Which Type of Narcissism Are You Dealing With?

    We like to throw the word Narcisissism around all the time. We've all done it. But just because a person is a little self-centered (or maybe a lot self-centered) doesn't mean they are a narcisisst. And for that matter, we aren't a doctor, so we should take what we learn and know into consideration, but we can't just label people on a whim.      

    Today I am going to talk about two forms of narcissism: vulnerable and grandiose. Both types of narcisismm have similar features, but there are some differences. The vulnerable narcissistic people are hypersensitive, vulnerable, have low self-esteem, high anger, are hostile and defensive. Grandiose narcissistic people have an inflated self-image, feel entitled, are exploitative and need to be admired by others. Vulnerable narcissists compared to grandiose ones have more trouble regulating their emotions. They also are known to have borderline personality disorder. 

    In 2019 Zajenkowski and Szymaniak did a study on these two types of narcissism. There were 437 participants that were recruited via social networking websites. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory was  used. The study found large differences in personality profiles of the grandiose and vulernable narcisistic people. Grandiose narcissism correlated mainly high assertiveness and high intellect. In addition, they were low on politeness and low on anxiety. Vulnerable narcissism was associated with a wide range of negative emotionality with a bent towards high anxiety and anger. 

    The study also found that grandiose narcissism has the highest correlation with the Dark Triad. This makes obvious sense considering a narcissistic person isn't the easiest or nicest person to be around. Discussion about the Dark Triad and Narcissism will have to wait for another blog post though, which I think should be quite interesting.  

    If you're like me, you're trying to peg which narcissistic people you know that fit into these two categories. I know for me, there are a lot. But let's not forget we aren't doctors so we can't diagnose people. But it's still fun (or not so fun) to figure out and label people, even if it is in our own minds.

Zajenkowski, M., & Szymaniak, K. (2021). Narcissism between facets and domains. The relationships

        between two types of narcissism and aspects of the Big Five. Current Psychology, 40(5), 2112–2121.

        https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-0147-1



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