Very interesting, Atypical. You said that "all you care about is getting what you want"... There was a psych researcher at my university who studied psychopathy, and he gave a presentation on his research. He said that he believed that psychopathy is primarily an attention problem, with psychopaths getting so focused on-as you said-"what they want", that nothing can stop them in pursuit of their goal. He said that they are not out to hurt anyone, but they have no respect for others' wellbeing if it stands in the way of their goal. Do you find this to be an accurate representation of your experiences?

Also, how do you determine what you want, if you are not motivated by pride, or reputation, or emotion? What motivates you to seek something with that much passion? Hope you don't mind me asking...

You're right, Underground. Narcissists don't get a lot of compassion for their condition, even from therapists. Do you wish that equal attention was given to your healing as it is given to the healing of those you may have hurt?

Yes, cluster B diagnoses probably carry the heaviest stigma of all. I think it is probably even worse than the stigma attached to schizophrenia...people with cluster B dx's are seen as "bad people", which I don't think is fair. You're right, Atypical; these are disorders that no one chooses to have...I personally don't believe that anyone is "evil". We may do evil things, to be certain, but...everyone has a reason-be it brain chemistry or brain structure or traumatic experiences-that makes them the way that they are. I personally don't believe in free will (which makes a lot of people mad...) because of this.

I think you have a very interesting perspective, OE. Narcissists probably are terrified of coming to terms with their own vulnerabilities and imperfections...heck, everyone is, but it is probably worse for Narcissists. And the not being capable of empathizing with others, because no one ever showed them empathy...intriguing. I'd be curious to hear a Narcissist's opinion on whether that is how it really is for them...only if you feel comfortable sharing, of course.

Thanks for answering my questions, everyone.