Recent psychological study reveals that narcissists are so mean due to “interpersonal hostility and entitlement”

The Mayo Clinic lists a range of symptoms, which can vary from person to person including in their severity, that can be used to diagnose an individual with a narcissistic personality disorder. As a personality trait, people who have to deal with narcissists can find them grating as they are constantly seeking admiration and bragging about just how great they are.

Seeking to delve into what exactly narcissism is and where it comes from, a team of researchers led by Ronxia Hou from Hunan University scoured through thousands of studies into narcissism. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of Personality.

What’s behind the unbearable side of narcissists

The researchers found that the personality trait is a complex construct and composed of both positive, being highly self-confident, and negative, needing approval, components. These are used by narcissists as either an armor or a weapon.

While the mental toughness that narcissism offers can be healthy, the trait can have its downsides related to a sense of vulnerability. Even though narcissists may present themselves as superior to others around them this may often be just a veneer to keep hidden insecurities out of sight.

The researchers found that underlying both these forms of narcissism is antagonism. This stems from an “interpersonal hostility and entitlement,” state the researchers. This antagonism not only makes them come off as mean and nasty to those around them, but for those who had high antagonism scores also had poorer mental health.

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