Psychology of Self - Vaknin: The Narcissistic Self

Vaknin: The Narcissistic Self

'Abstracting ideas from many theoretical perspectives - including concepts from Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, Heinz Kohut and the school of object relations and self-psychology' - Sam Vaknin emphasises the self-made nature of the narcissist's self, stressing how narcissists 'create an inner dialogue to maintain consistency with their grandiose or omnipotent self'. This inner dialogue takes precedence over external input in self-formation - 'just carrying on a dialogue within a narcissistic structure'.

The narcissistic personality - still according to 'Vaknin, an expert on this personality type' - attempts to 'protect the vulnerable self by building layers of grandiosity and a huge sense of entitlement'. He sees the roots of the condition as lying in childhood self-formation: 'the child represses his needs and develops the protective grandiose image or false self rather than his true self' - hence the reason 'Vaknin comments on the importance of early detection and treatment'.

Failing intervention, once the narcissistic personality is established, 'a narcissist will always prefer his false self over his true self. No one can convince the narcissist that his true self is far more lovable and intriguing than his grandiose, inflated false self (Vaknin, 2006)'.