Why a widely disliked personality trait might actually protect your mental health
PsyPost • • health
Key Points:
- A comprehensive meta-analysis of 229 studies involving over 185,000 participants found that grandiose narcissism, characterized by confidence and assertiveness, is linked to higher self-esteem, life satisfaction, and psychological resilience, while vulnerable narcissism, marked by insecurity and defensiveness, correlates with anxiety, depression, and lower positive mental health.
- The study differentiated grandiose narcissism into admiration (seeking praise and uniqueness) and rivalry (hostility and competition), with admiration promoting well-being and rivalry associated with negative mental health outcomes.
- Using a three-factor model—agentic extraversion, antagonism, and neuroticism—the research showed that agentic extraversion drives positive mental health effects in grandiose narcissism, whereas antagon
