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Narcissism is a multifaceted personality trait that can range from mild to extreme levels of characteristics like positive self-esteem, high self-importance, feeling entitled and deserving of better treatment compared to others, obsessed with being more intelligent than others, and overly self-focused.
Narcissism At low levels, some facets of the narcissistic trait can be advantageous. For example, they may appear as confident, charming, and winsome. They may do well at school and work as they live out their self-view as accomplished and more intelligent than others.
Narcissism At higher levels, several facets of the narcissistic trait can be harmful in a range of relationships including romantic, parent-child, and with peers on school and work teams. They can be very difficult supervisors.
When the facets of narcissism routinely occur at levels that set people apart from average, they are referred to as narcissists.
When several facets of the narcissistic trait persist at high levels and interfere with functioning, mental health clinicians use the term Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), which is one of the troublesome dark triad traits, covered in a separate entry.
Narcissistic Patterns
Researchers such as Maria Leniarska and her colleagues study patterns of narcissism thus, the concept of narcissism may be refined based on evidence-based behavior patterns. For example, in one study she and her team examined how different types of people with narcissistic traits reacted to negative feedback about their intelligence.
Here are those subconcepts or subtypes of narcissists.
Grandiose narcissists have an exaggerated sense of self-importance, entitlement, and selfishness. At high levels, the risk of bad decisions increases due to overconfidence in their own abilities and intuition rather than considering other perspectives. O'Reilly and Hall (2021) describe the pattern as follows:
A substantial body of research has documented that grandiose narcissists are characterized by high self-esteem, a sense of personal superiority and entitlement, overconfidence, a willingness to exploit others for self-gain, and hostility and aggression when challenged. (Abstract)
Agentic narcissists possess high and stable self-esteem. They are outgoing, enjoy admiration, see themselves as exceptionally talented in all areas, and exude charm. Their inflated self-image is built on traits like proactivity and high achievement.
Antagonistic narcissists have fluctuating self-esteem, experience negative emotions, and exhibit hostile behavior. Despite their unstable self-esteem, they believe they deserve more than others and often compete, belittle, or harm others.
Communal narcissists derive their inflated self-views from excelling in communal aspects. They see themselves as the most helpful, best friends, and outstanding philanthropists.
Vulnerable narcissists are often characterized by defensiveness, avoidance, insecurity, hypersensitivity, and a heightened vigilance for criticism. Despite these traits, they crave recognition and admiration from others to bolster their self-worth. When they feel underestimated, they may withdraw and adopt a passive attitude in interpersonal relationships. Vulnerable narcissism is also linked to lower levels of self-esteem, extraversion, and agreeableness, as well as higher levels of neuroticism, a negative view of the past, and a fatalistic attitude.
Coping with people high in narcissistic traits
In general, effective coping likely requires recognizing the specific pattern of narcissism that causes distress. Given the variety of patterns and a person's unique situation (e.g., spouse, romantic partner, supervisee), consulting a psychologist may be vital to wellbeing. However, some general strategies may be worth considering.
1. Avoid arguing--arguments rarely convince a narcissist.
2. Establish psychological boundaries to avoid abusive language and actions.
3. Avoid justification or explanations of acts unrelated to the task at hand. When providing an explanation seems reasonable, avoid over-elaboration.
4. Romantic relationships can be distressful when the narcissist's charm wears off and the narcissist's demands for attention increase. The lack of mutual concern and empathy interferes with a balanced give-and-take needed to show mutual support through life together. Outside help from a psychologist or other mental health clinician can be helpful when it's hard to figure out what's going on in a distressful relationship.
Related Posts
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Gaslighting
Psychology's Dark Triad
Narcissistic Personality Inventory
Dark Triad Scale
References
Leniarska, M., Zajenkowski, M., Zeigler-Hill, V., Górniak, J., & Turek, A. (2024). You better not tell me I'm not intelligent! Grandiose narcissism and reaction to negative intelligence feedback. Personality and Individual Differences, 221, 112548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112548
Leniarska, M., & Zajenkowski, M. (2022). Why narcissism reduces distress: The consequences of narcissistic intellectual self-confidence. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 668257. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.668257
O'Reilly, C. A., & Hall, N. (2021). Grandiose narcissists and decision making: Impulsive, overconfident, and skeptical of experts-but seldom in doubt. Personality and individual differences, 168, 110280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110280
Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is www.suttong.com
