A narcissistic number is a special type of number that is equal to the sum of its own digits raised to the power of the number of digits. For example, the number 153 has three digits, and when you calculate 1^3 + 5^3 + 3^3, it equals 153. This property makes narcissistic numbers unique and interesting in the field of number theory. Narcissistic numbers are also known as Armstrong numbers or pluperfect digital invariants. They can be found in various bases, but the most common base is 10. Other examples include 370 and 9474, which also satisfy the narcissistic condition. These numbers are often explored in recreational mathematics and programming challenges.