It is hard to quantify accurately. But a rough estimate would be ... loads of them. Now psychologist Oliver James has raised doubts that challenge the wisdom of it, following the story of teenager Brian Blackwell.
Blackwell is serving life in prison after admitting manslaughter of his parents. He was not charged with murder because experts agreed he was suffering from narcissistic personality disorder. James told Newsnight that quite a few people in public life suffer from the same disorder.
That was a bit of jokey relief in a brutal story. On the serious side, he also pointed to research showing that people with high self-esteem are much more at risk of being extremely aggressive. Those with unrealistic self-esteem have an increased chance of becoming violent if they are challenged about their capacities.
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