Are narcissists more creative?

According to experiments, narcissists are excellent at convincing people that their ideas are the most creative. The same thing happens in groups when there is a handful of narcissists.

This short article in Science Now reports that creativity and narcissism often appear to go hand in hand:

…Creative people often appear self-important, hungry for attention, and unconcerned with others’ ideas and opinions— all traits narcissists share. Think of Pablo Picasso, famous for his iconoclastic paintings but infamous for declaring, “I am God.” Like Picasso, narcissists often rise to positions of importance in art, business, and other endeavors, suggesting that they have ability and ideas that others do not.

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But according to the research cited in the article, it’s not that narcissists are more creative, they’re just better at pitching ideas because they tend to be “more enthusiastic, witty, and charming—all traits, according to past research, that people associate with creativity.”

Author

  • Zoe Romanowsky

    Zoe Romanowsky is writer, consultant, and coach. Her articles have appeared in “Catholic Digest,” “Faith & Family,” “National Catholic Register,” “Our Sunday Visitor,” “Urbanite,” “Baltimore Eats,” and Godspy.com. Zo

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