Science Says People Who Post About Fitness Are Narcissists

In my family, there are seven siblings and we all have a different personality, so you can imagine how fun that makes family get-togethers.

I’m the oldest of the seven and just under me is my brother, Jeff. Growing up, Jeff was a little guy who loved science and technology. Jeff also liked baseball, except he was pretty awful at it, often getting distracted by butterflies or the swaying grass. He was our lovable little nerd who we called “snurd.” But then something happened. Jeff went from a nerdy little kid to a nerdy bodybuilder.

In high school, Jeff got into crew and I think that was sort of the catalyst of his transformation. Before too long, my skinny little brother was jacked and competing in and winning bodybuilding competitions.

With Jeff’s newfound body and strength came a bit of egotism and Jeff will be the very first to tell you that’s true. Jeff isn’t only a brilliant mind who has a huge heart, but he’s immensely in shape and uses every opportunity he can find to tell stories of his workout feats and to show off his muscles and photos from events.

When I stumbled on this, I instantly thought of Jeff. A new British study says that people who are constantly sharing their diet regimen, workouts, and other fitness feats are narcissists who need validation. In a way, I believe that to be true, but on the other hand, I think that there’s a level of pride that comes with a total body transformation such as Jeff’s and that's something to be proud of.

The researchers say the fitness bragging might look like it works because people get the attention they crave, but they also say it’s possible that friends are just offering support, but secretly aren't loving the egotistical posts and stories.

How do you feel about people who are constantly showing off their diet and fitness regimens? It doesn’t bother me that much when my brother brags because I’m proud of him and if it gets to be a bit much, I can just tell him that we need to change the subject and he’s cool about it. I guess I’ve lucked out there, haven’t I?

Oh, and by the way, my brother just completed the Spartan Beast in the top 4% of the 928 men who competed with a 5:54:56 race time. Yes, he posted that to Facebook, and yes, this sister is proud of him.

[via Metro]