The belief that one’s own nation is exceptional yet underappreciated by others lies at the heart of so-called national narcissism. Unlike patriotism, it is characterized by a sense of entitlement to recognition and a constant dissatisfaction with how that nation is perceived by the outside world. Previous research has shown that people with higher levels of national narcissism are more likely to experience stress or depressive symptoms, but it remained unclear which was the cause and which was the effect. Does experiencing unpleasant emotions lead people to cling to beliefs about their nation’s exceptionalism? Or is it, conversely, the very act of holding these beliefs that increases stress and sadness in people over the long term? A new study by our member Michal Mužík sought to capture how national narcissism and unpleasant emotions influence each other over time.
The study was led by Michal Mužík from the INPSY Citizenship and Democracy team; Anna Knorr and Małgorzata Kossowska from Jagiellonian University in Kraków also contributed to the research. The authors used data from nearly seven hundred young Czechs aged 18 to 30 who completed a questionnaire in two waves one year apart. Late adolescence and young adulthood are key periods for both political socialization and the formation of self-worth; the authors therefore deliberately focused on this developmental stage. In each wave, the authors assessed the level of national narcissism (e.g., agreement with the statement “My nation deserves special treatment”), the level of perceived stress, and symptoms of depression. The authors then examined whether the level of national narcissism in the first wave predicted subsequent changes in stress and depression—or, conversely, whether stress and depression in the first wave predicted subsequent national narcissism.
Stress Is a Consequence, Not a Cause
Although the authors expected the relationship between national narcissism and stress or depression to be bidirectional and form a vicious cycle, the study’s results suggest that the relationship is rather unidirectional. Higher levels of national narcissism in the first wave were associated with higher levels of stress one year later. Conversely, the level of national narcissism did not predict higher levels of stress or depression among the young people studied. In other words, it does not appear that unpleasant emotions lead us to believe in the exceptionalism of our nation, but rather the opposite: strongly holding such beliefs can increase stress over time.
The authors explain this by noting that national narcissism is linked to a constant need for external recognition that is never fully satisfied—and it is precisely this unfulfilled need that may be a source of stress. It is also interesting that this relationship held true across all age groups and socioeconomic statuses of the participants, so it does not appear to be a phenomenon unique to any particular group of people.
Reducing stress is not enough
These findings have practical implications, particularly for programs that seek to address prejudices and tensions between social groups. Since national narcissism tends to lead to stress rather than the other way around, it makes no sense to rely on the assumption that simply reducing stress or depressive symptoms will automatically weaken these beliefs. According to the authors, it is therefore necessary to focus instead on what fuels national narcissism: namely, the constant need for external recognition and an exaggerated sensitivity to how one’s own nation is perceived by others.
Recommended citation:
Mužík, M., Knorr, A., & Kossowska, M. (2026). The (not so) vicious cycle of national narcissism: emotional antecedents and outcomes. Journal of Research in Personality, 122, 104721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2026.104721
