I think in their world they are so perfect they won't accept being anything far from perfect. When i read up on narcissism, I decided not to bring it up cause the article said that's the last thing you want to do. I told my ex's friend about it at the time, and he asked him if he knew what a narcissist was. He immediately blew up in his face and said "YES, AND I'M NOT A NARCISSIST!" He also kept saying mental disorders weren't real, they were just how people naturally were, and how certain people tried to classify more "special" people. I could never see him admitting to something being wrong with him. If anything, he'd take it as a compliment.

Yes I think they know,mine knew. If they didn't know it they wouldn't go so far to hide their real self, it is the game and control They enjoy. The dupe

My P could not hide his psychopathic self when drunk which was often. He would espouse all manner of evil beliefs regarding racism, sexism, classism, politics, religion (mine), sexual preference, morality, including pedophiliac thoughts, high regard for violence and law-breaking, ridicule of everything about me--my intelligence, religion, accomplishments, talents, looks, value.

When sober, and especially before I knew him well, he presented his ideas and himself as being the diametric opposite of all the things he revealed above. In fact, he expressed these lies about himself in chats and e-mails in a repetitive, hypnotic manner, on a daily basis, for months.

So right, sabia, if they didn't know, why would they go to such extents to hide the truth about themselves? The frightening thing, however, is that they truly do not care about their condition. They know they must hide it in order to snare victims, but when confronted, it is clear they are more than fine with being who they are.

Yes very true and I think my ex he was conditioning me to who he was, over time he show himself to me but it is then in his mind my fault that I didn't leave sooner.