Vulnerable Narcissism
Vulnerable narcissism reflects introversive self-absorbedness, high neuroticism, hypersensitivity even to gentle criticism, and a constant need for reassurance.
Vulnerable narcissists “are just as convinced that they’re better than others as any other narcissist, but they fear criticism so viscerally that they shy away from, and even seem panicked by people and attention.”
A vulnerable narcissist embodies the grandiose core fantasies and sense of entitlement.
Yet, this individual shows constraint and is less equipped to use the exaggerated self-enhancement strategies to modulate self-esteem that a grandiose narcissist may use.
Vulnerable narcissism is associated with dissociating the self-image into an explicit, positive self-image and an implicit, negative self-image.
The positive self-image is associated with excessive pride, whereas the negative self-image is associated with shame and humiliation.
When receiving only positive feedback, the narcissist can keep the negative shame-filled self-image hidden below the level of conscious awareness.
But when they experience external feedback as criticism, they are forced to confront their negative self-image and feel deeply ashamed.
Whereas the vulnerable narcissist struggles with internally conflicting self-images, no hidden negative self-representation threatens to dent the grandiose narcissist’s positive self-image.
Negative feedback, therefore, doesn’t impact the grandiose narcissist as profoundly.
But the deep shame this brings upon the vulnerable narcissist turns her into an explosive compound destined to explode in a frightening outburst of anger or an all-consuming hatred.
This hostile reaction to insinuations of imperfection is also known as “narcissistic rage.”
To regulate self-esteem, vulnerable narcissists rely on interpersonal feedback from others to modulate their hypersensitivity.
However, these individuals present with shyness and social avoidance and can appear to portray empathy.
Furthermore, those with vulnerable narcissistic traits have shown increased anxiety levels concerning interpersonal relationships, showing more significant distress over separation than those at the other end of the narcissistic spectrum.
Rather than experiencing intense rage or envy when their self-perception is threatened, vulnerable narcissists will feel shame due to their affect dysregulation.
The vulnerable narcissist’s labile emotional presentation creates considerable clinical confusion because this criterion overlaps with other personality pathology.
Avoidant personality disorder and borderline personality disorder are distinct personality disorders in which social avoidance and emotion dysregulation are core criteria, respectively.
However, grandiose core expectations and entitlement are suspected to be the distinguishing factor between vulnerable narcissism and similar personality disorders.
Vulnerable narcissistic individuals who require interpersonal interactions to modulate self-perception experience great distress during interpersonal separation, not achievement situations.
In other words, vulnerable narcissism is associated with internalizing actions, such as anxiety and shame, when their inflated self-beliefs are threatened.
Although vulnerable narcissistic individuals are capable of aggression and rage to regulate their self-esteem, they are more likely to be overcome with shame, inadequacy, anxiety, or depression when engaging in their grandiose fantasies or when the environment contradicts their high self-views.
Although these vulnerable individuals need interpersonal relationships to maintain their inflated sense of self, they are likely to evade relationships to avoid rejection and criticism