Why narcissists are more likely to be successful
New research suggests personality trait contributes to higher levels of achievement
Narcissists are more likely to be successful than their less self-aggrandising peers, scientists have found.
According to a new study, people with an inflated sense of self-worth get ahead in life because they are mentally tough.
Their “grandiosity, entitlement, dominance and superiority gives them motivation and confidence to take on life’s challenges”, says the Daily Mail.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And the effects of this head start are observable from school age, according to the research.
Researchers who studied more than 300 secondary school pupils in Italy who had been identified as narcissists “found that they tended to score much better in exams than would have been expected from other tests of their intelligence”, says the BBC.
As well as traits such as egotism and the need to dominate, the narcissists tested had high levels of resilience and determination.
They were not cleverer, but were “more confident and assertive and were able to overtake students who otherwise would have more ability”, adds the broadcaster.
Study leader Dr Kostas Papageorgiou, from Queen’s University Belfast, says research shows that narcissists are often socially successful and undeterred by rejection, while their craving for attention can make them highly motivated.
“Narcissism is considered as a socially malevolent trait,” he said, but “if we could abandon conventional social morality, and just focus on what is successful”, narcissism can look like a very “positive” trait.
“If you are a narcissist, you believe strongly that you are better than anyone else and that you deserve reward,” says the psychologist.
“Being confident in your own abilities is one of the key signs of grandiose narcissism and is also at the core of mental toughness.
“If a person is mentally tough, they are likely to embrace challenges and see these as an opportunity for personal growth.”
The “power” of narcissism is currently on public display thanks to the “prevalence of narcissistic behaviour in popular culture, whether on social media, reality television or in politics”, Papageorgiou says.
This week a leading Australian psychologist diagnosed US President Donald Trump as a “malignant narcissist”, while footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s perceived narcissism has often been cited as a factor in his considerable success on the pitch.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Gaza hospital blast: What the video evidence shows about who's to blame
Speed Read Nobody wants to take responsibility for the deadly explosion in the courtyard of Gaza's al-Ahli Hospital. Roll the tape.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Giraffe poo seized after woman wanted to use it to make a necklace
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Helicopter sound arouses crocodiles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman sues Disney over 'injurious wedgie'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Emotional support alligator turned away from baseball stadium
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Europe's oldest shoes found in Spanish caves
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Artworks stolen by Nazis returned to heirs of cabaret performer
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published