Annoying Young Narcissists Might Save Corporate America

The narcissism of the younger rising generation in the work force might be the shot in the arm corporate America needs, even if it is annoying. In the Boston Globe, Jake Halpern (born in 1975) declares anyone born after 1970 to be a member of the Entitlement Generation, marked by self-absorption, arrogance, a low regard for formal dress codes and a high regard for its own opinions. A nation-wide survey using a standardized test called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory found that 24% of college students in 2006 showed elevated levels of narcissism compared to just 15% in the early 1990s.

However, narcissists have some advantages. Their confidence allows them to take risks others might balk at. As more companies depend on innovation to stay a step ahead of globalization, the Entitlement Generation is well-equipped to be push through bold ideas onto skeptical elders. However, since narcissists also rarely acknowledge that their wrong ideas are wrong, the trick for elders Â“is to identify the upstarts with the most potential” and only then, “despite whatever personal qualms we may have with them Â– allow them to run with their ideas.Â” — Robin Moroney