Mirror on America: Narcissism's Health Paradox

This article was written together with my colleague and co-author Prof. Paul Hanges, Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland.

Narcissism and Health in America

Source: DALL-E / OpenAI

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: How Narcissism Shapes Health Across America

Narcissists are often extremely egotistical, arrogant, and, when challenged, aggressive. However, despite their inflated self-image, they need the admiration and adoration of others. In most people’s minds, narcissists are connected with negative outcomes (e.g., losing large sums of money by taking risks based on their intuition and destroying groups by behaving aggressively and arrogantly). However, our recent research challenges these beliefs about the downsides of narcissism by exploring the potential positive effects narcissistic traits might have on health.

Study Overview

In our recent study, we collected data from over 4,000 individuals across 38 states. Each person completed a survey that provided information about their level of narcissism, Machiavellianism (manipulative person who achieves their personal goal by tricking others), and psychopathy (person who lacks empathy and remorse). These three traits are called the dark triad traits. Our mission was to understand how narcissism is related to various health outcomes at the population level. The outcomes we explored weren't just physical ailments like obesity and heart disease but also included mental health issues such as depression and lifestyle factors such as sleep quality and even interest in cosmetic surgery.

We found that the more narcissists there were in a state had several positive health outcomes. For example, there were lower rates of obesity and heart issues in states with more narcissists. However, we also found some less favorable trends in states with more narcissists as well, like diminished sleep quality and an increased demand for cosmetic surgery. It appears that narcissism is a double-edged sword; while it might encourage certain positive health behaviors, it also might lead to an unhealthy obsession with physical appearance.

We also found that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were not associated with nearly as many health outcomes, but there were some exceptions. States with more manipulative people (Machiavellianism) were also associated with a high demand for plastic surgery, although to a much lower degree compared to state-level narcissism. Machiavellianism also was associated with increased rates of binge drinking. State-level psychopathy was associated with a decreased demand for plastic surgery and an increased risk of death due to heart failure.

What does this mean?

This research challenges the traditionally negative perception of narcissism. Narcissistic individuals might be driven towards better health maintenance, possibly fueled by a heightened focus on physical appearance and self-presentation. Yet, not all is well in states with high narcissism scores, as these states are also associated with sleep deprivation and an obsession with cosmetic appearances. These insights suggest that narcissistic traits could have a significant, albeit complex, impact on public health. Notably, our study also presents for the first time an overview of dark triad trait scores across different states in the U.S., which could pave the way for future research in this field.

Are you curious to know whether you live in a state with high narcissism, Machiavellianism, or psychopathy? Check out the study here.