Narcissistic supply

Narcissus by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) entails behaviors and attitudes that are designed to preserve a self-image of perfection, entitlement, and superiority.

Matthew Boland, PhD, descibes narcissistic supply thusly:

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Narcissistic supply is the driving force behind many narcissistic behaviors. Recognizing the signs and patterns can help you set boundaries, get support, and care for your well-being. If you know someone with narcissistic personality traits or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), you may be familiar with some of the ways they attempt to maintain a sense of superiority. It may be through: a constant need for validation lack of empathy manipulation other controlling behaviors At the heart of narcissistic behavior is narcissistic supply, a term that refers to the emotional sustenance narcissists seek to maintain their self-esteem and self-worth.

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PsycheCentral indicates:

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Narcissists employ various tactics to obtain the supply they desire, says Dr. Ryan Sultan, teaching psychiatrist at Columbia University in New York. “Some narcissists resort to aggressive behaviors, while others use charm and charisma to elicit admiration,” he notes. “The specific methods used can vary widely among individuals with narcissistic traits.” Other common tactics include: manipulation emotional coercion feigned affection control or dominance over others intimidation negative attention excessive admiration notoriety

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The 2017 journal article The Moderating Effect of Psychological Contract Violation on the Relationship between Narcissism and Outcomes: An Application of Trait Activation Theory published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology notes:

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To maintain unrealistically high levels of self-esteem, narcissists tend to provide self-ratings of their own intelligence, creativity, competence, and leadership ability that are more favorable than others’ ratings of those same characteristics (John and Robins, 1994; Campbell et al., 2004; Judge et al., 2006). As a result, narcissists have an intense desire to have their superiority reaffirmed through admiration that serves to protect and preserve their grandiose self-images (Chatterjee and Hambrick, 2006). Information that bolsters self-esteem, referred to as “narcissistic supply” (Kernberg, 1975) can be self-generated through exhibitionism or by viewing others less favorably (Bogart et al., 2004). However, some narcissistic supply must derive from the affirmation, applause, and adulation of others (Wallace and Baumeister, 2002). The need to maintain sufficient “narcissistic supply” has important effects on the behavior of narcissists. Many of the behavioral tendencies of narcissists are an attempt to inflate and maintain their own (overly) favorable self-evaluations (Westen, 1990). As a result, narcissists engage in behaviors such as bragging (Hogan et al., 1990), derogating others (DiMaggio et al., 2002; Bogart et al., 2004), reacting to ego threats with hostility and aggression (Baumeister et al., 1996; Bushman and Baumeister, 1998; Rhodewalt and Morf, 1998; Rhodewalt et al., 1998), making internal attributions for success and external attributions for failure (John and Robins, 1994), and overestimating future outcomes and performance, even in the face of disconfirming feedback (Vazire and Funder, 2006).

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See also

• Grandiose narcissism
• Narcissistic collapse
• Narcissistic rivalry
• Narcissistic rage
• Grey rock method
• Core self-evaluations
• Emotional intelligence

External links

• Narcissistic Supply Explained, VeryWellMind.com
• Narcissistic Supply: The Fuel Behind Manipulative Relationships, SimplePsychology.org
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Understanding Narcissistic Supply in the Workplace