Narcissism can fade as a person ages, but never completely

Narcissism can fade as a person ages, but never completely

New findings about people with narcissistic personality traits reveal that they develop more compassion as they age, but never completely lose their sense of self-importance, psychologists told BBC news.

“It’s clear that some individuals can change more, but in general, you wouldn’t expect someone you knew as a highly narcissistic person to have completely changed when you meet them again after a few years,” pointed out Dr. Ulrich Orth, from the University of Bern in Switzerland.

Ort’s recent study of more than 37,000 people showed that those who were more narcissistic as deca usually remain so throughout adulthooddespite having learned to compensate for their innate lack of empathy.

About narcissism

Narcissism is a very common personality component related to self-absorption. Experts agree that everyone exhibits narcissistic traits at times, but those with the biggest egos may be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). People with NPD operate with a fundamental belief that they are inherently superior to others, which can appear as arrogance, selfishness, and grandiosity. Also, they use emotional manipulation and exploitation to get the admiration they crave.

“These consequences not only affect that person, but also the well-being of individuals with whom they interact, such as partners, children, friends, co-workers and employees,” explained Ort.

Previous studies, published this month in the journal Psychological Bulletinwhich included participants aged eight to 77, aimed to understand whether wisdom and maturity have a positive effect on lifelong narcissists, it says New York Post.

Narcissism – a stable personality trait

The researchers listed three types of narcissists for the study, which include: superiority, envy, and neurotic shame.

In general, narcissism scores declined as participants aged. Despite this, those who were more narcissistic than average as children remained above average as adults.

“This was true even over very long periods of time, suggesting that narcissism is a stable personality trait,” Orth said in a separate statement to the American Psychological Association.

Understanding how narcissists mature is critical to identifying interventions that will help mitigate their capacity for harm.

“These findings have important implications given that high levels of narcissism affect people’s lives in many ways. And on the lives of the narcissistic individuals themselves and, perhaps even more, on the lives of their families and friends,” concluded Ort.

Source: BIZLife

Photo: Freepik