In the vast sea of social media content, memes, and viral posts,
few topics intrigue people as much as quick, eye-catching “personality tests.
” You might have scrolled through your feed, stumbled upon an image with
concentric circles, and read a bold claim: “The Number of Circles You See
Determines If You’re a Narcissist.” Perhaps you paused and tried to count the
circles, or maybe you shared it with friends, curious about their reactions.
Whatever the case, this particular meme taps into a powerful and enduring
human desire: the wish to understand ourselves, and perhaps to understand others as well.
Why do we give so much credence to a simple image that purports to measure
something as complex as narcissism? In a world where personality quizzes,
from the “What Kind of Pizza Are You?” variety to the more established Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator, are endlessly shared, this question is worth asking.