Grandeosity + Narcissistic Injury

An additional aspect of narcissistic self-perception entails the concept of grandiosity. According to Wikipedia - "Grandiosity refers to an unrealistic sense of superiority - a sustained view of oneself as better than others." Miriam Webster defines grandiosity as "the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or valuable than is the case." These definitions are consistent with what's previously been said about narcissistic flight or avoidance of inadequacy. The avoidance itself is achieved through investment in the grandiose image which offers comforting distance from its opposing reality.

What's so wrong with this picture? Wouldn't we all prefer to feel big rather than little, powerful rather than vulnerable, masterful instead of inept? Yes, of course. But the dilemma is that the narcissist must intensely invest in the defense because any crack in the armor can lead to a precipitous collapse into realms of the self that are intolerable. The personality structure lacks adequate flexibility and the individual is prone to feel rapid onset of acute pain when his or her narcissistic style doesn't work well enough to acquire the love, admiration, power or control the individual was seeking. This pain, brought about by the rapid collapse of defenses, is what we refer to as narcissistic injury.

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