Grandiose Narcissists Are Less Likely to Be Depressed

According to a study, this personality trait has a healthy side

Photo by Allie Smith on Unsplash

Narcissists — we’ve all come across them at some point. They could be your boss, your coworker, your spouse, your mother, or even your friend posting endless selfies on Facebook.

Apart from their habit of flaunting the way they look, they also like to talk a lot about themselves. They believe they are the best at anything and would go great lengths to be the center of attention.

Now, before you start thinking of people who fit these descriptions, not everyone who likes to post selfies, #OOTDs, and blow their own horns are narcissists — it’s more complicated than that. True narcissism is a pathology marked by more serious behavioral dysfunctions.

Narcissism, like many other personality traits, exists on a spectrum. We all exhibit vanity and egotism to a lesser or greater degree. In fact, Sigmund Freud believed that we all pass through a stage called “primary narcissism” when we were infants. It’s just that some people deviate from a “healthy narcissism” on the way to adulthood, which leads to exaggeration.

Essentially, you can come across as boastful or vain, but otherwise, have a fundamentally healthy personality. Plus, a positive self-image is always good for confidence and self-esteem.

Narcissism vs. self-esteem

There is a widely-held belief that narcissists and people with high self-esteem are the same. While both have high regard for their looks and accomplishments, research evidence suggests that narcissism and self-esteem are two distinct personality traits.

In a 2016 study published under the Current Directions in Psychological Science, researchers defined narcissism as an “exaggerated” form of self-esteem characterized by a sense of superiority and a strong desire for admiration from others.

True narcissists like it when they receive attention and admiration, but may feel ashamed, angry, or become aggressive when they don’t.

In contrast, people with high self-esteem don’t think of themselves as superior to others — they are perfectly fine what whatever people think about them. They value intimate relationships, do not need to be excessively admired, and rarely act in aggression.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a mental condition marked by an excessive need for attention, admiration, and inflated sense of self-importance. People dealing with this condition may lack empathy and have trouble maintaining relationships.

The signs and symptoms of NPD vary. Aside from the strong need to be recognized and admired, people with this personality disorder have also been known to:

Fantasize about success, power, and beauty

Believe they can only associate with equally superior people

Manipulate others to get what they want

Expect to be superior and admired even in the absence of achievements

Dominate conversations, belittle and disregard the opinion of others

The exact cause of narcissistic personality disorder is currently unknown but may be linked to environment, genetics, and the way the brain is “wired” to think and behave.

Health benefits of narcissism

Researchers at Queens University Belfast conducted a study on two types of narcissism: grandiose and vulnerable. While grandiose narcissists typically like to be the center of attention, vulnerable narcissists are more reserved, have a victim mentality, and thrive on sympathetic attention.

The researchers conducted three separate studies involving more than 700 adults to uncover the potential health benefits of narcissism. What they have found:

Both types of narcissists are mentally resilient, but grandiose narcissists are less prone to depression.

One of the key findings was that people who score high on grandiose narcissism perceive life as less stressful, thereby protecting them against symptoms of stress and depression. This is not the case for vulnerable narcissists.

In summary

True narcissistic personality disorder is also characterized by hostile behavior towards others. Just because someone loves attention and enjoys talking about themselves doesn’t mean they have NPD. No one wants to be called a narcissist, and the term must not be used to casually call out a person who seems to exhibit the traits.

Narcissists are not the same as people with high self-esteem. While they have an exaggerated sense of superiority and crave admiration, people with high self-esteem don’t.

Research findings also suggest that grandiose narcissists are less stressed and more resilient to depression, as compared to their more reserved counterparts.