You will learn this in your personal life when you have a conflict where a loved one suddenly becomes inflexible, implacable, impervious to nuance, and grimly determined to win at any cost. You will wonder where this monstrous willfulness comes from and then come to understand that it happened to them very early, disabling the faculties most people have to take responsibility when in the wrong and compromise in order to restore trust and peace. This type is capable of any kind of destructiveness to avoid the terrifyingly soul crushing feeling of being wrong, ever, about anything. Being wrong, to this type, is a kind of soul death, a loss of self-esteem that makes a them a “loser”, a “fate” too horrifying for them to contemplate.

Check the news today and you will hear the insane former president’s lawyer argue to the DC appeals court that unless there is a political decision to remove a president from office for a crime, conviction after impeachment, something that has never happened to a president in the history of this great nation, that he is free to order the murder of his political opponents while in office.  A ridiculous argument, to be sure, but not an unusual one for a narcissist to make. Their style of argument boils down to “I know you are, but what am I?” and “make me”. They don’t need arguments, they only need power. 

With power you can do anything you want, without power you are alone, weak, contemptible, powerless and despicable. Especially if you are articulate, have a decent memory and are able to keep your focus while under attack.