UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For the latest episode of the Tracking Traits podcast, Pete Hatemi, distinguished professor of political science, microbiology and biochemistry at Penn State, was interviewed about his research on the effect of narcissism on civil society. Hatemi was interviewed by Hannah Marchok, an undergraduate majoring in biobehavioral health with a minor in global health.
In popular culture, narcissism is nearly always defined negatively, as a personality trait of people who act in self-centered ways with little consideration for the thoughts, feelings and needs of others. The Internet abounds with quizzes designed to tell people if someone in their life is a narcissist, along with advice on how to effectively handle the challenges of dealing with those who are, according to Hatami, who added that the prevalence of this age-old human characteristic, which in its exaggerated form is considered a personality disorder, has been profoundly intensified by the rise of social media in the 21st century.
But, said Hatemi, narcissism is a necessary trait that we evolved in order to find mates, advocate for ourselves, take on leadership roles, and perform other purposeful human activities. The dramatic intensification of narcissism across an increasingly digitized world, however, can have serious implications for civil society in general, including the functioning of the U.S. political system .
“So we all have some level of narcissism,” said Hatemi, “But what happens when those levels become elevated? When they get exploited by the systems we have today?"
Hatemi approaches the evolution and function of narcissism in individuals and society from a uniquely multi-dimensional perspective.
“I sit in between disciplines,” he explained. “Oftentimes, as academics, we get into a silo. Some people work on genetics. Some people work on evolution. Some work on sociology. And I do all of those things. And so what I'm really interested in is why people differ and how those differences can potentially help or harm a civil society.”
In his conversation with Marchok, Hatemi explained that politicians as a professional class have been pegged at the highest possible level of narcissism, with many U.S. politicians on both sides of the aisle exhibiting characteristics of the trait. When that personality trait is expanded into a culture that has been increasingly polarized, and in which many citizens’ primary self-identifier has become political allegiance above all other affiliations, Hatemi said, the result can be a massive increase in generalized anger against people with opposing political viewpoints. This phenomenon has become particularly acute in our age of 24/7 news cycles and information overload, said Hatami.
Hatemi was among a handful of scholars from the international community who first began to take a serious look at the effects of narcissism on the public. That small group of researchers opened up this new line of inquiry with five papers published in 2016. Since that time, scores of researchers have followed up, replicating and extending these initial studies.
Hatemi said he is gratified to see this expansion, and feels that it’s vitally important work, considering the disruptive role that technology increasingly plays in the targeted, algorithmic, and morally agnostic distribution of online information, whether true, false, uplifting or incendiary.
“Contemporary Politics and the Evolution of Narcissism” is available on all major podcast platforms. The Tracking Traits podcast is a production of the Center for Human Evolution and Diversity, and features Penn State undergrads interviewing researchers about their work and personal passions. New episodes are released monthly, and are available on most podcast streaming services.
The Center for Human Evolution and Diversity is housed within the Department of Anthropology in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts, with support from the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.