Narcissistic vulnerability and the fragile self: a failure of mirroring

The phenomenon of narcissistic vulnerability is described and the history of the concept is outlined. With clinical illustrations from individual and group psychotherapy it is described how some people are prone to show strong reactions to the narcissistic injuries of feeling slighted or ignored. These are associated with a proneness to shame. Drawing on Broucek's suggestion that the basis of the sense of self is the sense of efficacy, it is proposed that the fundamental injury is an incapacity to evoke a meaningful emotional response in the caretaker. This notion is compared with the related views of Winnicott and Kohut. It is apparent that a superficial mirroring response is not sufficient; what the child (and patient) needs is a deeper empathic response. In therapy, patients attempt to master the original injury by seeking again a response that mirrors in depth.