Self-expression and Entitlement among Individuals with High Narcissistic Traits

Abstract

Narcissism is one among the most disregarded personality trait. However, it is important to acknowledge that narcissism need not be always negative in nature. The study attempts to explore the facets of self-expression and entitlement among individuals who are characterized by high narcissistic traits in a culture where self-importance and sense of entitlement is regarded with contempt. Though narcissism is one among the most researched personality characteristic, most of the studies have not attempted to explore the self-expression and entitlement among individuals with high narcissistic traits especially from the oriental point of view where overt narcissism or self-importance is looked down upon by the societies as collectivism is the rule rather than exception. The specific objectives of the study are to explore the recurring themes in the self –expression and expression of self-views, the expression of agentic and communal self-views and to understand the expression of entitlement, how each individual feel about their own earnestness. The study followed a qualitative research design with a social constructivist worldview as it was believed that realties are molded by social forces. The work was many a times rhetoric and relativistic in nature. The researcher explored the constructs of self-expression and entitlement using a validated semi-structured interview. The sample included young adults within the age range of 18-25 and were selected into the study based on their scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI-16). The consent participants was sort and they were recruited for a semi structured personal interview. Since the study employed the paradigm of qualitative approach and the constructs were hard to be quantified, the method of thematic analysis was used. The recurring themes that emerged from the data were grouped and analyzed with respect to the constructs studied. The three global themes perceived sense of desirable self, apprehensions in perception of self and dilemmas in expression of self, encompasses the organizing themes and the basic themes. The study concludes that the narcissistic structure is often expressed in relation to a communal self-view and the self-sacrificing behavior was more common than expected in the sample especially among female participants. It was also found that the entitlement was often related to moral supremacy and upholding morale rather than preferential benefits in social or interpersonal domains.