Expert Q&A: What Makes a Person Become a Narcissist? Are They Born That Way? Relationships
Q. What makes a person become narcissistic? Are they born like that or is the environment they been raised?
A. Thanks for your question, its a good one that doesn't have a clear black and white answer. Several factors can play into someone developing narcissistic personality disorder such as their environment, genetics and how their brains are wired. If a parent offers either excessive praise or excessive criticism that doesn’t match with the child’s experience this causes incongruence and confusion for the child’s developing ego.
For example, a parent tells their son they were the best player on the field when in fact their son dropped a pop fly and lost the game for the team and had to hear his teammates call him names. Also, if a parent has narcissism there may be a genetic predisposition for the disorder. Combine that with a parent modeling narcissistic behaviors and its easy to see how these harmful personality traits get passed down in families.
Studies have shown this disorder is more often seen in men in late teen and early adulthood. Many children can display characteristics of narcissist tendencies, but it does not mean they will develop the disorder.
We get lots of great questions from our community members, and we have lots of great experts to provide answers. Have a question? Send it to us at info@30seconds.com and we'll do our best to get it answered for you!
The content on 30Seconds.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. The information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease, and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your personal healthcare provider. The opinions or views expressed on 30Seconds.com do not necessarily represent those of 30Seconds or any of its employees, corporate partners or affiliates.
Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get inspiration in your newsfeed daily. Inspire and be inspired.