What’s the difference between narcissism and high self-esteem? Does social media fuel arrogance or self-consciousness? And do people get less toxic with age?

• SOURCES:
  • Brené Brown, research professor at the University of Houston and visiting professor in management at the University of Texas at Austin.
  • Jonathan Haidt, professor of social psychology at the New York University Stern School of Business.
  • Michael Lewis, author.
  • Cooper McAllister, senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton.
  • Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "‘Narcissistic Abuse’ Has Gone Mainstream. But What Is It?" Abby Ellin (The Washington Post, 2024).
  • "Development of Narcissism Across the Life Span: A Meta-Analytic Review of Longitudinal Studies," by Ulrich Orth, Samantha Krauss, and Mitja D. Back (Psychological Bulletin, 2024).
  • The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, by Jonathan Haidt (2024).
  • "America Is Obsessed With Narcissists. Is Trump to Blame?" by Charles Trepany (USA Today, 2024).
  • "Narcissism Today: What We Know and What We Need to Learn," by Joshua D. Miller, Mitja D. Back, Donald R. Lynam, and Aidan G. C. Wright (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2021).
  • "Egos Deflating With the Great Recession: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis and Within-Campus Analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, 1982–2016," by Jean M. Twenge, Sara H. Konrath, Cooper McAllister, et al. (Personality and Individual Differences, 2021).
  • "Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Diagnostic and Clinical Challenges," by Eve Caligor, Kenneth N. Levy, and Frank E. Yeomans (American Journal of Psychiatry, 2015).
  • Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever Before, by Jean Twenge (2006).
  • Cincinnatus and the Citizen-Servant Ideal: The Roman Legend's Life, Times, and Legacy, by Michael J. Hillyard (2001).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Is Screen Time as Poisonous as We Think?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
  • "Do 'Generations' Mean Anything?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).
  • "Is Pride the Worst Sin?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).
  • The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, by Michael Lewis (2010).