» Proverbs 29:1 Biblical Perspectives On Narcissism

There is a clear warning to those who continue down path of the progression of fools

Proverbs 6:12-15

A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,
¹³Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;
¹⁴Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil,
Who spreads strife.
¹⁵Therefore his calamity will come suddenly;
Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.

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Proverbs 29:1 explains that this sudden calamity does not just happen at the first “mistake” the person made, but actually comes after the wicked person has repeatedly rejected God’s warnings to change his ways.

Proverbs 29:1

29 A man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

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One example of God’s gracious patience in giving many reproofs and even final “notice” was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in Daniel 4. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream with a warning to change his ways. Then God gave him an entire year to repent and change, but Nebuchadnezzar did not. After the year God lowered the boom and took decisive action to humble him.

One implication of this for those suffering at the hands of narcissists and fools is that while in our weariness of dealing with it we want it FIXED NOW, God also is gracious and patient with them while at the same time providing grace to us. But, He will ultimately deal with them.

For more on repentance see Steps To Peace With God, and Fake vs. Sincere Repentance

We have until now focused this biblical study of what the secular world calls “narcissism” primarily on the term “scoffer”, as one of the labels applied to those with insolent pride – the Biblical analog to the secular term.

Proverbs 21:24

²⁴“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names,
Who acts with insolent pride.

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While not specifically called by the English term “fool”, the scoffer is part of a progression of foolishness described in Proverbs, starting with the “simple fool” (or “naive”), and moving all the way to the “committed fool”. Each is a progressively greater degree of turning away from God’s wisdom, and walking an increasingly proud and self-seeking path which is independent from God. Pride is a primary root to this self-seeking path independent from God, with increasing insolence up to the level of “insolent pride” (aka “scoffer”) and beyond. Knowing this progression is helpful in identifying at least one of the ways in which someone can become a narcissist.

The progression is as follows:

(Types of Fool) naive -> perverse -> scoffing -> stubborn -> committed

(Hebrew word) pthiy -> ewil -> luts -> kecil -> nabal Continue reading →