In Virtue/Vice, Dr. Christine B. Whelan blogs about news events, books, scientific and psychological research and her general musings about character, virtue and vice in our everyday lives.
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Is Narcissism on the Rise?
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Are college students today more narcissistic than their peers from previous generations?
Based on the results of the narcissistic personality inventory, a standardized test that has been given to students at the University of South Alabama over the last 15 years, the answer is a resounding yes.
“I’m extremely confident,” San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge told Discovery News. “I think these analyses end the debate completely. It’s clear narcissism is rising.”
But is this inventory the best judge of narcissism-and what does that really even mean? Narcissistic personalities are usually defined as people who think very highly of themselves, are self-absorbed and have unrealistic views about their own qualities and little regard for others.
Sounds like every Millennial you know, right? Well, you may fit the bill, too.
Take the inventory for yourself here and here.
Narcissism is most certainly not a virtue. But as a vice, it may be one of most common throughout history. Younger Americans, however, have been raised on a steady diet of self-esteem boosting. After getting a gold star for every effort, no wonder young-adults are tipping the scales of this inventory.
Regardless of your age, if you’re a true narcissist, you’ll want to share your scores with the rest of us. Please feel free.
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Actually, it sounds more like the boomers I know than the millennials. :)
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