You Are Not So Smart

247 - Narcissism (rebroadcast)


Listen Later

In this episode we explore what narcissism is (and what is most-definitely is not). 

There is a form of narcissism which has been, up until now, confused with psychopathy. But a new paper, the result of years of experiments, suggests narcissists are not psychopaths, and psychopaths are not narcissists.

In the psychological literature, narcissism comes in two varieties. Grandiose narcissists tend to really, truly love themselves and heavily manipulate their social environment for personal gain. Vulnerable narcissists don’t love themselves, not their true selves. Vulnerable narcissists love their image, and they are highly aware of the fact that it is an image and work very hard to prevent anyone else realizing that. According to the research explored in this episode, there is no such thing as a grandiose narcissist – that’s just another way to describe a psychopath.

Vulnerable narcissists like Don Draper in Mad Men cope with their insecurity by donning a mask, and then spend most of their lives protecting that mask out of a fear of what will happen if people ever see what it hides.

  • How Minds Change: www.davidmcraney.com/howmindschangehome
  • Show Notes: www.youarenotsosmart.com
  • Newsletter: https://davidmcraney.substack.com
  • Narcissism through the lens of performative self-elevation
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

You Are Not So SmartBy You Are Not So Smart

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,681 ratings


More shows like You Are Not So Smart

View all
Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

44,077 Listeners

Open to Debate by Open to Debate

Open to Debate

2,137 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,157 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,246 Listeners

Boars, Gore, and Swords by Ivan and Red

Boars, Gore, and Swords

1,192 Listeners

Apps for Kids by Mark Frauenfelder

Apps for Kids

211 Listeners

TED Radio Hour by NPR

TED Radio Hour

22,085 Listeners

The New Disruptors by Glenn Fleishman

The New Disruptors

64 Listeners

Tell Me Something I Don't Know by Boing Boing

Tell Me Something I Don't Know

41 Listeners

RiYL by Brian Heater

RiYL

62 Listeners

Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

26,369 Listeners

Incredibly Interesting Authors by Boing Boing

Incredibly Interesting Authors

9 Listeners

Boing Boing Gadgets by Boing Boing Gadgets

Boing Boing Gadgets

105 Listeners

Give Me Fiction by Give Me Fiction

Give Me Fiction

25 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,883 Listeners

HOME: Stories From L.A. by Bill Barol

HOME: Stories From L.A.

94 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,673 Listeners

Revisionist History by Pushkin Industries

Revisionist History

59,017 Listeners

Choiceology with Katy Milkman by Charles Schwab

Choiceology with Katy Milkman

1,444 Listeners

The Michael Shermer Show by Michael Shermer

The Michael Shermer Show

921 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,127 Listeners

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford by Pushkin Industries

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

5,097 Listeners

People I (Mostly) Admire by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

People I (Mostly) Admire

2,133 Listeners

Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg by Spencer Greenberg

Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

133 Listeners