1/ More from my book chapter on personality.

"Most clinical theorists do not view the personality types as inherently disordered. They are generally discussed in the clinical literature as personality types, styles, or syndromes—not 'disorders.' Each exists on a continuum

2/ of functioning from healthy to severely disturbed. The term disorder is best regarded as a linguistic convenience for clinicians, denoting a degree of extremity or rigidity that causes significant dysfunction, limitation, or suffering. One can have, for example, a narcissistic

3/ personality style without having narcissistic personality disorder.
The same personality dynamics give rise to both strengths & weaknesses. A person with a healthy narcissistic personality style has the confidence to dream big dreams & pursue them; they can be visionaries,

4/ innovators, and founders. A person with a healthy obsessive-compulsive style excels in areas requiring precise, analytic thinking; they may be successful engineers, scientists, or academics. A person with a healthy paranoid style looks beneath the surface and sees

5/ what others miss; they may be investigative journalists or brilliant medical diagnosticians. Our best and worst qualities are often cut from the same psychological cloth."