Narcissists need no reality check

sciencenews.org

Despite inflated egos, they evaluate themselves with unexpectedly clear eyes

Narcissists make spectacles of their supposedly awesome selves, but they don’t see the world entirely through rose-colored glasses.

These sultans of self-regard accurately appraise their own personalities and reputations, say psychologist Erika Carlson of Washington University in St. Louis and her colleagues. Carlson’s team unexpectedly finds that narcissists acknowledge their own narcissism and assume that their arrogant strut gets frowned on by others.

In a further reality check, narcissists tend to realize that they make good first impressions that rapidly turn sour, the researchers report in the July Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (in a paper entitled “You Probably Think This Paper’s About You”).

Narcissistic traits include arrogance, feeling entitled to special treatment, lack of concern for others’ feelings, exaggerating one’s intelligence, and expecting to be recognized as superior in all situations. Extreme cases get diagnosed as narcissistic personality disorder.

Narcissists may adopt the attitude of 20th century architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who once said he chose “honest arrogance” over “hypocritical humility” early in life.

“Narcissists seem to choose honest arrogance when describing themselves and their reputations,” Carlson says.

If so, bearers of überegos may equate arrogance with rightful confidence, she suggests, perhaps wanting to be admired rather than liked by those considered inferior.

In contrast, many researchers think that narcissists sugar-coat how they regard themselves — truly believing, say, that they’re humble team players — and assume that others hold them in high regard. [...]