"Telling kids they're special leads to narcissism"

[Delta4Embassy]

Telling kids they re special may foster narcissism Update

"Children who are told they are special by their parents are more likely to become narcissists, according to a study Monday that aimed to uncover the origins of extreme selfishness.

The research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal, is based on 565 children in the Netherlands who were surveyed over the course of a year and a half, along with their parents.

Children whose parents described them as "more special than other children" and as kids who "deserve something extra in life" were more likely to score higher on tests of narcissism than peers who were not lauded in this way.

Researchers also measured how much parents overvalued their children by asking how much they agreed with statements like: "My child is a great example for other children to follow.""

more at link

So...We should raise kids telling them "there's nothing special about you, you're just as normal and unremarkable as everyone else." Bummer.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

You are very, very special Delta.

 

[Moonglow]

I had a Mother that was as tough as nails and said little about those special a dear moments, my Grandma and Grandmother were very positive and supportive, while the Grandad's where impatient,cynical and insulting...Oh well, it all balances out,,maybe....

 

[Delta4Embassy]

You are very, very special Delta.

Agreed But I'm not narcissistic.

 

[NLT]

Telling kids they re special may foster narcissism Update

"Children who are told they are special by their parents are more likely to become narcissists, according to a study Monday that aimed to uncover the origins of extreme selfishness.

The research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal, is based on 565 children in the Netherlands who were surveyed over the course of a year and a half, along with their parents.

Children whose parents described them as "more special than other children" and as kids who "deserve something extra in life" were more likely to score higher on tests of narcissism than peers who were not lauded in this way.

Researchers also measured how much parents overvalued their children by asking how much they agreed with statements like: "My child is a great example for other children to follow.""

more at link

So...We should raise kids telling them "there's nothing special about you, you're just as normal and unremarkable as everyone else." Bummer.