Buddy H.
06-23-2003, 07:20 PM
Exploitation by a Narcissist
http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Personality_Disorders/narcissism/faq10.html
http://www2.cddc.vt.edu/gutenberg/etext03/malsl10h.htm
Question:
In his drive for Narcissistic Supply, would the Narcissist be
callous enough to exploit the tragedy of others, if this
exploitation were to secure a new supply source?
Answer:
Yes. I compared Narcissistic Supply to drugs because of the almost
involuntary and always-unrestrained nature of the pursuit involved
in securing it. The narcissist is no better or worse (morally
speaking) than others. But he lacks the ability to empathise
precisely because he is obsessed with the maintenance of his
delicate inner balance through the (ever-growing) consumption of
Narcissistic Supply.
The narcissist rates people around him. First, he conducts a
binary test: can this or that person provide him with Narcissistic
Supply?
As far as the narcissist is concerned, those who fail this simple
test do not exist. They are two-dimensional cartoon figures. Their
feelings, needs and fears are of no interest or importance.
Those persons who filtered through, are then subjected to a
meticulous examination and probing of the volume and quality of
the Narcissistic Supply that is likely to emanate from them. The
narcissist nurtures and cultivates these people. He caters to
their needs, desires, and wishes. He considers their emotions. He
encourages those aspects of their personality that are likely to
enhance their ability to provide him with his much needed supply.
In this very restricted sense, he regards and treats them as
"human". This is be his way of "maintaining and servicing" his
Supply Sources. Needless to say that he loses any and all interest
in them and in their needs once he judges that they are no longer
able to supply him with what he needs: an audience, adoration,
witnessing (=memory). The same reaction will be provoked by any
behaviour on their part, which the narcissist judges to be
narcissistically injurious.
If a person close to the narcissist finds himself in tragic
circumstances – these are coldly evaluated by the narcissist. Will
these circumstances enable him to extract Narcissistic Supply from
that person – or from others who witness his interaction with the
narcissist?
A narcissist, for instance, will give a helping hand, console,
guide, share grief, encourage another hurting person only if that
person is important, powerful, has access to other important or
powerful people, or to the media, has a following, etc.
The same applies if helping, consoling, guiding, or encouraging
that person is likely to win the narcissist applause, approval,
adoration, a following, or some other kind of Narcissist Supply
from on-lookers and witnesses to the interaction. The act of
helping another person must be documented and thus transformed
into narcissistic nourishment.
Otherwise the narcissist is not concerned or interested in the
person, or in his circumstances. The narcissist has no time or
energy for anything, except the next narcissistic fix, NO MATTER
WHAT THE PRICE AND WHO IS TRAMPLED UPON.
http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Personality_Disorders/narcissism/faq10.html
http://www2.cddc.vt.edu/gutenberg/etext03/malsl10h.htm
Question:
In his drive for Narcissistic Supply, would the Narcissist be
callous enough to exploit the tragedy of others, if this
exploitation were to secure a new supply source?
Answer:
Yes. I compared Narcissistic Supply to drugs because of the almost
involuntary and always-unrestrained nature of the pursuit involved
in securing it. The narcissist is no better or worse (morally
speaking) than others. But he lacks the ability to empathise
precisely because he is obsessed with the maintenance of his
delicate inner balance through the (ever-growing) consumption of
Narcissistic Supply.
The narcissist rates people around him. First, he conducts a
binary test: can this or that person provide him with Narcissistic
Supply?
As far as the narcissist is concerned, those who fail this simple
test do not exist. They are two-dimensional cartoon figures. Their
feelings, needs and fears are of no interest or importance.
Those persons who filtered through, are then subjected to a
meticulous examination and probing of the volume and quality of
the Narcissistic Supply that is likely to emanate from them. The
narcissist nurtures and cultivates these people. He caters to
their needs, desires, and wishes. He considers their emotions. He
encourages those aspects of their personality that are likely to
enhance their ability to provide him with his much needed supply.
In this very restricted sense, he regards and treats them as
"human". This is be his way of "maintaining and servicing" his
Supply Sources. Needless to say that he loses any and all interest
in them and in their needs once he judges that they are no longer
able to supply him with what he needs: an audience, adoration,
witnessing (=memory). The same reaction will be provoked by any
behaviour on their part, which the narcissist judges to be
narcissistically injurious.
If a person close to the narcissist finds himself in tragic
circumstances – these are coldly evaluated by the narcissist. Will
these circumstances enable him to extract Narcissistic Supply from
that person – or from others who witness his interaction with the
narcissist?
A narcissist, for instance, will give a helping hand, console,
guide, share grief, encourage another hurting person only if that
person is important, powerful, has access to other important or
powerful people, or to the media, has a following, etc.
The same applies if helping, consoling, guiding, or encouraging
that person is likely to win the narcissist applause, approval,
adoration, a following, or some other kind of Narcissist Supply
from on-lookers and witnesses to the interaction. The act of
helping another person must be documented and thus transformed
into narcissistic nourishment.
Otherwise the narcissist is not concerned or interested in the
person, or in his circumstances. The narcissist has no time or
energy for anything, except the next narcissistic fix, NO MATTER
WHAT THE PRICE AND WHO IS TRAMPLED UPON.