Echoism is a trait that exists to a greater or lesser degree in everyone. People who score well above average in echoism qualify as echoists, and their defining characteristic is a fear of seeming narcissistic in any way.

Narcissism is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one's idealised self-image and attributes. This includes self-flattery, perfectionism, and arrogance.

The classification 'narcissistic personality disorder' has been listed in the 'Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' (DSM) since 1968, drawing on the historical concept of megalomania.

On the contrary, echoism is a trait, not a disorder. Echoists are described as afraid of becoming a burden, felt unsettled by attention, especially praise, and agreed with statements like, “When people ask me my preferences, I’m often at a loss.”

Where narcissists are addicted to feeling special, echoists are afraid of it. In the myth of Narcissus, Echo, the nymph who eventually falls madly in love with Narcissus, has been cursed to repeat back the last few words she hears. Like their namesake, echoists definitely struggle to have a voice of their own.

Echoists are often drawn to narcissists precisely because they’re so afraid of burdening others or seeming “needy” that to have someone who relishes taking up all the room, as narcissists often do, comes as something of a relief; but it's a high price to pay for a respite from their anxieties.

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