Given a sufficient amount of media exposure, book contracts, talk
shows, lectures, and public attention - the narcissist may even
consider the whole grisly affair to be emotionally rewarding. To the
narcissist, freedom, wealth, social status, family, vocation - are all
means to an end. And the end is attention. If he can secure attention
by being the big bad wolf - the narcissist unhesitatingly transforms
himself into one. Lord Archer, for instance, seems to be positively
basking in the media circus provoked by his prison diaries.
The narcissist does not victimise, plunder, terrorise and abuse others
in a cold, calculating manner. He does so offhandedly, as a
manifestation of his genuine character. To be truly "guilty" one needs
to intend, to deliberate, to contemplate one's choices and then to
choose one's acts. The narcissist does none of these.
Thus, punishment breeds in him surprise, hurt and seething anger. The
narcissist is stunned by society's insistence that he should be held
accountable for his deeds and penalized accordingly. He feels wronged,
baffled, injured, the victim of bias, discrimination and injustice. He
rebels and rages.
Depending upon the pervasiveness of his magical thinking, the
narcissist may feel besieged by overwhelming powers, forces cosmic and
intrinsically ominous.
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