There’s a good reason why so many successful people are narcissists.
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.
And this lead on other people begins in school, according to the research.
Scientists have found that adolescents with the personality trait often got btter grades at school, compared to their more humble counterparts.
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There’s a good reason why so many successful people are narcissists. According to a new study, people with an inflated sense of self-worth get ahead in life because they are mentally tough (stock image)
The findings of the latest study are the result of an international collaboration headed up by researchers from Queen’s University in Belfast.
In the study, 340 adolescent students, from three different Italian high schools in the Milan Province, took part in the investigation.
Dr Kostas Papageorgiou, from the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast, said: ‘Narcissism is considered as a socially malevolent trait and it is part of the Dark Triad of personality traits – narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism.
‘In our research, we focused on subclinical or ‘normal’ narcissism. Subclinical narcissism includes some of the same features of clinical syndrome – grandiosity, entitlement, dominance, and superiority.
‘If you are a narcissist you believe strongly that you are better than anyone else and that you deserve reward.
‘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.’
Dr Papageorgiou’s research suggests that in some ways, narcissism might actually be a positive attribute.
He says: ‘People who score high on subclinical narcissism may be at an advantage because their heightened sense of self-worth may mean they are more motivated, assertive, and successful in certain contexts.’
Previous research found narcissism is linked to mental toughness, and other research has shown those with greater mental fortitude perform better in school.
WHAT IS THE ‘DARK TRIAD’?
The dark triad is a name given to three personality traits: narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism
The dark triad is a name given to three personality traits: narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism.
When all three traits are found in a single person, it implies a malevolent personality.
All three dark triad traits are conceptually distinct, but have been shown to have an overlap.
Narcissism is characterised by grandiosity, pride, egotism, and a lack of empathy.
Machiavellianism is characterised by manipulation and exploitation of others. It is also often linked to a cynical disregard for morality, and a focus on self-interest and deception.
Psychopathy is characterised by continuing antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, selfishness, callousness, and remorselessness.
This latest research suggests all three factors are linked and therefore, narcissism can be linked to better academic achievement.
However, at this stage, the findings have remained mainly theoretical with little applied implications.
Dr Papageorgiou explains: ‘It is important that we reconsider how we, as a society, view narcissism.
‘We perceive emotions or personality traits as being either bad or good but psychological traits are the products of evolution; they are neither bad nor good – they are adaptive or maladaptive.
‘Perhaps we should expand conventional social morality to include and celebrate all expressions of human nature.’
The research has been published in Personality and Individual Differences.