New Information About Narcissists

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen May 29, 2007

Traditional psychology holds that narcissists have an inflated self-concept. Narcissists need attention constantly, feel they're entitled to everything, and they have monstrous egos. They really want to be superior to others and to think well of themselves - sometimes passionately so.

A narcissists' sense of personal superiority isn't based on reality, and it's often off-putting and offensive to others. Narcissists are often very aggressive to people they feel are offending or attacking them. They want to punish people who threaten their self-image. They find criticism extremely upsetting - and they lash out. It would seem to follow that narcissists have negative perceptions of themselves - both unconsciously and consciously.

Narcissists don't think highly of any part of themselves, which is why they have to work so hard to defend their self-concept. "We are often quick to attribute their shallow behavior to an unconscious self-loathing."

But, recent research from the Universities of Georgia and South Florida show that narcissists don't completely dislike themselves. They report "positive unconscious self-views" - which means they like themselves at some level. Narcissists rate their status, dominance, and intelligence positively; in contrast, they rate their kindness, morality, and emotional intimacy negatively.

Maybe narcissists are more insightful and self-aware than previously thought!