The advantages of being a narcissist for success in studies, work and love
Narcissists may be unbearable in their quest for attention, but according to some researchers, they are also more likely than others to be successful.
Although their personality traits may seem negative to us, but their sense of superiority gives them a "mental strength" that allows them not to give up.
According to an international team of researchers, narcissists tend to be the best in the fields of education, work, and love.
The high value they have of themselves is what gives them so much confidence in their person.
Charming and motivated
For psychologists, narcissism is one of the features - along with Machiavellianism and psychopathy - of the so-called dark triad.
Narcissists tend to be self-centered, vain, and need the admiration of others.
However, Kostas Papageorgiou, a researcher at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, says studies have shown that narcissists are generally socially successful, are not deterred by rejection, and their need for attention can make them charming and highly motivated.
"If we could abandon conventional social morality and focus only on what is successful," he says, narcissism could be a positive trait.
"If you are a narcissist, you believe that you are better than others and that you deserve to be rewarded," says the psychologist.
This can be unbearable for those around you, but Papageorgiou says this kind of boundless self-confidence is linked to "mental toughness" and a willingness to "accept challenges."
It's all about me
The "power" of narcissism is currently in the open for all, he says, in the prevalence of narcissism in popular culture, whether on social media, on reality TV, or in politics.
Papgeorgiou is part of a team of researchers - including academics from the University of London, Kings College London, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Texas - who analyzed high school exam results to show how Narcissists could outperform people who had more abilities than them.
Analyzing a sample of more than 300 young people identified as narcissists in an Italian high school, they found that they tended to score much higher than expected, according to other intelligence tests.
Psychologists say that in addition to being self-centered and having a need to dominate, these narcissists have high levels of emotional stamina and determination.
These young people did not prove to be smarter, but they were more self-confident, more determined, and thus were able to outperform students who were more capable than themselves.
Lovely monsters
Papageorgiou says that this pattern of advantages manifests itself later in college, work, and even in love.
In his opinion, narcissists are more likely to attract a greater number of partners.
"They are quite charismatic. If you spend a lot of time trying to be charming and persuade other people, you can be more attractive," says the expert.
There may even be an evolutionary element in what he points to as an increase in narcissism, since if narcissists have more sexual partners they end up passing their genes on to more people.
About 60% of narcissism is inherited, says Papageorgiou, while the rest depends on the environment.
Narcissists can be "absolutely destructive to those around them," says the psychologist, but there is nothing inevitable in this regard, and these people can take steps to limit the impact of these personality traits.
"You can control them, rather than let them control you," he says.
Papageorgiou points out that these personality traits should not be seen "as good or bad" but as "products of evolution" and "expressions of human nature."
