Tweens Behavior & Emotions How a Personal Fable Is Defined and Why It Can Lead to Risk-Taking By Rebecca Fraser-Thill Updated on June 09, 2020 Fact checked by Andrea Rice Print Blend Images - Sollina Images / Getty Images Your child will go through numerous stages while they are on the road to puberty. It's not uncommon for middle school and high school students to develop a "personal fable." Such a fable is a common teen and older tween belief that arises from adolescent egocentrism, which develops between the ages of 10 and 13. The personal fable is the adolescent's belief that they are highly special and unlike anyone else who has ever walked the earth. Colloquially, these individuals are known as "special snowflakes." In other words, the adolescent thinks that since others are so obviously fascinated by them (adolescent egocentrism), they must be a unique individual (the personal fable). Learn more about this development of adolescent identity and the potential consequences it can result in with this review of the personal fable. Why Personal Fables Are Normal But Can Be Risky If you suspect that your tween or teen has developed a personal fable, don't worry that your child will grow up to be a narcissist or self-centered. Belief in the personal fable is a developmentally normal cognitive limitation. Unfortunately, the belief can have serious consequences. The personal fable can cause a tween or teen to believe that nothing bad could possibly happen to someone as exceptional as themself. In other words, since they are so special, they must be invulnerable. Some research has shown that belief in the personal fable and one's invulnerability is connected to common adolescent risk-taking behaviors, such as promiscuous or unprotected sex, use of alcohol or illicit drugs, as well as physically dangerous acts, such as driving without a license or driving recklessly or while intoxicated. You may need to consult with a counselor, therapist or another mental health professional to help your child counter these behaviors. At the very least, you and your tween should have an ongoing dialogue about risk and safety. On the other hand, personal fables also result in tweens and teens believing that they are omnipotent, or have enormous power, lacking in others. This belief can actually improve the way a child adjusts to changes or challenges in life and can improve self-worth. The Difference Between Personal Fables and Self-Esteem Belief in the personal fable should not be confused with having high self-esteem. Tweens or teens with low self-esteem usually still hold a version of the personal fable. In fact, they may even perceive their critical self-judgments as "evidence" of their particular uniqueness—no one thinks quite as critically as they do. In other words, adolescents with a personal fable may typically believe they are special, even if they don't necessarily think of themselves as "good" or "special." The Origins of the Term "Personal Fable" Psychologist David Elkind was the first to describe the adolescent phenomenon known as the personal fable. Elkind coined the term in his 1967 book Egocentrism in Adolescence. Elkind's characterization of the adolescent experience builds on Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development. This theory illustrates how teens do not differentiate between themselves and others, leading them to think that others are as obsessed with them as they are obsessed with themselves. Piaget also found that the adolescent mental state is not rooted in reality. With this in mind, Elkind used the term personal fable to describe the untrue stories adolescents tell themselves about their place in the world. 7 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Allen B, Waterman H. American Academy of Pediatrics. Stages of Adolescence. Galanaki EP. The Imaginary Audience and the Personal Fable: A Test of Elkind's Theory of Adolescent Egocentrism. Psychology. 2012;3(6):457-466. doi:10.4236/psych.2012.36065 Popovac M, Hadlington L. Exploring the role of egocentrism and fear of missing out on online risk behaviours among adolescents in South Africa. Int J Adolesc Youth. 2020;(25)1:276-291. doi:10.1080/02673843.2019.1617171 Baumgartner SE, Valkenburg PM, Peter J. Assessing Causality in the Relationship Between Adolescents’ Risky Sexual Online Behavior and Their Perceptions of this Behavior. J Youth Adolesc. 2010;39(10):1226-1239. doi:10.1007/s10964-010-9512-y Sanders RA. Adolescent Psychosocial, Social, and Cognitive Development. Pediatr Rev. 2013;34(8):354-358. doi:10.1542/pir.34-8-354 Baranovich DL. Understanding and Mentoring the Hurt Teenager. Singapore: Partridge Publishing. 2017. Kesselring T, Müller U. The concept of egocentrism in the context of Piaget’s theory. New Ideas Psychol. 2011;29(3):327-345. doi:10.1016/j.newideapsych.2010.03.008 Additional Reading Trucco EM, Wright AG, Colder CR. Stability and Change of Social Goals in Adolescence. J Pers. 2014;(82)5:379-389. doi:10.1111/jopy.12069 By Rebecca Fraser-Thill Rebecca Fraser-Thill holds a Master's Degree in developmental psychology and writes about child development and tween parenting. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? 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