

Reading Suggestion: Do Narcissists Enjoy Kissing? Specifically, their lies revolved around themes of popularity, dominance, and appearance. They found that narcissists lied for the purposes of self-gain. In one study from 2014, the researchers looked into the motivations for lying among people who possess one of the “dark triad” of personality traits – narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Their goal is to receive flattery, praise, attention and adoration from other people to prop up their self-esteem (this is known as “narcissistic supply”).Ī number of studies have confirmed this. They lie about their skills, their abilities, and their accomplishments. Their actions are designed to be consistent with this projected self, and to protect it at all costs.Īnd because narcissists have difficulty generating self-worth from within, they need to get it from the reactions of other people.

Their huge ego and apparent high self-esteem hides a weaker, fragile self underneath. These are less accepted as part of normal human life.įrom one perspective, a narcissist’s whole life is a lie. Some researchers call these “black lies”. They are seen as harmless, for the most part, and a natural part of navigating the social landscape.īut then there are the bigger lies, those that give us an unfair advantage, often at the expense of someone else. These are the classic “little white lies” that people tell.


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