Understanding their vulnerabilities could help avoid toxicity.
When you think of someone who is highly narcissistic, chances are you imagine them as consistently arrogant and proud. They enjoy being the center of attention, always expecting admiration from everyone they encounter.
Maybe you have a colleague who constantly seeks compliments and agreement. However, sometimes you notice a crack in their facade. Instead of confidently claiming the spotlight, they seem insecure and desperate for attention. What causes these insecurities?
The State of Narcissism
According to research by Radoslaw Rogoza and colleagues from the University of Lleida (2024), when experts view narcissism as a fixed entity, they mistakenly see it as a choice between its arrogant form (entitlement and self-importance) and its vulnerable form (insecurity and fear of judgment). However, ideas about narcissism are more detailed and intricate. Just as with the individual described above, highly narcissistic individuals can transition from arrogance to self-doubt.
The U. Lleida research team conducted surveys to explore patterns in these everyday fluctuations and how they compare to traditional trait-based studies. Their framework suggests a "default mode" in which the highly narcissistic individual fulfills the need for validation until something threatens their sense of importance.
Then, they switch to a "defensive mode" where they try to protect themselves by belittling others, becoming arrogant, or even becoming aggressive. If this fails, a third mode, "neurotic narcissism," becomes active, leading to another form of self-defense involving self-deprecation.
Clinical evidence supports the idea that "vulnerable states in seemingly arrogant presentations (but not vice versa) are one of the defining features of narcissistic self-centeredness." By focusing on trait measures, researchers have missed the opportunity to explore this dynamic aspect of the narcissist's life.
Exploring Narcissism Variations
With established measures of narcissistic personality traits abundant in the literature, Rogaza et al. note that these may not apply well to the study of the fluctuating nature of this trait. Moreover, existing measures only differentiate between arrogant and vulnerable narcissism. This approach overlooks the "facets," or sub-components, including antagonistic and neurotic traits, in addition to "agentic" or assertive traits.
Among the aims of the study, the researchers aimed to establish links between trait-like levels of antagonistic and agentic narcissism and the state levels of the three facets. Adult participants provided daily assessments through a smartphone app of these facets. For example, some of the items they completed included:
Antagonism:
- I don't care about others' needs.
- "When someone is kind to me, I often wonder what they expect in return."
Neuroticism:
- I hate being criticized so much that I have no control over my mood when it happens.
- I feel ashamed when people judge me.
Agentic:
- I love to entertain people.
- I aspire to significance.
The findings revealed that among the three facets of narcissism, it was the antagonistic aspect that showed the strongest variation across participants in daily assessments. According to the researchers, "antagonistic narcissism... may contribute to arrogant narcissism and its components."
In considering the clinical implications of their findings, the U. Lleida researchers suggest that by tapping into the defensive shell the arrogant narcissist presents, it may be possible to access their vulnerable core. Additionally, the findings highlight the importance of distinguishing the "agentic" or perhaps sociable side of the narcissist from the angry and demanding one.
Reflecting on people you know who seem to fit a narcissistic profile, what differences do you observe in those who are charming and charismatic, drawing you into their circle (the agentic) versus those who aggressively strive to outshine everyone else?
Furthermore, as the findings indicated, antagonistic narcissists exhibit greater fluctuations in their scores on all three facets. It's not that they're consistently antagonistic, but rather, consistent with the model underlying the study, they are easily provoked into dramatic swings in their levels of anger, self-doubt, and desire for validation.
You may not care much about helping the narcissists you know, whatever state they happen to be in at the moment, but particularly when they're in super antagonistic mode. They could become angry when you don't appease them, make you doubt your own worth, and do their best to push you away.
However, they might require more assistance than you're aware of. As the researchers state, when narcissists are in vulnerable states, their "distressing feelings and emotional psychological distress" may make them unusually receptive to finding a way out of their default mode.
In summary, it's never pleasant to be on the receiving end of a narcissist's wrath when they feel they're not getting what they deserve. However, by viewing narcissism as a state rather than a trait, it may be possible to help these individuals find a more stable path to fulfillment.