Using data from six different studies, researchers charted how narcissism changes over time and between generations in 747 people aged 13 to 77.
使用六项不同研讨的数据，研讨人员绘图解说了年纪跨度为13至77岁的747位被试的自恋特质随时刻和代际而发作的改动。
研讨者们用来界说自恋的三个目标分别是：
? Willfulness, or being full of yourself;
固执——只想着自己，不管别人；
? Hypersensitivity, or being overly defensive;
超敏反应——过度灵敏，简单气愤；
? Autonomy, or a sense of leadership and authority.
自主性——一种自我领导的感觉
发现一：年纪越大，自恋越正向
On average, negative forms of narcissism — willfulness and hypersensitivity — declined with age, while the more positive feeling of having control over your life increased as people got older.
从平均数来看，消沉的自恋方式——固执和超敏反应——跟着年纪的添加而削减。不过，跟着年纪的添加，那种对日子有掌控感的更为活跃的感觉则会添加。
The increase in this “good” narcissism over time is surprising, says William Chopik, author on the study and assistant professor at Michigan State University. “It looks like the most rapid changes occur just after people experience those setbacks or experiences,”Chopik says. That could be a divorce, or some other adverse experience. Overall, people change the most rapidly during their middle age.
该研讨论文的作者、密歇根州立大学助理教授威廉·乔皮克标明，这种“好的”自恋体现跟着时刻的推移居然会添加，真实令人惊奇。他说：“研讨显现，人们在履历波折或许履历添加之后，（自恋状况）发作的改动最快。” 这种履历或许是离婚，或许是其他的令人不快的履历。并且总的来说，人们在中年的时分改动最快。
Narcissism is often thought of as a monolithic personality trait, but this study suggests autonomy may stand alone. It also makes sense that as we age, we feel more competent in our lives and actions, Chopik says. “Oftentimes, life experiences, jobs, and relationships have a tendency to change our priorities as we age, and that’s what we think we’re seeing here.”
自恋通常被以为是一种单一的（无法拆分的）品格特征，但这项研讨标明，自主性或许能够拆分出来。乔皮克称，能够这么解说——跟着年纪的添加，人们感觉自己对日子和举动更有掌控感和决定权。“正如研讨结果显现的那样，在咱们长大的过程中，日子履历、工作履历和人际关系往往会改动咱们的自恋重心。”
People are indeed most narcissistic in their twenties, Chopik says (those in their seventies are least narcissistic).
乔皮克称，人的终身，20多岁的时分的确是最自恋的，到了70多岁就变得最不自恋了。
发现二：晚辈们可没你当年自恋
Contrary to the stereotype, young people today are likely no more narcissistic than any generation before them (including the Baby Boomers).
和大多数人想的不一样，现在的年轻人或许真的没有前面的几代人自恋（包含婴儿潮那一代）。
注：美国婴儿潮特指美国第二次世界大战后1946年至1964年，这18年间婴儿潮人口高达7600万人，这一人群被通称为“婴儿潮一代”。
The results defy a popular piece of folk wisdom about younger generations — and the current generation of 20-somethings in particular — that they are hopelessly full of themselves.
大多数人以为年轻一代（尤其是现在这一代20多岁的年轻人）简直是本位主义到爆。可是，研讨结果与这一观点相悖。
“You can find people as long ago as 700 B.C. lamenting at how narcissistic today’s kids are,” says Chopik, “So for all the talk about how young people are narcissistic, it’s generally the case that they “age out of it” and become more mature, responsible, and considerate of others. I hope it starts to challenge the misconception that all young people are narcissistic or are more narcissistic than previous generations.”
乔皮克标明：“你会发现，其实早在公元前700年，其时的人就现已在诉苦青年人过火自恋了。所以呢，有人爱说年轻人自恋，一般来讲，是因为说话者自己 “现已长大成人”，变得更老练、负责任、关心别人了。我期望，这项研讨能够应战这种错误观念，那便是，一切年轻人都自恋或许比前几代人都更自恋。”
可是，有些人便是自恋一辈子。
The researchers also found some outliers: Some people just stayed narcissists. Some people declined really dramatically and became quite humble people. Others didn’t change much at all, suggesting that narcissism might be a lifelong condition for them.
研讨人员还发现了一些极点值：有些人便是会自恋到老。虽然有部分被试的自恋特质急剧削弱，老了之后变成了适当谦卑的人，但还有些人便是一点也没有变，这标明高度自恋或许随同他们终身。
