Empathy, Hot, Cold and Personality Disorders

Abstract

Narcissists and psychopaths lack empathy. Empathy requires both the suspension of disbelief, indeed of one’s very existence (by assuming someone else’s identity if only for a moment, like actors do) and the surrender of control (by allowing other people to dictate how one feels). Both feats go against the grain of narcissists, let alone psychopaths. In the case of the narcissist, he has already suppressed his true self. To also suspend his False Self (to make room for the Other) would amount to self-annihilation.

It is safe to say that the same applies to such patients who are co-diagnosed (co-morbid) with other personality disorders, notably Schizoid, Paranoid,
Borderline, Avoidant, and Schizotypal.