Narcissists have a false self. They’re master illusionists. They behave like a little king or queen — whether bragging or sulking. Their whole personality is a charade crafted to deceive you into believing they are confident, superior, self-sufficient, likable, and caring. In studies, groups of people met with and liked a narcissist, but after 6 more interviews, they discerned the narcissist’s true nature and changed their mind.
Their personality is designed to impress and compensate for their hidden shame, exposed when their grandiosity doesn’t match reality. Most of the time, they will alter their perception of reality to protect their false self. An air of self-confidence and superiority inflates narcissists’ opinion of themselves, which shields them against unconscious feelings of inadequacy. It also shifts shame by projecting inferiority onto others. They distort, rationalize, twist facts, and delude themselves to avoid anything that may cause a chink in their armor.