Dealing with narcissists is baffling. At least until we understand how their mind works.
We won’t get this understanding from them: they have no clue. But once someone knowledgeable shares how they are inside, their behavior makes sense. In a bizarre and creepy way, but still.
Let’s start with an illustration from Dr Craig Malkin, a clinical psychologist specialized in treating narcissism :
“Given the choice between a loving partner and a trophy partner, a narcissist will chose a trophy partner”.
So sadly true. But let’s look at this statement more closely.