Narcissism is an epidemic in our society. If you’ve ever met a narcissist, and I’m talking a true narcissist, not an overconfident, cocky one, but a diagnosed narcissist. You know they have little hope of salvation. Scientists have long been trying to determine exactly how adults become narcissists and why they are divided.
One group believes that pampering children too much or praising them too much makes them think they are better than others and ultimately leads to narcissistic adults. Meanwhile, another group believes that it is children who are being denied warmth. They tend to develop a type of defense mechanism that leads to a need to be loved by others, resulting in narcissism. However, as I said earlier, for a long time, the two camps did not overlap, as if a line had been drawn in the sand.
However, a 2015 study found that one of these groups was right. The study was conducted by the University of Amsterdam and surveyed 565 children aged 7 to 12 and their parents over a period of one and a half years.
The researchers checked in with participants every six months and assessed family dynamics through a series of questions to determine the extent to which parents played a role in raising children with inadvertent narcissistic tendencies. . (A 2022 study also found that children can have narcissistic tendencies but may not be fully diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder.) So what are the results? Was it?
Research has found that children’s narcissism is predicted by excessive parental praise, not a lack of parental warmth.
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As the authors of this study pointed out, nothing good comes from having a child with narcissistic traits.
Narcissists tend to be cruel, manipulative, and even violent. Researchers hope that “proven interventions” will be introduced to rid the world of narcissists and narcissistic behavior.
The study’s researchers also said they believe this is the first longitudinal study conducted on the origins of narcissism in young people. If parents are taught that it’s a bad idea to put their children on a pedestal and drill into their little brains that they’re better than everyone else, maybe a warmongering dictatorship There could be far fewer people who are cruel and ruthless in general. That sounds like a utopia to me.
Andrea Piaquadio / Pexels
It may be easy to tell parents to dismiss their children because of spoiled flattery and extravagance, but even I, a childless woman, can see how difficult that is. Not a day goes by that I don’t look at my dog and say he’s the greatest creature that ever lived. I shower him with compliments, give him whatever he wants, and when he acts like a jerk, I tell him to own it, because he’s the best.
Granted, the jury is still out on whether he can understand me or not, but my point is that people don’t want their babies (human or furry) When you love something as much as you love it, it’s hard not to create monsters. But we all make an effort to be less doting and paranoid about how we value our little ones, at least for the sake of others who aren’t as great as our own children (or puppies). I think it can be done. To be honest, that’s what we all think, so we should just keep quiet about it.
Amanda Chatel is an essayist, lifestyle, and intimacy health writer focused on relationships, women’s reproductive rights, and mental health. Her byline has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Forbes, Livingly, Mic, The Bolde, Huffington Post, and more.
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