One of the biggest misconceptions about psychopaths and malignant narcissists who have psychopathic traits is the idea that they are lashing out from pain when they engage in aggressive behavior. Nothing could be further from the truth. The defining characteristic of a psychopath is their tendency to engage in what is known as instrumental aggression1
Instrumental aggression refers to purposeful and calculated acts of aggression that are targeted towards a victim in order to achieve a specific goal or gain a reward. This form of aggression, also referred to as proactive or predatory aggression, is premeditated and typically occurs without provocation from the victim. It is characterized by a sense of control, intentionality, and is motivated by personal benefits such as financial gain, social status, recognition, substance abuse, self-image preservation, fulfillment of grandiose fantasies, or even deriving sadistic pleasure from causing harm.
Malignant narcissists who exhibit psychopathic traits do not engage in aggressive behavior as a result of pain. On the contrary, their aggression is intentional and strategic, aimed at achieving specific goals or rewards. This type of aggression, known as instrumental or proactive aggression, is carefully planned and executed without provocation from their victims. It serves their personal interests, whether it be acquiring wealth, social status, or satisfaction from inflicting pain.
Malignant narcissists, specifically, harbor intense envy towards individuals leading fulfilling lives. They possess a proclivity to symbolically emasculate, dehumanize, and ultimately annihilate others. Their fury is fueled by a yearning for retribution as the paranoid inclinations observed in malignant narcissists stem from projecting their own harbored animosity onto those whom they mercilessly target. These individuals deliberately persecute others to bolster their inflated self-perception and derive pleasure from dismantling those who surpass them in any way.
- The #1 Myth About Psychopaths and Malignant Narcissists: What People Get Wrong About These Types https://psychcentral.com/blog/recovering-narcissist/2020/05/the-1-myth-about-psychopaths-and-malignant-narcissists-what-people-get-wrong-about-these-types#1 [↩]