在您看来，即使您永远不会大声承认，您是否觉得自己比其他人更好——并且您私下里喜欢它吗？
事实证明，大多数人都是这么做的。
当我们询问读者是否同意“在内心深处，您喜欢感觉自己比别人优越”时，超过三分之二的人表示同意。我们的研究并不是第一个揭示大多数人认为自己比普通人更好的研究，这种现象被称为“自我增强效应”。
例如，伦敦大学最近进行的一项研究发现，这种自我增强效应在道德特征方面最为明显：参与者绝大多数认为自己比普通人更诚实、公平、值得信赖和有道德。研究人员指出，虽然不一定是理性的，但人类的这种倾向在某种程度上是正常的。
不过，我们的调查更进一步，询问读者是否喜欢优越感，结果揭示了人格特征之间的一些明确区别，尤其是思维类型和情感类型之间的区别。
我们的性格类型是什么让我们大多数人不仅感觉自己比别人优越，而且还享受这种感觉？下面我们来分解一下结果。
角色
分析师（85% 同意）
到目前为止，思考特质是影响我们的读者是否同意他们享受优于他人的感觉的最有影响力的因素，思考型人格类型 (81%) 的认同率比情感型人格类型 (59%) 高出 22%。因为分析师抛开情感和同理心而偏向逻辑，所以他们很容易将对其他人的观察得出他们（看似）合乎逻辑的结论。
分析师可能会想：我在考试中获得了最高分，所以我一定是班上最聪明的学生。这可能不是一个公平或准确的结论，但对于分析师性格类型来说，这足以证明自己的优越性，并为此感到高兴。毕竟，在他们看来，顶尖的学业成绩可以让他们获得一份竞争激烈的工作和高薪，他们为什么不应该为此感到高兴呢？
通常，对于不太成熟的分析师来说，我们声明中的“内心深处”限定词是无关紧要的——他们非常乐意直接站出来，让别人知道他们有多好，但方式可能会让人觉得粗暴、专横、傲慢。居高临下。
在所有性格类型中，狂暴的指挥官 (90%) 最有可能认为自己喜欢比别人优越的感觉，紧随其后的是狂暴的辩论者 (89%)。尽管指挥官意志坚强，但他们的权力很大程度上可能建立在优越感之上。在他们看来，没有人比他们更有资格引领潮流并完成工作，而这些人正是依靠这种信心而茁壮成长。
就辩论者而言，他们喜欢好的辩论，更不用说获胜所带来的满足感，或者换句话说，来自展示自己的优越性的满足感。
外交官 (64%)
令人惊讶的是，外交官——角色中理想主义的和平缔造者——是第二个最可能同意我们的说法的人。当外交官性格类型享受比别人优越的感觉时，他们怎么能成为他们所说的利他主义者呢？
直觉特质是这一明显悖论的关键，也是外交官和分析师所共有的特质。尽管我们可能会根据可观察到的事实（例如考试成绩）对他人进行判断，但如果可以的话，我们多久有关于不太明显的特征（例如美德或可信度）的实际证据？
最有可能的是，我们正在利用我们的想象力来形成判断，拾取细微的线索并阅读字里行间的联系，甚至可能让我们的思绪走神。这正是直觉型人格类型每天看待和处理世界的方式，因此，他们比观察型人格类型高出 12% 的可能性认为比别人优越会给他们带来满足感，这是可以理解的。
作为顾问和协调者的自然角色，外交官们发现帮助他人是有回报的，但这种回报的一部分可能在于确认他们是需要的，并且他们擅长解决别人的问题。外交官的优越感可能并非源于居高临下，而更像是一种宽慰。一位外交官在安慰陷入困境的朋友后可能会想，哇，至少我没有遇到任何这些问题。很高兴知道我做得这么好。相比之下，我的生活看起来很棒。
同样重要的是要记住，我们的调查并没有询问是否表现得优于他人，而是要求我们的读者诚实地表达自己的内心感受。您可能不会看到外交官对自己惊人的能力幸灾乐祸，但这并不意味着外交官性格类型不会享受优越感，至少偶尔如此，即使他们永远不会大声承认这一点。
Explorers and Sentinels (62% and 59%)
Since the Explorer and Sentinel Roles encompass both Thinking and Feeling personality types, their responses were quite divided. Virtuosos (78%), for instance, were far more likely to agree than Adventurers (54%).
But all Explorers and Sentinels are Observant types, and that made their overall agreement lower. For Analysts and Diplomats, it’s second nature for their Intuitive trait to kick in and start forming judgments. Observant personality types, in contrast, like to stay grounded in reality and focused on the present. As such, they’re less interested in constantly comparing themselves to others, and they prefer not to jump to conclusions about others without solid evidence. For Sentinels, especially, that ability to remain impartial is what makes them so effective in roles as governors, judges, and administrators.
Assertive Consuls (40%) were the least likely personality type to say they enjoy feeling superior to others, followed by Assertive Defenders (41%). Consuls and Defenders are both known for putting others’ needs and happiness before their own. For these kind, sensitive types, being superior to other people just isn’t the point – their energy is focused on helping lift others up so that the whole community can work better together.
Strategies
Social Engagement and Constant Improvement (75% and 68% agreeing)
The Identity trait was another important factor in our survey: Turbulent personality types were 12% more likely to agree than Assertive types. The Turbulent members of the Social Engagement and Constant Improvement Strategies are always thinking about how they can improve, and as such, they tend to have self-esteem issues and to require more external validation than Assertive personalities do.
It’s not very often that Social Engagers and Constant Improvers consider themselves superior to someone else, so when it happens, it can feel like a great ego boost, one that they might as well enjoy while they can. Social Engagers’ fluctuating self-esteem coupled with their constant concern over their social status can be a serious source of stress; simply striving to be their own personal best, as Constant Improvers do, may not be enough. Without knowing that someone is below them in the pecking order, these personality types may feel that their position is inherently precarious. That’s likely why Social Engagers agreed at the highest rate – for them, perceived superiority equals social security.
People Mastery and Confident Individualism (60% and 58%)
The Assertive trait that defines the People Mastery and Confident Individualism Strategies makes these personality types less likely to agree with our statement. Particularly confident People Masters and Confident Individualists may actually regard their own superiority as a simple matter of fact. They know where their strengths lie, and they don’t need to go boasting about them or to stroke their own egos. As such, they don’t crave feelings of superiority as often, or take as much pleasure in them, as Turbulent types do.
Conclusion
There is a fine line between a healthy sense of competition, the kind that drives personal development and greater innovation alike, and a potentially destructive need for self-aggrandizement. Some personality types may have a harder time negotiating this line than others.
Those with the most difficulty may be Turbulent Analyst types, fueled by a deep-seated need not just to be the best at what they do, but to continuously get better at it too. And while this drive can propel them to astonishing heights of success, it can also be off-putting to others, and incredibly stressful to themselves.
But even personality types who are less likely to dwell on their own superiority or inferiority sometimes take pleasure in believing themselves to be better than others. It’s human nature, and to a certain extent, it’s healthy to take pride in your strengths and your achievements – but it’s just as important to stay humble and to remember what really matters in life.
What about you? How do you handle feelings of superiority? Let us know in the comments below!