Narcissists are least likely to feel envy of others because of their inflated sense of superiority, a new study has found.
Narcissism has long been associated with envy in the field of psychology, but an Iowa State study provides new evidence about that connection.
"They really buy into their own fantasy," Zlatan Krizan, assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State University, said.
"If you think you're the greatest, it makes sense that you wouldn't envy others because everybody is beneath you, so there's nothing to envy. It is really the vulnerability that predicts envy and it predicts it very, very strongly," Krizan said in a statement.
The study, published in the Journal of Personality, disputes existing theories that suggest envy is a core characteristic for those who are self-absorbed, arrogant and exploitive.
Krizan said his work helps to better define the different dimensions of narcissism - what psychologists refer to as grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Those who are more vulnerable show stronger feelings of envy.
"Narcissism is a more multi-faceted construct than we believe.
"I think that's an important point, because this public image of narcissism that most people have of this grandiose, dramatic individual is only one side of the coin," Krizan said.
Krizan and colleagues surveyed nearly 200 undergraduate students and more than 150 adults to identify their feelings of envy and the frequency. Those identified as vulnerable had low self-esteem, were often distraught, anxious and depressed. "These individuals still think they're special, entitled, and they want to be great, but they just can not do it. "As a result they're vulnerable, their self-esteem fluctuates a lot, they tend to be self-conscious and not very proactive, but passive, shy, and introverted," Krizan said. When the feeling of envy is added to the mix, Krizan said, it can be a potentially dangerous combination. Though vulnerable narcissists are not as overt in their behaviour, they may be more prone to unexpected outbursts of aggression.