Differences in Socio-Cognitive Processes among Individuals Exhibiting Characteristics of Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism: A Multimethod Approach Page: 6
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feelings of other people. Consequently, not only is the narcissistic individual negatively affected
by their own distress, but those around them are similarly impacted.
Otto Kernberg
Much of Kernberg's description of someone with a narcissistic personality focuses on
how a narcissistic individual interacts with other people. A narcissistic individual often views
others' worth based on what they can provide for them, charming those who admire and praise
them while dismissing those who do not meet these needs (Kernberg, 1975). This person may be
capable of interacting with other people appropriately, or even pleasantly, on a surface level;
however, they lack any deeper interpersonal connections and often possess maladaptive internal
object presentations or other problematic psychological structures (Kernberg, 1975). A
narcissistic person may not possess the desire to connect more meaningfully with other people,
or this yearning may lay outside their conscious awareness (Kernberg, 1975).
Kernberg (1975) asserted that the key features of narcissism are egocentrism, feelings of
superiority, and difficulty recognizing and understanding the feelings of others. Narcissistic
individuals seem to view both themselves and other people as capable of great deception and
hostility and will often act according to societal expectations in order to stave off any aggression
that might occur if they do not conform to their surroundings (Kernberg, 1975). Consequently,
much of the narcissistic individual's view of the world as a spiteful, desolate environment seemsto be a projection of their own internal anger and hollowness (Kernberg, 1975). As such, a
narcissistic individual does not completely believe in their superiority; rather this belief serves as
a mask of sorts to keep other, more unpleasant beliefs and feelings below the surface.
Kernberg appears to draw similarities to Kohut's description of what is now termed
"vulnerable narcissism." Kernberg (1975) acknowledged the pronounced paradox between a6
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Sanders, Courtney. Differences in Socio-Cognitive Processes among Individuals Exhibiting Characteristics of Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism: A Multimethod Approach, dissertation, July 2023; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2178811/m1/13/?q=technical+manual: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .