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Narcissists might have “grandiose” delusions about their own importance and an absence of “shame” — but psychologists say they are also likely to be happier than most people. Psychologist Dr Kostas Papageorgiou says negative responses to narcissism can overlook the positive benefits to the narcissists themselves.
An ongoing study of narcissism by researchers at Queen's University Belfast has found such people might infuriate others but are less likely to be stressed or depressed. The researchers have been trying to understand why narcissism appears to be “on the rise in modern societies” — in politics, social media and celebrity culture — if it is also seen as being “socially toxic”.
They define narcissists as being likely to “engage in risky behaviour, hold an unrealistic superior view of themselves, are over-confident, show little empathy for others, and have little shame or guilt”. With such negative qualities, the researchers wanted to know why narcissism seemed to be so visible and often rewarded rather than penalised.
“While of course not all dimensions of narcissism are good, certain aspects can lead to positive outcomes,” says Dr Papageorgiou. Such psychological traits should “not be seen as either good or bad but as products of evolution and expressions of human nature that may be beneficial or harmful depending on the context”.
Sean Coughlan. Narcissists ‘horrible people but happy’. Internet: <https://www.bbc.com> (adapted).
According to the text, researchers have been trying to understand why narcissists have been so toxic to modern society.