Religious People: Less Narcissistic?

Science+Religion Today

Here is the reality: The link between narcissism and religion is complex. Many, if not most, religious practices are designed to shut down or minimize the ego: compassion, charity, chastity, gratitude, mindfulness, forgiveness. Each of these is negatively correlated with narcissism. Ideally, then, the practice of religion should result in less narcissistic individuals.

However, religion is also a source of social power and status and that tends to draw narcissistic people (who also tend to be charismatic to make matters worse). The result is the concern that many people drawn to religion—especially in leadership roles—will be narcissistic. This is the same phenomenon we see in other leadership positions, such as politicians and corporate executives. Still, the (very little) research we have suggests that individuals in pastoral roles are less narcissistic than politicians.

Finally, we have the cultural-level issues of the form or structure of religion in an increasingly narcissistic society. What we see is that religion is becoming more “individualized.” For example, almost half of individuals switch religions (when you include switching between Protestant denominations). We also have more “cafeteria” beliefs, like individuals who are Christian but also believe in astrology. According to new Pew data, in the last 30 some years, we even have experienced a huge increase in individuals who report a direct experience with the divine or the mystical. We want an individualized religious experience just like we want an individualized coffee beverage at Starbucks. Not surprisingly, the churches that are increasing most in popularity are megachurches that provide individualized services and experiences and often have a “prosperity component.”