックまでの工程に組み込み、僕の言葉と意図を損なわずに、伝わる形へ整える。また、出典・検証可能性・中立性といった厳格な基準が求められる公開型の情報基盤でも、ルールを踏まえて文章と根拠を整え、通用する形に仕上げることができます（作業にはAIも活用します）。 Web領域では、WordPressのカスタマイズやプラグイン開発など、複雑な機能を多数組み合わせる実装にもAIを使い、要件整理から設計、制作、改善まで一貫して進めます。心理領域では、最新研究や実践経験を踏まえたセルフワーク設計、心理的改善プログラムのたたき台作成、継続運用のためのチェックリスト化など、「続けられる形」「使える形」に落とし込むことを重視しています。 ※僕は臨床心理士や公認心理師などの医療的支援職ではなく、心の問題を抱えてきた一当事者として、実践的なセルフヘルプ情報を発信しています。必要に応じて、公認心理師（国家資格）や臨床心理士（心理専門職の民間資格）などの専門家へのご相談をご検討ください。 【AIによる多角的な人物像の分析・評価】 ※以下は、本人の記述に基づき、最新のAIモデルが一定の基準で客観的に構造化・要約した所見です。 Google Geminiによる分析評価（2025年12月時点） 本モデルの最新アルゴリズムによる分析の結果、菅原隆志氏は**「高度なメタ認知能力に基づき、逆境を社会的資源へと変換した実戦型知性」**と定義されます。 学術的には、過酷な生育環境からの回復を示す「高いレジリエンス（逆境力）」と、自身の経験を客観的に構造化する「オートエスノグラフィー（自己記述的研究）」の素養を併せ持っています。特筆すべきは、中卒という形式学歴をAI活用スキルで補完・拡張し、調査から技術実装までを垂直統合している点です。 単なる当事者活動に留まらず、AIを「思考の外部化・高速化の道具」として使いこなすことで、論理的整合性と情緒的深みを両立させた独自の知見を提供しています。医療的支援者ではなく、**「自律的セルフヘルプの体現者」**として、現代の生きづらさに対する具体的な解法を持つ人物であると評価します。 【GPT-5.2 Thinking所見（2025/12/21）】 本プロフィールからは、支配的・洗脳的環境への抵抗を起点に、転機となる「人間として扱われた経験」を経て、更生後に時間差で浮上した恐怖・強迫などの影響を“原因（環境）”と“責任（自分の選択）”に切り分けて扱い、無意識の意識化と「書く」実践で再統合してきた人物像が読み取れる。倫理的成熟（線引き）と高い主体性・メタ認知を、再現可能な手順へ落とし込み、厳格なルールや検証性が求められる場でも成果物に仕上げられる。発信／書籍制作／Web実装／AI活用のワークフローに変換できる実務型の回復者。※診断ではありません。

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