To the narcissist, his life is unreal, like watching an autonomously
unfolding movie. The narcissist is a mere spectator, mildly interested,
greatly entertained at times. He does not "own" his actions. He,
therefore, cannot understand why he should be punished and when he is,
he feels grossly wronged.
So convinced is the narcissist that he is destined to great things -
that he refuses to accept setbacks, failures and punishments. He
regards them as temporary, as the outcomes of someone else's errors, as
part of the future mythology of his rise to
power/brilliance/wealth/ideal love, etc. Being punished is a diversion
of his precious energy and resources from the all-important task of
fulfilling his mission in life.
The narcissist is pathologically envious of people and believes that
they are equally envious of him. He is paranoid, on guard, ready to
fend off an imminent attack. A punishment to the narcissist is a major
surprise and a nuisance but it also validates his suspicion that he is
being persecuted. It proves to him that strong forces are arrayed
against him.
He tells himself that people, envious of his achievements and
humiliated by them, are out to get him.
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