It takes all sorts to make a world – so some say. Nobody is the same, and our different personalities¹ and character traits make us what we are. Wouldn't it be boring if we were all the same? But if someone doesn't behave or think like you, it can be frustrating². And there's one personality type that can be very difficult to deal with - narcissism³.

 

Narcissists consider themselves the most important person. They're only interested in their own life, without a care in the world about the people around them. Their lack of empathy makes them come across as arrogant⁴ and self-important. If you know someone like this, their narcissistic⁵ attitudes might irritate you. But you might find it even more irritating to know that, according to new research, they are likely to be happier than other people.

 

An ongoing⁶ study of narcissism by researchers at Queen's University Belfast has found such people might infuriate others but are less likely to be stressed or depressed⁷. Writing about the research, the BBC's Sean Coughlan says “They might have trampled⁸ over others and left a trail of emotional damage around them - but narcissists also seem to be insulated against feeling bad about themselves.” And their heightened sense of self-importance appears to give them "protective" qualities.

 

Researchers have been trying to understand why narcissism appears to be more prevalent in areas such as politics, social media and celebrity⁹ culture and why narcissists' shameless, over-confident attitude seems to be rewarded rather than penalised. It does seem that they have the best of all worlds, which is not great news for shrinking violets. And there's more bad news for those who are shy and retiring: previous research by Queen's University has also found that a ‘mental toughness' helps narcissists succeed at work and in their social lives because they can overcome rejection¹⁰ and disappointment. And other tests have found that narcissistic students do better in exams, not because they are more clever, but because of their confidence and assertiveness¹¹.

 

But psychologist Dr Kostas Papageorgiou from the research team argues that these personality traits should not be seen as "either good or bad" but as "products of evolution" and "expressions of human nature". So, at the end of the day, we are what we are, and that's just something we can't change.

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