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HERE’S HOW NARCISSISTS’ PERSONALITIES CHANGE AS THEY AGE

New research links narcissistic tendencies in childhood with changes as they get older

Narcissistic personality disorder, a mental health condition in which a person’s sense of self-importance is abnormally high, is surprisingly common. In fact, it’s thought that up to five per cent of the population may have it.

While most people tend to become less narcissistic as they get older, a new study reveals that more narcissistic adults generally carry the trait from their childhood. The meta-analysis, which was published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, investigated several existing studies on three types of narcissism: agentic (feelings of grandiosity and superiority), antagonistic (arrogance and lack of empathy), and neurotic (hypersensitivity and emotional dysregulation).

The researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland discovered that agentic narcissism is the type least likely to decline after childhood.

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BBC Science Focus Magazine
August 2024
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