A new study suggests that narcissistic people tend to become more sympathetic, generous and pleasant as they age. However, even if the sense of an unreasonable degree of self-importance is milder, they are not completely freed from it. This is indicated in the research conducted on more than 37 thousand people.
Researchers found that people who were more narcissistic than their peers in childhood generally remained so into adulthood.
They also said that there are three types of selfish behavior. In society, the word ‘self-love’ is a derogatory charge. The term is usually used to refer to people who are considered to have difficult or unpleasant personalities. Experts say, in fact, everyone can show some narcissistic traits at times.
Clinicians use the term narcissist to refer to a specific, diagnosable type of personality disorder. The definition of the word may vary. But usually narcissists have an unshakable belief that they are better or more worthy than others. Others may perceive this as arrogance and selfishness.
The results of the study were published in the journal Psychological Bulletin. This study is based on data from 51 previous studies. The age of 37 thousand 247 people who participated in it was eight to 77 years.
Researchers have identified three types of narcissists based on behavioral characteristics. These are – agentic narcissist, oppositional narcissist and neurotic narcissist.
Agentic narcissists view themselves as superior or superior to others and seek praise. Oppositional narcissists see others as rivals. They are unsympathetic and opportunistic towards others. And neurotic narcissists tend to be shy. They suffer from insecurity and cannot tolerate criticism.
Corresponding researchers looked at what happened to such attitudes over time based on questionnaires. They found that self-esteem generally declines with age. But this change is not much. And it happens slowly.
The main author of the paper is the chief researcher of the University of Bern in Switzerland. Ulrich Werth told BBC News, ‘Obviously some individuals can change more strongly. But usually you don’t expect a person who is known to be very narcissistic to become completely different after a few years.’
Dr. Ulrich Werth also states that some traits of the narcissistic nature can be beneficial, at least in the short term. It can increase the chances of gaining popularity, success in love and getting a good job. However, due to various conflicts, its results in the long term are mostly negative.
