So, You’re Creative. Are You a Narcissist?

My friend’s a narcissist. Let’s call him Ronin. I once told Ronin I thought he displayed all the hallmarks of narcissism including self-absorption, a lack of empathy and the need for recognition. I said it as a joke so I’m not sure he believed me. Ronin is not only egotistic; he’s also annoyingly talented with the paintbrush — every stroke a little truth. I told him that as well; he believed it.

Ronin is in good company. The artworld is full of inflated egos interested in the praise to cement their beliefs that, yes, they are loved; they are respected. I dare say, most creative types display at least some level of narcissism (spoiler alert: you can take this online test to find out). But new research confirms this suspicion: creativity and narcissism are related. No one likes to be labeled a narcissist, and yet it may be the secret ingredient to one of our most praiseworthy qualities. Could such a repugnant trait really be the driver behind self-expression?

Øyvind Lund Martinsen at the Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway, certainly thinks so. Professor in organizational psychology, his latest study examines the connection between narcissism and creativity in 1,375 young military trainees. Using a psychological test called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), Martinsen measured how narcissistic traits correlated with creative…