Many people believe that narcissism is mainly an American problem.
This idea often comes from movies, television shows, popular books, and even news stories that focus on self-centered celebrities, powerful business leaders, or outspoken politicians in the United States.
Because of this constant exposure, it is easy to think that narcissism belongs mostly to American culture. However, new research suggests this belief is not accurate at all.
A large international study led by researchers at Michigan State University shows that narcissism is not limited to the United States. Instead, it is a human trait found across cultures all over the world. Even more surprising, the United States does not rank among the top five countries with the highest levels of narcissism.
Narcissism is a personality trait that involves thinking very highly of oneself while showing less concern for others. People with narcissistic traits often focus strongly on their own success, appearance, or importance.
At the same time, they may struggle to understand other people’s feelings or viewpoints. While some confidence can be healthy, too much self-focus can harm relationships and social cooperation.
To better understand how narcissism appears around the world, the researchers analyzed survey data from more than 45,000 people across 53 different countries.
This made the study one of the largest and most diverse investigations of narcissism ever conducted. Participants answered questions that measured how strongly they agreed with statements reflecting self-importance, confidence, and concern for others.
The research team examined how narcissism differed based on age, gender, and social status. They also looked at each country’s economic strength and cultural values, such as whether societies focused more on individual achievement or group harmony.
The results challenged many common assumptions. The five countries with the highest levels of narcissism were Germany, Iraq, China, Nepal, and South Korea. The United States ranked only sixteenth.
On the other end of the scale, countries like Serbia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Denmark showed the lowest levels of narcissism.
One clear pattern appeared across nearly all countries. Younger adults tended to be more narcissistic than older adults, no matter where they lived.
Men also showed higher levels of narcissism than women in almost every culture studied. These patterns stayed consistent regardless of national culture, language, or economic conditions.
The researchers also found that people living in wealthier countries tended to score slightly higher on narcissism.
However, the difference between younger and older adults remained stable across nations. This suggests that age-related changes in personality may be shaped more by life experience than by culture alone.
According to the researchers, being young often means focusing on personal goals, identity, and potential. Many young people believe they are more capable or special than they truly are.
As people grow older, they face challenges, failures, and responsibilities that can soften these beliefs. This process appears to happen in similar ways across cultures.
Another unexpected finding was that people from group-focused societies showed similar narcissistic patterns to those from more individual-focused societies. This suggests that even cultures that value harmony and collective success do not fully prevent self-centered attitudes.
These findings highlight that narcissism is influenced by both shared human development and social context. Culture does matter, but it may not be as powerful as once thought when it comes to shaping this trait. Biological factors, life stages, and everyday experiences likely play equally important roles.
In reviewing the study, it is clear that narcissism should not be blamed on any single country or culture. The research shows that it is a common human tendency that changes over time and appears in predictable ways.
The study’s strength lies in its large sample size and global reach, which makes the findings more reliable. However, because the data is based on self-reported surveys, future studies could benefit from combining these results with real-world behavior observations.
Overall, this research reminds us to question stereotypes and think more carefully about human behavior. Narcissism is not a uniquely American trait but a global one, shaped by age, gender, and life experience more than national borders.
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The study is published in Self and Identity.
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