Is Narcissism Caused By Nature Or Nurture?

Narcissism is common these days, with the use of social media, one can easily spot a person who possesses a narcissistic trait. One of the biggest questions is, what causes the child to grow up with narcissistic tendencies?

Jeremy Holmes, described a narcissists' behavior as someone that is: "Sufficient unto himself, he becomes more and more self-absorbed -- either hyper-vulnerable to every slight, or brutally bullying his way to the 'top' whose twin peaks are his own self-aggrandisement and the denigration of others."

In addition to what Holmes said, the Winning Teams website also stated that "individuals high in narcissism displayed amplified responses to social comparison information, experiencing greater positive affects from downward comparisons and greater hostile affect from upward comparisons."

Since the behavior is mostly caused by low self-esteem and feeling inferior, it is important to raise your child in a way that he/she would not feel unwanted or unloved. As per New York Post, narcissists are "bred not born" which makes it important to nurture your child by making sure that he/she may learn to develop and embrace the concept of self-love.

As per the study on narcissistic behavior published in pnas.org, it was stated that, "narcissism in children is cultivated by parental overvaluation: parents believing their child to be more special and more entitled than others."

Listed below are a few tips from NY Post to help you in making sure that your child won't grow up with Narcissistic tendencies:

Teach the Concept of Kindness

Teaching the concept of kindness allows the child to develop empathy. Though it is already given that you should be kind to your child, but aside from being kind at home, show your child what it's like to be kind to others.

Discipline Your Child

Discipline is one of the most important things that you should implement at home. Tough love always works. Learn to say no and make firm decisions. Let your no be no, and your yes be yes.