The academic success of students has a direct relationship with the personality of the students. Studies and research outcomes manifested that the students who are diagnosed with dark triad personalities are academically well-performing. You may wonder how a child can possess a dark triad personality? yes, they could. This article clarifies “why the narcissistic students are winning academically” and “the reason for these personality traits”.
A personality that owns a high sense of self-pride, entitlement, and attention-seeking are the traits of a mental illness which is known as a narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). People with such narcissistic personalities follow malicious behavior to achieve control and pride. Such personality traits have also been found in students and adolescents. Narcissistic students are also found to be well-performing academically and the reasons for that are given in this article.
Narcissistic Personality disorder (NPD) cannot be diagnosed at a young age i.e., below 18. Due to their constantly developing habits and adapting to the changes in the environment in the adolescent period, diagnosing the personality of the kids is not possible. However, they show or express the narcissistic traits they have inherited externally.
Academic Performance of Narcissistic Students
Narcissism has some particular traits such as self esteem, bloated self pride, high entitlement, and attention seeking that help them in developing certain abilities to be successful. Looking closely at society, one can find that narcissistic people are successful in academics as well as careers. Not every narcissist is successful, but undoubtedly, most of the achievers are found to show narcissistic traits in them.
Studies attested that the high self-esteem trait in narcissistic teenagers helps them score high in the exams. Narcissistic teenagers are found to have both enhanced initiative and pleasant feelings. The enhanced initiative triggers the mental reflexes and the thought process to solve problems easily. Thus, it solidly develops the ability to learn and memorize things easily.
What are the abilities narcissistic students gain through narcissism?
The desire to have pride and feel entitled triggers the narcissistic kids to outperform others. The narcissistic kids find themselves superior and assume that they are special in this world. To validate that, they work hard and perform well in what they intend to do. The required qualities to perform well in academics are obtained through the narcissistic traits of the kids.
The qualities narcissistic kids obtain that help them to achieve in exams are mental toughness, competitiveness, and low anxiety & depression.
Mental toughness
Teens with a narcissistic personality despise failure and shame as it would shrink their self glorification. So, the constant attempt to not lose in anything provides them the mental toughness to achieve. The mental toughness also intensifies the hardworking quality of narcissistic adolescents and helps them concentrate on what they desire.
The mental toughness of narcissists does not allow them to give up on anything easily. That’s why it is not easy to convince narcissists out of any situation.
Competitiveness
Narcissistic students believe that they are special apart from others and make an effort to outshine others regardless of anything. This enhances the competitive behavior subconsciously. On the other hand, the education system plays a vital role in boosting the competitiveness of narcissistic teenagers.
Less anxiety & depression
Researchers specify that narcissistic people are likely to have low anxiety, depression, and stress levels. The grandiose sense of the narcissistic students makes them feel superior and entitled. This grandiosity strengthens their self confidence and motivation. Thus, narcissistic kids do not stress as they believe everything is under their control.
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What are the factors that enhance narcissism in students?
Kids and teenagers do not inherit narcissistic traits consciously, having said that, narcissism emerges in oneself, especially in kids, due to external factors. Although there are several factors that correlate the academics of students with narcissism, the main factors that enhance narcissism in students that help them to academically perform well and achieve good grades are the parenting, guidance of teachers, and grading system.
Give a Read: How does narcissism originate in Kids?
Parenting
Parenting is one of the prime factors that lie as the origin of evolving narcissistic personality in kids. In the case of a kid possessing a narcissistic parent, the child has a higher chance of getting engulfed by a narcissistic personality due to the constant exposure of narcissistic traits.
Academically speaking, students’ personality affects far greater through the way of parenting whether the parents are narcissists or not. Despite the lack of personality development in kids, wrong parenting enhances narcissistic teenagers to perform well in their studies. The wrong parenting characteristics such as overvaluation and over-expectations impact the kid’s academic career.
Activation of narcissism in a child is due to overvaluation and devaluation or lack of attention. Praising and valuing lavishly makes the kids feel peculiar and develops self importance in them. Such parents do think that their kid is special than others and deserves to achieve more. It looks like the parents support the kid unconditionally, which is not.
The overvaluation subconsciously creates a grandiose personality in them. Such a personality then increases the urge for validation and attention. Thus, it motivates them to achieve success in exams to feel superior above others. On the other hand, the parents who overvalue the child also start expecting more from them, which indeed leads to the devaluation of the kids which again sparks narcissism within.
Guidance of Teachers
Apart from the overvaluation of teachers, there are some other factors that stimulate the narcissistic personality in students. Not every teacher is toxic, anyways, there are teachers who judge students with physical appearance and their flattening way of speech. Judging such students and praising them in every aspect increases the grandiose sense in them.
In another point of view, educators appraise the students who do well in academics but do not appreciate the other talents the kids possess. From this, narcissistic students believe that achieving in education is what people value more and focus only on academics.
Most educators fail to teach personality development in kids. Seeing the teaching career as a “work for salary” instead of a “service” may be the reason behind it. This delays the building of a good personality and increases the chance of getting into narcissism more.
Give a Read: How to teach Personality Development to Kids through Education?
Grading System
Several studies prove that the grading system in education affects the student’s personality. The ranking system in education lists the students based on their performance. Rather than receiving proper feedback on the examination, the top rankers feel achieved and entitled whereas low rankers suffer defeat and depression.
It indeed motivates the narcissistic children to achieve more (Not every top ranker needs to possess a narcissistic personality) but also demotivates the academically failing students.
In addition to that, research on students concludes that students value grades more than personal growth as grades make their parents and teachers happier. Also, students accepted that obtaining higher grades increases self esteem and self worth compared to other achievements in the teenage period.
To conclude
Accepting that the narcissistic personality indeed enhances the academic performance of the students, it is not appreciated to encourage such personalities. This is because the personality traits get stronger in the period. Do not try to sell out your kid’s personality in exchange for their academic performance. You do want your child to be happy, don’t you? So, be conscious while developing a proper personality not only for your kids but for others too. Try to spread this awareness to create a healthy future for kids.
FAQs
Q1. Can we find students with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)?
A1. Narcissistic Personality disorder (NPD) cannot be diagnosed at a young age i.e., below 18. Due to their constantly developing habits and adapting to the changes in the environment in the adolescent period, diagnosing the personality of the kids is not possible. However, they show or express the narcissistic traits they have inherited externally.
Q2. How do narcissist students study well?
A1. The enhanced initiative ability of narcissistic students triggers the mental reflexes and the thought process to solve problems easily. Thus, it solidly develops the ability to learn and memorize things easily.
Q3. What are the abilities of Narcissistic students?
A1. The qualities narcissistic kids obtain that help them to achieve in exams are mental toughness, competitiveness, and low anxiety & depression.
Q4. Why are Narcissistic students more competitive?
A1. Narcissistic students believe that they are special apart from others and make an effort to outshine others regardless of anything. This enhances the competitive behavior subconsciously. On the other hand, the education system plays a vital role in boosting the competitiveness of narcissistic teenagers.
Q5. What are the factors behind academically winning narcissists?
A1. The main factors that enhance narcissism in students that help them to academically perform well and achieve good grades are parenting, the guidance of teachers, and the grading system.
