Q. Do narcissists regret a rash decision to discard?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Yes, it is possible for a narcissist to regret a rash decision to discard someone. To understand why this happens, we need to look at the psychology behind how narcissists operate.
Narcissists are driven primarily by the need for admiration and validation from others, and as a result often make decisions based on what will give them the most attention or recognition. This includes discarding people who no longer serve their purpose or who no longer meet their standards of admiration. It could be because they feel like this person does not appreciate them enough or that they are not getting what they want out of the relationship anymore so they decide its time to move on without any thought of repercussions. When this happens, it’s usually an impulsive decision made without much consideration for how it may affect everyone else involved in their life--including themselves.
However, after making such a decision there is often an overwhelming feeling of guilt that creeps up afterwards due to having hurt someone else. All too soon, reality sets in and our narcissist begins to realize just how much damage was done by discarding someone without thinking things through first - which can cause feelings of remorse if they have too many regrets over what happened or if the relationship meant something more than it initially appeared.
This guilt can be further compounded by fear of abandonment--a fear that all humans possess but which resonates deeply with those suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). If a narcissist has invested too much emotional energy into one particular person and suddenly finds themselves facing rejection as revenge for their own actions then these emotions become incredibly intense – leading them down paths filled with sudden bursts of regret and despair when faced with having caused pain or distress upon another human being whom previously provided them love, comfort & security (to fill in whatever voids were present within).
Throughout all these feelings however lurk underlying motivations related back into self-preservation - namely needing external validation in order to survive emotionally while living under psychological constrictions such as NPD - In other words: A need to be right & admired even at times where wronging oneself would come more naturally; proving once again that despite our best intentions some wounds cannot be healed no matter how hard we try..