FUNCTIONS OF NARCISTIC SELF-REGULATION IN THE CONTEXT OF PERSONAL SELF-FULFILLMENT

Abstract

The connection between narcissistic self-regulation and personal self-fulfillment is theoretically investigated and empirically analyzed in the article.Narcissistic self-regulation is a psychodynamic mechanism, which cares about the stability and integrity of the self-system, positive perception of oneself, healthy self-esteem and self-value. It was specified that personal self-value is a condition of openness to existential values. It gives the ability to choose and take a venture to implement personal own life choice, to take care of the personal meaning of existence.Narcissistic self-regulation is aimed at finding and maintaining value orientations, living a meaningful life, which is not fixed only on self-affirmation, but is revealing itself in the existential fullness.

It was investigated that the overall indicator of self-fulfillment stays in connection with almost all indicators of narcissistic self-regulation: the level of narcissism and the index of the self- function in particular.Individuals with higher level of self-fulfillment are characterized by more «healthy» self-regulation as well. And the level of narcissism also increases. A slightly higher level of narcissism does not exclude that self-regulation performs its important functions, but performs even better than at a lower level.So it was empirically confirmed that the feeling of own value can be one of the most significant conditions for the formation of existential openness to the world and personal fulfillment..

The factors of self-fulfillment underlying the functioning of narcissistic self-regulation were statistically stu­died. Such factors are: self-power, self-importance, the presence of a personal self-sufficiency ideal, low propensity to devaluation of other people, less actual desire for praise and receipt of narcissistic benefits from the disease, the need to have an ideal Self-object, the  need to act hypochondriacally in order to protect oneself from anxiety.

Therefore, it has been confirmed that narcissistic self-regulation has an involvement in satisfying the needs in the sense of life, assessment the life experience as more existentially content