Pathological Narcissists

by Neal Allen

26 THOUGHTS ON THE PARTICULAR CRAZINESS OF OUR NEW PRESIDENT

Pathological narcissists do not strategize. Ever. They react. The aim is always self-aggrandizement. Always.

Pathological narcissists lack coping strategies. They know how to dominate and win. Compromise and giving in baffle them.

Pathological narcissists are mean as snakes. Having to always dominate equals doubling down on bullying. They have no other strategy.

Pathological narcissists behave simple-mindedly. Always reactive, they don’t think two moves ahead.

Pathological narcissists don’t like homework. They lack a long-term view.

Pathological narcissists love chaos. They can be the hero.

The rules don’t apply to pathological narcissists. Self-flattery reigns. Ethics and laws lose.

Lacking empathy, pathological narcissists don’t apologize. In effect, they don’t look back.

Pathological narcissists are unpredictable. They think they’re genius mavericks. Not so. They are impulsive and unprincipled.

Pathological narcissists make no mistakes. If something goes south, they create blame blankets. “It’s the lying press!”

A pathological narcissist’s wound doesn’t heal. Anger roils. A cyclone of feeling attacked and seeking revenge spins forever.

To pathological narcissists, anyone who disagrees is an enemy. The response is always the same: contempt and annihilation.

A pathological narcissist doesn’t have a conscience like yours or mine. He lacks a corrective memory. Every thought feels true.

His cabinet will turn over quickly. Pathological narcissists make enemies of friends. He’ll be trapped in his own chaos.

He breaks rules. Not because he’s a businessman, or maverick, or smart. Because he’s a pathological narcissist.

He assumes that others lie as much as he does. Lacking self-reflection, pathological narcissists are projection machines.

He can’t divest his fortune. To him, money equals self-worth. It would be like giving himself away.

Pathological narcissists are the most grandiose. Everything is a blind spot. They have no idea how much they miss.

He’s worldly so he appears normal. He’s not. He doesn’t share our ethics or reality. It’s going to be weird.

Don’t waste time predicting consequences. The one thing you can predict is that it will be weird.

The only way he defines himself: his ratings and his wealth. He idolizes famous and wealthy people. No one else matters.

This isn't a curve, with Truman at one end and Nixon the other. Everyone's narcissistic. Leaders more than others. But Trump is a pathological narcissist. He is crazy. He lives in an alternate reality.

The grandiosity of pathological narcissists is unbounded. They think they have a magic wand.

Pathological narcissists are consistently crazy.

Pathological narcissists don’t mind being crazy in public. They are in their own reality.

Pathological narcissists aren’t, like, really, really, really narcissistic. They're different from you and me. They utterly lack empathy or ethics. They must dominate.

- Neal Allen
neal@ordinarybeing.com