Is narcissism always a bad trait? Not necessarily, according to author Jeffrey Kluger.
“Narcissism can actually be a good thing,” Kluger, whose book “The Narcissist Next Door” explores the spectrum of narcissistic behaviors, said in an interview with the website Big Think.
“It can be a source, or at least a way, of expressing creativity,” he continued.
In fact, according to Kluger, some of the world’s most prominent leaders — both past and present — have shown signs of narcissism.
During his interview with Big Think, Kluger even zeroes in on American presidents, ranking many of them by their narcissistic traits.
“Barack Obama would certainly score high if he were to sit down and take the narcissistic personality inventory,” he said. “He sought the presidency after only two years in the Senate, he clearly believed that he could achieve high office.”
But as Kluger mentioned earlier in the interview, not all narcissists are the same, and the current president doesn’t fit neatly into the same mold as past presidential narcissists.
“Unlike some narcissists, he (Barack Obama) doesn’t seem terribly comfortable in the public eye, or at least terribly comfortable mingling with people … while he’s certainly narcissistic, I don’t think he’s really as far along the narcissism scale as some of the other presidents.”
Other presidential narcissists that Kluger discusses include Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Kluger also goes on to reveal who ranked highest and lowest among past presidents on the “narcissism scale.”
JJ Feinauer is a Web producer for Moneywise and Opinion on DeseretNews.com. Email: jfeinauer@deseretdigital.com, Twitter: jjfeinauer.