Thin-skinned or vulnerable narcissism and thick skinned narcissism or great
similarities and differences
Keywords:
narcissism, clinical material, transference, contratransference, diagnosis, psychoanalytic technique, synthetic function, shameAbstract
This paper explores two types of narcissism and their psychopathological implications: thin-skinned or vulnerable narcissism and the thick-skinned or grandiose narcissism. Current literature on this subject is considered, stating the names and characteristics with which each of them were described. Clinical vignettes are presented for both types of narcissism and similarities and differences among them, as well as other related factors are analyzed. The importance of experiences of shame and humiliation are underlined. Based on these comparisons, the psychodynamic mechanisms at stake are examined in both cases, especially their relation with the levels of mental functioning. It is concluded that both thin-skinned and thick-skinned narcissism constitute failed forms of facing the difficult articulation between self-affirmation and the acknowledgement of the other.
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References
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