Caricatures of the NPA Personality Types

by A.M. Benis, Sc.D., M.D. You may have heard the conventional wisdom that "many, many genes" contribute to personality, so "there is no such thing as a personality type". We take the contrarian view: We show that a few basic traits are inherited, and that combinations of the traits not only give rise to personality types, but they also explain WHY the types behave as they do. The underlying theory explains the concepts of narcissism, perfectionism, aggression. It clarifies the distinction between personality and temperament, as well as relationships of dominance and submission and of "morbid dependency". A vignette is included that describes a symbiotic relationship called "the power behind the throne", where the Power is a perfectionistic-aggressive individual bent on domination. The book is illustrated with caricatures of well-known individuals, and it includes a synopsis of the NPA model, referencing in particular the pioneering work of Karen Horney. Hardcover, 164 pp., illus., glossary, index.