Are You An 'Echoist' Without Even Realizing It?

Paper Boat Creative via Getty Images Echoists generally struggle to find their own voice and center their own needs. “Echoists' biggest fear is that people will find them selfish or feel burdened by them.” - Craig Malkin, Ph.D., lecturer at Harvard Medical School and author of “Rethinking Narcissism" “An echoist is a person who does not appear to have much desire of their own — only mirroring and reflecting back what the other person, usually a more dominant person, says,” said Audrey Tang, a psychologist and author of “The Leader’s Guide to Resilience.” Echoism often shows up in people who grew up with narcissistic parents. “Echoists’ biggest fear is that people will find them selfish or feel burdened by them.” Heritage Images via Getty Images There's a counterpart to narcissism that’s named for a generally forgotten character in the Narcissus myth: echoism, named for the wood nymph Echo. “The echoist’s effort to be recognized results in increasing invisibility, leaving them feeling emotionally deadened and desperate.” Delmaine Donson via Getty Images Echoism is also common among people who have long-term romances with narcissists. “Echoists may think that doing what others want all the time and never asking for help is being ‘good,’ since it’s what may have earned them praise from the narcissistic parent, Tang said.