Fulfilling the age-old sentiment that, “Nice guys finish last,” a new study about narcissistic men has proven that, once again, that’s true. Not only is it true for heterosexual women who have yet to deal with the drama and bullshit that comes with dating a narcissistic man, but even women who want to get married attracted to narcissistic men. Apparently, we conveniently forget (or forgive?), when a new overly confident and cocky dude rolls into our lives.
The study out of Hartpury College in England found that no matter a woman’s age or history with narcissists, she will go for the cocky man almost every time. When presented with a narcissistic male personality versus a man with an actual desire to tie the knot and commit, the majority of the 146 women in the study said that they were attracted to the narcissist. Narcissistic men and cheating practically go hand-in-hand, and yet this is what women choose? What the wha ― ?
As the study noted, “This finding is problematic from a female perspective, as the narcissistic male is primarily short-term mating goal oriented.” Um, obvs.
But why is this the case?
Through a series of 20 statements involving possible narcissistic behavior of men, the researchers were able to deduce that confidence is more attractive than modesty. Women looking to get married, specifically, were more drawn to authoritative men and “a man who uses manipulation to influence his success at work.” Since the scientists didn’t say it, I will say it for them: This is a disaster.
The narcissist is the man you have a one-night stand with; he’s the guy who commands the attention of everyone in the bar and who, at the end of the night when you take him home, makes you feel like you’ve won some sort of prize. You don’t really care about what he has to say, because you know it’s going to be all about him and how great he thinks he is, so this isn’t someone with whom you want to build a relationship. I mean, you can try, but it’s not really going to go very far ― before you know it, he’ll be trying to get your best friend into bed, cheating on you with the woman across the hall, and you’ll be kicking yourself for falling for such bullshit… again.
As the study concluded, the male narcissist appears to be some sort of status symbol for women, which is fine, but if you’re in need of a status symbol so badly, you’re probably better off buying a pair of Christian Louboutin heels.
The likelihood of your Louboutin’s cheating on you, disappointing you, or leaving you at the altar is pretty damn slim, so that’s your safest bet.
Images: Chris Ford /Flickr; Giphy(3)
