There’s a surprising perk to teenage narcissism

Teens’ selfie obsessions may actually help them do better in school.

Young people with a narcissistic streak may be more mentally tough and high-achieving, according to a new study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

Previous studies have found that narcissism is a growing trend overall, but research has been scant on whether it can actually serve society well — in small doses, at least.

Researchers tested 340 Italian teens, and looked at their school achievement as it related to their personality types.

They found a relationship between subclinical narcissism — self-obsessed, but not narcissistic enough to be considered a personality disorder — and school achievement.

“If you are a narcissist you believe strongly that you are better than anyone else and that you deserve reward,” says Dr. Kostas Papageorgiou, the study’s lead researcher, in a statement.

Clinical narcissism, however, was not linked to higher achievement.

Papageorgiou thinks that just a bit of that bravado serves teens well in school.

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