The word “narcissist” has become a reflex as soon as someone talks too much about themselves or posts one too many selfies. However, behind this catch-all term, psychology describes very different realities. A vast international study has just identified 4 distinct types of narcissists, each with their own way of putting themselves forward… or protecting themselves.
Conducted with approximately 50,000 participants and published in the
Journal of Research in Personalitythis research is based on the NARQ questionnaire, which distinguishes two dimensions: “admiration” and “rivalry”. By combining these axes and data on self-esteem, aggressiveness or emotional stability, the authors identified very contrasting profiles. And sometimes confusing.
4 types of narcissists, between admiration and rivalry
In this study, the “admiration” axis refers to grandiose narcissism: self-enhancement strategies, charisma, confidence, desire to be perceived as exceptional. The “rivalry” axis, on the contrary, describes a more defensive narcissism, marked by hypersensitivity to criticism, the tendency to demean others and a more fragile self-esteem, often hidden behind aggressive attitudes.
By crossing these two dimensions on more than 50,000 people, the researchers identified four profiles. What they all have in common is a sense of “entitlement,” the idea of deserving special treatment. But the level of admiration and rivalry changes everything: some display mostly high confidence, others extreme sensitivity to the slightest criticism, or an explosive mixture of the two.
How to spot the 4 types of narcissists in everyday life
First profile: non-narcissists, who score low on both axes. They don’t need to be in the center, accept criticism quite well and don’t experience every interaction as a competition. Next come the vulnerable narcissists: lots of rivalry, little admiration. These people quickly feel hurt, constantly compare themselves, constantly perceive themselves as misunderstood or devalued and seek validation that never really reassures them.
Grandiose narcissists show strong admiration and little rivalry. They like to shine, talk about their successes, take leadership roles, but remain rather emotionally stable and not very aggressive. The most loaded profile is the grandiose-vulnerable narcissist: very high admiration and rivalry, unstable self-esteem, significant aggressiveness, low open-mindedness. Often more masculine and younger, he easily moves from arrogance to victimization.
Narcissism: a continuum, not a label
For Skyler Trace Maples, first author of the study, “the general public should understand that narcissism, like many other psychological concepts, is dimensional,” she told PsyPost. Narcissistic traits therefore exist in everyone to varying degrees; only the extreme and rigid levels are a narcissistic personality disorder diagnosed by a mental health professional.
The authors now want to follow these profiles to see how they evolve. “In order to better understand the oscillations of narcissistic traits, from vulnerable to grandiose and back again, a long-term goal would be to follow individuals over time,” Maples explained. This data would help to understand how narcissism sometimes serves as a mask for feelings of insecurity.