1/ More from forthcoming chapter: Malignant Narcissism

"Malignant narcissism is a variant of narcissistic personality that has gained public attention in recent years. It is, in fact, the intersection of narcissistic personality and antisocial-psychopathic personality, blending

/2 the characteristics of both. Malignant narcissism has also been described by clinical theorists as narcissism suffused with sadistic aggression. It is not sufficient for the malignant narcissist to feel important and special; it is necessary for someone else to be demeaned or

3/ vanquished. The syndrome could plausibly be called 'psychopathic narcissism' or 'narcissistic psychopathy,' but malignant narcissism is the historically and clinically familiar term.
When psychopathic deception, exploitation, sadistic aggression, and externalization combine

4/ with narcissistic grandiosity and self-importance, the result can be especially destructive. When there is no internalized value system to counteract grandiose strivings, others’ needs, rights, and wellbeing become irrelevant. Other people can be used and discarded without

5/ guilt or remorse. Harmful consequences and disastrous outcomes are always someone else’s fault.
Externalizing blame can have toxic effects on others and is often discussed by non-professionals as 'gaslighting.' The item in the SWAP assessment instrument that addresses

6/ externalization is: 'Tends to blame own failures or shortcomings on other people or circumstances; attributes his or her difficulties to external factors rather than accepting responsibility for own conduct or choices.' The psychological processes that give rise to gaslighting

7/ are straightforward. The underlying logic is something like, 'The world exists for my aggrandizement and my personal benefit. I am not responsible for my actions or the harm they cause. *You* are responsible.'
In extremis, people with severe malignant narcissism may appear

8/ to lose touch with reality. This comes about when external events starkly contradict their grandiose, defensively constructed self-image. It is as though the person, forced to choose between revising their self-image and revising reality, opts for revising reality.

9/ They may demand that others in their orbit also accept their revised version of reality."