According to Millon, “narcissistic persons feel justified in their claim for special status, and they have little conception that their behaviors may be objectionable, even irrational. They believe that they are special—if not unique—persons who deserve great admiration from others. Quite frequently, they act in a grandiose and self-assured manner, often without commensurate achievements. Although they expect to be seen as meritorious, most narcissistic individuals are viewed by others as egotistical, inconsiderate, and arrogant. Their self-image is that they are superior persons, ‘extra-special’ individuals who are entitled to unusual rights and privileges. This view of their self-worth is fixed so firmly in their minds that they rarely question whether it is valid. Moreover, anyone who fails to respect them is viewed with contempt and scorn.“It is not difficult to see why the behaviors of narcissistic people are so gratifying to them. By treating themselves kindly; by imagining their own prowess, beauty, and intelligence; and by reveling in their ‘obvious’ superiorities and talents, they gain, through self-reinforcement, the rewards that most people must struggle to achieve through genuine attainments. Narcissistic individuals do not need to depend on anyone else to provide gratification; they always have themselves to ‘keep them warm.’”1
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Click on the note number to return to where you were above; click on the author's name to go to the bibliographic entry.1Millon, 1998, p. 85