The narcissist will never be happy. “They simply don't feel good about themselves.” Despite incalculable self-importance, the narcissist doesn't have high self-esteem. They coat themselves in praise and approval from others to hide their biggest fear.
Not all people with narcissism are unhappy, but many can't find contentment when they aren't the center of attention.
An injured narcissist will go into a narcissistic rage and self-sabotage relationships with their loved ones or at work in order to preserve their false self at all cost. They will hold the critic in contempt and view them as a threat for their survival.
He is afraid of losing the source of his narcissistic supply and damaging his own fragile mental balance. The narcissist also feels resentful about his vulnerability and his extreme dependence on feedback from others. This type of depressive reaction, therefore, stems from a mutation of self-directed aggression.
But for people with NPD, their symptoms – like being unable or unwilling to feel empathy for others and manipulating others for personal gain – make it highly unlikely that they can love others the same way as non-narcissistic people. That doesn't mean that these people don't fall in love.
They're afraid of emotions.
Narcissists try to boost their self-confidence by imagining that they're completely self-sufficient and unaffected by feelings. They can't feel vulnerable. If they're hurt or upset, they lash out in anger and become condescending, pointing out the other person's flaws.
The narcissist can take pleasure in the exercise of power and the subjugation of others, but they can't feel happiness from any source. They can't feel the joy of a loving relationship – they're incapable of love.
Despite having seemingly strong personalities, narcissists are actually very vulnerable. Psychotherapists consider them to be “fragile.” They suffer from profound alienation, emptiness, powerlessness, and lack of meaning.
While people with narcissism aren't devoid of emotions, their motivations may be self-focused. They can know they're hurting your feelings, but as long as it elevates their status, they may not care. Someone living with narcissism does cry. They can feel regret, remorse, and sadness.
Narcissists are highly sensitive to criticism or any perceived threat to their self-image, and they will go to great lengths to protect it. If you criticize them or challenge their dominance, you will trigger a defensive response.
The narcissist chooses to marry the person they believe they can have the most control over. This isn't meant to victim blame and to say the partner or spouse has done anything wrong. The narcissist knows that other people are caring and want to please, so they look for people that have these qualities.
Type As can also be dangerous to narcissists
Although they can be targeted, type A people can also become a narcissist's worst nightmare. One of the most important defenses against dark personalities is having strong boundaries yourself, and type A people are usually aware they have the right to build them.
In conclusion, narcissists hate happy people and will do anything to keep them down. If you're in a relationship with someone like this, the best thing that you can do is take their words with a grain of salt and focus on your own life because it's the only one that matters.
Cerebral narcissists, also known as intellectual narcissists, are individuals who try to fulfill their narcissistic supply through their perceived intelligence. While intellectual narcissists are generally smart, they may present as if they are more educated than they really are.
Narcissism is a learned behavior and there's more to it than excessive self-centeredness. Some narcissists possess personality traits that make good for toxic, dysfunctional relationships. Others behave in ways that are borderline evil.
For a narcissist to be happy, you'll always have to accept their version of events as the truth. Otherwise, you'll be on the receiving end of their narcissistic rage. Even if you do everything they ask, a narcissist will still try and undermine you at every opportunity.
Ignoring them does it best. They love attention. It's fuel for their fragile ego and they need it to feel important or valuable. Cutting off your attention is one way to reduce their narcissistic supply.
Ultimately, it is important to remember that narcissists can and do love—but their love may never be the same as a healthy, unconditional bond. The best way to know if a narcissist loves you is by looking at their behavior over time rather than just relying on words or expressions of affection.
Narcissists can love, but this superficial and momentary affection serves as a way to get what they want from others. While their role as caring partners, parents, or friends may appear genuine, a lack of empathy and devotion to themselves renders narcissists unable to develop meaningful relationships.
We tend to feel special when we feel loved. The problem for narcissists, though, is that they don't trust that they are really loved. Most of them have never felt loved in their lives, and so they doubt that they can actually be loved.”
Self-Centeredness: People with low emotional intelligence can also seem to be narcissistic. They'll often talk too much or take over conversations; they get defensive and angry when confronted or given feedback, are often tone-deaf to what's truly going on around them and generally have to always be right.
It is because of this that they may find it difficult to understand other people's feelings or perspectives, a self-centredness that can cause them to act selfishly and exploit others for their own gain. “As narcissists do not have empathy, they are not able to genuinely care or love you,” explains Davey.
It is a complicated mental illness centering on an individual's inflated sense of self-importance accompanied by a lack of empathy for other people. While this is an intimidating definition, narcissistic individuals can and do fall in love and commit to romantic involvements.