Although the narcissistic persona is appealing, the façade of illusion and superficiality indicates being prone to alienation from oneself. Reality is fraught with anguish, panic, absence, and void.
Narcissism is the love of an image, but one unrecognizable as oneself. The mirror is distorted both inwards and outwards. A man in analytical treatment commented, “What do I like? What do I want? I want to be desired, but I don’t believe I’m desirable. I want excitement, but I can’t excite myself with anything that is not taboo. I want to die, I think. I’m selfish and don’t really care about anything more than my own comfort, stability, peace, and legacy. And all of this is starting to ring hollow. I am scared and what can I do?” The unanswered questions posed are: "Who am I really?" and "Can I be interested to know you when I do not see myself?"
Much pain is expressed within these words and draws us to the person covered in sparkling appeal but suffering in this ontological insecurity, living half-dead, feeling flawed. How can this paradox exist? This is a perspective about why love is difficult for a narcissist, finding it hard to give and easy to take. The person circles around but does not get into the intimacy, feelings, and emotions of love. Often appearing as a shiny object, adored, and idealized, they need glamourous projections onto them to prevent collapsing into what feels like the void of interiority.
Narcissism has been described as a grandiose sense of self with exhibitionism,........