Good remark: "Some research even indicates that vulnerable narcissism may actually represent something closer to borderline personality disorder than it does narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) so vulnerable narcissism may not be as closely tied to NPD as we once thought"

Great description, very helpful so thank you. I think at the root, narcissists are fundamentally insecure people with a deep sense of shame and traumatic wounds that have not been processed. Instead, they've built entire personalities around those wounds, which operate more as coping mechanisms as opposed to real personalities as expressions of one's authenticity. Based on this, I would say that vulnerable narcissists, due to their higher levels of neuroticism and anxiety, are to some degree, more attuned to their bodies and to themselves simply by virtue of feeling anxiety. On the other hand, grandiose-narcissists have built such powerful psychological walls that they're not even conscious of their trauma and shame. And they could not bare even entertaining that this is within them. I like how in the traditional Hawaiian culture there has always been an understanding of repressed trauma within the "little mind", what we might call the subconscious mind. They believe that the role of the subconscious mind is to protect the conscious mind and the body from damaging itself, and so it stores trauma when we're too immature to process it. Think of a baby that is yelled at by his father, he represses that because he can't understand or process it. All he knows is how terrible it made him feel. But as the child grows and matures, and develops himself psychologically and obtains the tools to address this trauma, the little mind releases the trauma in the form of anxiety to the extent that the conscious mind can handle. However, if the anxiety is ignored and repressed, it will become toxic and harmful to us, which is what I think NPD largely represents as a process. By the way, I shared a bunch of your videos on reddit. My post got a couple hundred upvotes or something like that, so I'm sure that will bring in some views. A lot of people are suffering from narcissistic abuse. Thanks again!

Could it be possible that the "grandiose" Narc has a "full developed" false self, and the vulnerable Narc somehow still knows that everything is fake, so he does not truly believe his own false selfe?

Because this is so useful, and fulfilling to view I have watched it many times over. If you knew the events in my life you might find it very difficultly to understand why I would ever forgive certain narcissists who found it entertaining to destroy me. I find it more energy draining to let the natural hatred towards narcissists fill up my bucket. So I’m not finding it necessary to forgive, but to sort out why they are constructed so brutally in concert with each other. I truly am grateful for your video’s. Every day I find my emotions freed from both types of tormentors. You might be a magician after all, Dr. Todd.

Dispelling misconceptions one at time. Appreciate it, my man.

So much respect for this Doctor 👏

Very insightful, thanks for sharing this doc!

Great video thanks. Especially the vulnerable npd vs borderline spectrum is a great remark.

Thank you very much for an excellent very concise explanation of complicated concepts. As a psychology professor, who investigate these very concepts, it was very easy for me to follow and to explain it to students and colleagues who are not familiar with the difference between the two kinds of narcissism and the Big Five model. However, I think that laymen would find it very difficult to understand. A PowerPoint presentation of core conepts like the Big Five and the relation between them and the two kinds of N, as well as the comorbity between those two kinds and the personality disorders could be useful here.

I'm learning so much watching your videos. Things about myself I always questioned, even though I mostly blamed childhood stuff, are starting to make sense. I would love to learn a bit more about vulnerable narcissism. Any ideas?

Love your channel and I have a question, is it possible for someone with OCD to also have vulnerable narcissistic personality disorder? I’m currently dealing with someone that has told me they have OCD but after getting to know them over the last three years and watching your channel I truly believe they have NPD, or a combination of the two.

Thank you for explaining George Conway's diagnosis of Donald Trump. Everything described her fits him like go hand in glove. Also lo I.Q.

I see a lot of the traits of vulnerable narcissism in myself, particularly the fantasies of fame. (Though that migh have come about due to the idea that, as a disabled person, I've always felt obligated to make a name for myself). But I have a lot of autistic behaviors as well (stimming, lack of eye contact, and so on.) Is itpossible to have both? I've always heard that the two are diametrically opposed).

I love your videos.

The grandiose narc will have an achilles heel, in my own experience with one- his false self was a defense mechanism to mask childhood sexual trauma; public shaming, intimidation, gaslighting and constant torment was his weapon. Alcohol played a vital role in the grooming process of a victim ( new friend). Within weeks he would decide who to discard. Gossiping and triangulation took place after the covert discarding of the pawn-( removal from social media and reduced communication). Reckless aggressive driving under the influence. Use of aggressive body language and entitled demeanor. Argumentative- repetitive- center of attention. Antagonistic- instigator. Jealous and belittling. Overall glad to be done with this character, he came along like a spider had no idea what kind of person he was until it was too late.

The dance that's hard to watch is when these two hookup.

Nice! Do you have any videos on cerebral vs somatic narcissism?

I haven't been able to figure out 'vulnerable ' narcissism. It sounds like you're saying both think they are entitled and are better than others, but the vulnerable ones have a low self esteem. Isn't that a contradiction of concepts? How can you have a low self esteem and think you're better than every body else? So confusing.

Can you talk about communal, malignant and covert narcissists? Also, can a narcissist has two types of narcissism ?

Dr Grande, can you make movie about vulnerable narcissism represents something closer to BPD or can you give us some sources about this?

Can you please cite/ link the research you are speaking of? Where did this idea of grandiose and vulnerable subtypes come from?

How does self-aware people fit with personality disorders... please help !

Doctor I think something which would be quite interesting to your viewers would be if you had three or four uneducated opinions or analysis of your patients problems just so the average persons way of thinking is compared to a highly educated professionals opinions like yours. Your intelligence was hard earned I'm sure and I think many people in our society need to see that

So you do video on writers,such as lewis Carroll,etc??I would really be interested

*I've learned so much about our President from your videos.*

Does a covert narcissist have two disorders: NPD and BPD combined together? Or just NPD and some traits of BPD?

It seems to me that vulnerable narcissism has aspects of avoident pd.

Yet I heard the difference between BPD & NPD is the BPD will say "I'm Sorry" is that true?

Dr. Grande, what a coincidence. Kati Morton uploaded a video about this topic at almost the exact same time as you!

Why do I identify with both of these?

I’m grandiose!!!!,?.),):&.&: unfuckingstoppable!!! Hear me roar!!!

I have a new friend who kind of behaves like grandiose narcissist. She likes beautiful things, be it person or stuff. She tries to be friend with the most beautiful or one with most authority within the group. She thinks highly of herself, her family and her relationships. For example, she would say how much her husband loves her, how much her father loves her, how great their achievements are. I know her own achievement is exaggerated. Once there was a party and she was not invited. Someone accidentally told her about the party. She was very emotional and felt hurt. She call the host asking why she was not invited. Does these sound like grandiose narcissist?

KZfaq has two Dr Grandes; who would have thought?

Yes, but narcissistic personality disordered people appear more fastuous, neither extroverted which would come across as more cocky and aggressive, or more introvert, which comes across as un-fastuous and humble, even more extroverted non fastuous narcissists can appear more humble.

Do vulnerable narcissists have the ability to empathize with others?

You're kinda right but grandiosity is the cause of extroversion in narcisissm not the other way around. Extroverts never fluctuate to introverted, perphaps it is why narcissists feel the need to put others down, because they know they will fluctuate to timid and low, usually when they get older, non-narcissistic extroverts on the other hand do not need to put others down because they never fluctuate to introverted or neurotic as it is part of their personality.

Weird how every girl thinks their ex is a narcissist

This is a bad classification based on a false conceptual understanding. A narcissist manipulates the emotion, perception and opinion of [preferably] codependent individuals in order to receive validation for their self styled false persona. Within this context there is no such thing as a "vulnerable narcissist", other then an individual who projects themselves as a victim and use the victim card to manipulate others. An avoidant personality type can never be a narcissist for the simple reason that they need narcissistic supply and they can't afford to be avoidant. In any case they may be avoidant towards people who they think are not gullible and manipulable. Like someone said in the comments, all narcissists are introspectively vulnerable but the grandiose type has more confidence in his false self.

Excellent topic, Dr. Grande! Thank you for the great description of these sub-types. And BTW: Your channel ROCKS! Some time ago I came across an interesting discussion by Dr. Rune Fardal of the grandiose and vulnerable (he calls them overt and covert, they are also sometimes called thick-skinned and thin-skinned) presentations of narcissism. You and your viewers might be interested to check out that video: (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gsyBjbqFx6umqJc.html.

I wouldn't be spending time listening to your channel if you appeared to be in your person grandiose and/or up to no good Dr. Grande. Unfortunate that grandiosity somehow in some other professionals including in other kinds of mental health professionals, military personel and in undercover police offers doesn't get noticed as often compared to grandiose people in other settings when the grandiose person is obvious to a lot of people valuing competition and their own reputations most no matter what it costs a whole lot of innocent people.

All conservative white men

thanks