Thus, they gradually form working hypotheses as to what people feel. As far as the Narcissist is concerned, it is pointless to try to really understand emotions - but at least these models he forms allow him to better predict people s behaviour. Narcissists are not envious of people who feel. They disdain feelings and emotional people because they think that they are weak and vulnerable and they deride human frailties and vulnerabilities. Such derision makes the Narcissist feel superior and is probably the ossified remains of a defence mechanism gone awry.
Narcissists are afraid of pain.
Pain is a pebble in their Indra's Net - lift it and the whole net revives. Their pains do not come isolated - they constitute families of anguish, tribes of hurt, whole races of agony. The Narcissist cannot experience them separately only collectively. Narcissism is an effort to contain the ominous onslaught of stale emotions, repressed rage, a child's injuries. Pathological narcissism is useful - this is why it is so resilient and resistant to change.