Zawodowy obraz siebie a obraz współczesnego narcyzmu. Rozwój zagadnienia vocational self-concept jako inspiracja do rozważań nad kulturą narcystyczną i jej krytyką

Narcissism understood as a trait may be recognised either as a disorder or a symptom of health. Approached through this prism, the culture of narcissism doesn’t only carry risks but also opportunities for the evolving construction of the self. In the article they are discussed on the example of the vocational self-concept and contemporary cultural practices used in the work on the professional self. The latter may include: image building – an example of a threat, reinforcement of the negative form of narcissism; and personal branding – an example of the potential, a pretext to strengthen the healthy form of narcissism. However, the development of the vocational self-concept discussed in the article indicates yet another possible direction of research: people’s increased awareness in constructing their professional self. It is a result of self-conceptualising, a process which distinguishes two components within the self: ‘I’ and ‘me’. Can narcissistic attitudes produce similar results? The proposed analogy, examples and claims about reflectiveness raise questions about the current state of the culture of narcissism and its criticism.