Let’s start at the beginning… What is narcissism? Narcissism is a peculiarity characterized by grandiosity, self-confidence, risk-taking, impulsiveness, an exaggerated view of one’s own abilities, a superior sense of entitlement, low social empathy, and Willingness and ability to use others to increase self-esteem.
Although at first glance all narcissists seem exactly the same to us, psychologists distinguish two quite different types. On the one hand, there are the “vulnerable narcissists” , who are those who have low self-esteem (yes, you read that right, low), attachment anxiety, and are highly sensitive to criticism. On the other, the “grandiose narcissists” , who have high self-esteem and aggrandize themselves.
For a long time, being a narcissist was considered a pathological personality trait, similar to being a sadist, a manipulator, or even a psychopath. However, a 2021 study of 270 people with a median age of 20 lends more credence to the idea that narcissistic behaviors are not always motivated by the same things as psychopathy . “For a long time, it was unclear why narcissists engage in unpleasant behaviors, such as complacency, as it actually makes others respect them less. Our work reveals that these narcissists are not bombastic, but rather insecure ,” states the clinical psychologist Pascal Wallisch of New York University.
“More specifically, the results suggest that narcissism is best understood as a compensatory adaptation to overcome and mask low self-esteem ,” added clinical psychologist Mary Kowalchyk, who was also involved in this study that found out more about the two existing types of narcissism.
Kowalchyk and his team used a series of measures to assess participants’ levels of various traits, including narcissism, self-esteem and psychopathy. They found that inflectional (narcissistic) behavior is strongly associated with individuals who also have high insecurity and guilt. Those who showed psychopathy had relatively low levels of guilt.
“Narcissists are insecure, and they deal with these insecurities by flexing. This makes others less likely to like them in the long run, which further aggravates their insecurities, leading to a vicious cycle of flexing behaviors,” he said. Kowalchyk.
This is in contrast to people who display grandiose narcissism, genuinely feel important, and show no signs of insecurity. For researchers, the difference between the two goes beyond a simple distinction of categories. “We posit that what was previously considered grandiose narcissism is best understood as a behavioral manifestation of psychopathy,” the team wrote in their paper.
They recognize that further research is needed in a more diverse population and on a longer time scale to validate their results. But these new findings line up with a small study from 2017, in which brain scans of narcissistic men revealed emotional distress and conflict when they were shown a photo of themselves.
In fact, there have been conflicting studies around whether or not narcissists like themselves. By defining the two types of narcissism more precisely, the distinct behaviors can be better understood, as both types of narcissists can cause real harm to the people around them.
Pathology aside, narcissistic traits, which are also believed to be fueled by a heightened focus on individualism, can be seen reflected in our society through the way we write with more “I” than “we,” with more self-centered lyrics in our songs and with a shift towards fame-based stories.
Researchers have also measured these changes. For example, approval rates for the statement “I am an important person” have increased from 12% to 80% in adolescents between 1963 and 1992.
In addition, giving importance to ourselves in social networks is something very common today and with this we collectively feed the insecurities of not fitting in. These behaviors are due to the fact that humans are a social species.
If it is already known that narcissists are really good at using social media, it is not so clear that social media is increasing narcissism. The new study suggests that “an increase in such behaviors, specifically self-aggrandizement, makes sense within the framework we propose here, as social media engagement inherently inflicts constant social comparison and evaluation, which could exacerbate insecurities about the self-esteem”.
The next time you are in front of a narcissist, maybe you could stop to think that behind that bombastic facade, a person with great insecurity hides .
Reference:
Kowalchyk, M. 2021. Narcissism through the lens of performative self-elevation. Personality and Individual Differences. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110780
