Narcissistic personalities are somehow predisposed to believe more in conspiracy theories. But how to explain such permeability?
- Narcissists have a strong need for social validation and place great importance on making a good first impression.
- According to a 2022 Ifop poll, no less than 35% of French people say they believe in at least one conspiracy theory.
We know, through several studies on the subject, that narcissistic people are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. But what are the reasons?
At a time when “conspiracy” is flourishing on social networks and in people’s minds, this is the question a trio of researchers tried to answer in a article published in the journal Current Opinion in Psychology.
Neuroticism, antagonism, extraversion
Narcissists, as defined by the scientific community, are people – mostly men – who believe in their own superiority, place their rights above “ordinary” people, and crave adulation. They would be recognizable by three main personality traits: neuroticism, antagonism and so-called agentic extraversion (specific to those who are called “go-getters”).
Neuroticism, associated with low self-esteem and relationship difficulties, even paranoia, refers to the tendency to react emotionally and irrationally to information. Antagonism, on the other hand, is defined by the systematic opposition to others and their opinions, often used as an attempt to control others or to “bring the subject back” around one’s person. Finally, extroversion describes a very assertive behavior, sometimes bordering on aggression – but which often goes hand in hand with an ability to charm.
Keep control
According to the three researchers, who have used data from several psycho-sociological studies in recent years to reach their conclusions, it is these three characteristics that make narcissistic personalities so permeable and sensitive to conspiratorial theories.
First, paranoia, intrinsic to neuroticism therefore, leads the person to absorb the outlandish assertions launched by the followers of the conspiracy, with the desire to maintain control over uncertain events (such as a pandemic) and therefore their life. Then comes the antagonism: in systematic contradiction with the “official thesis”, the person echoes the conspiracy theory in the face of any interlocutor who dares to contradict him. As for his extroversion, it will make the “conspirator” a fierce defender of what he believes to be “the truth”.
Note, however, that narcissism can also be good: it would make it possible to have greater psychological solidity and reduce the risk of depression, according to a studyand it would even protect us from stress, according to a other.