The PN Space Dysphoria has an anticipatory function. It is a reminder that the current PN Space is not immune to a similar fate. It encourages the narcissist to put on the Wunderkind mask and it facilitates the activation of all the EIPM. This dysphoria is really a warning signal: remember, it whispers, that all PN Spaces are transient. Therefore, it is not worthwhile to get emotionally attached to any particular PN Space (EIPM, Wunderkind mask) and the narcissist should be always ready to move on to the next narcissistic destination.

This is common to all dysphorias. They all encourage mobility: between themselves (the selection switches), between PN Spaces, or through the Reactive Repertoire. The dysphorias are the engines of the psychodynamics of the narcissist. They feed off the narcissist's staples of deficiencies, losses, fears and repression.

Only rarely is a state of Narcissistic Coherence achieved with full compatibility between all the components and structures of the narcissist's personality.

When this happens (usually in an optimal PN Space), there is complete interchangeability between PNSS and SNSS. Actually the very distinction between the two becomes blurred. If a certain PNSS is
terminated, there is an increase in the use of SNSS to compensate for it. The converse is also true.

The narcissist always prefers PNSSs. SNSSs are used less when PNSSs are available and the reverse is never true, if the narcissist can help it. When there is low compatibility between the structures of the narcissist's personality, especially when there is a shortage of PNSSs (a sizeable Grandiosity Gap, conflict between the mental structures, or when the Reactive Repertoire or the dysphorias are in operation), there is a tendency to reduce the SNSSs as well and thus rebalance the picture.

A fixed ratio is maintained between PNSSs and SNSSs. Whenever the compatibility between personality structures is low (conflictive personality) the narcissist tries to maintain this fixed ratio. If the compatibility is high, he maintains an asymmetric compensatory interchangeability: a decrease in PNSSs leads to increased use of SNSSs. Still, the mere availability of SNSSs does not alter the usage pattern. PNSSs always reign supreme.

The Principles of Narcissistic Compensation:

• The Principle of Symmetric Interchangeability

  Less SNSSs - More PNSSs
  Less PNSSs - More SNSSs

• Principle of Asymmetric Interchangeability

  More PNSSs - Less SNSSs
  More SNSSs - Same PNSSs

Whatever the internal machinations, the narcissist experiences constant anxiety. In his case it is real and justified fear with an endogenous, instead of an exogenous, source. Horrible, frightening things do threaten the narcissist from the inside.

We neglected to mention the reactions of human NSS.

To obtain Narcissistic Supply the narcissist must degrade the NSS and belittle it. Only so does he establish his own superiority. Inferior-superior, clever-stupid, experienced-inexperienced, handsome-ugly, educated-less educated, knowledgeable-ignorant, vulgar-refined, poor-wealthy, these are the implicit and explicit comparisons effectively used by the narcissist to extract his pound of Narcissistic Supply.

But the NSSs rebel against their prescribed role. Abandoning the narcissist is the ultimate form of resistance. It follows that the narcissist must encourage this mutinous attitude to secure his abandonment and to establish an environment conducive to the operation of the EIPM.

But if the NSSs are, indeed, worthless (as the narcissist insists), then the Narcissistic Supply that they provide is, surely, as worthless. The narcissist uses a dichotomous approach to solve this paradox. True, the NSSs well deserve humiliation, degradation and belittling. However, the specific specimen selected by the infallible narcissist is a fine one, different from the others. The narcissist complements himself on his choice, judiciousness, and taste, thus enhancing his sense of uniqueness - and, at the same time, solves the paradox.

Example:

A misogynistic narcissist strives to frustrate women and, thus, to externalise transformed aggression. But, to his mind, the SNSS is not a woman but an object. The narcissist uses the SNSS's very presence by his side (as a spouse, for instance) to frustrate other women - but while doing so he also deprives her of her femininity.

He turns her into a child, an angel, a sex slave, or even an animal. In the first two cases (child, angel), the narcissist finds it hard to have sexual intercourse with her. In the third case (sex slave) the narcissist finds it hard to be in touch with any other element of her personality or of her femininity except her (objectified) sexuality. He uses these methods to deny and neutralise such big chunks of her femininity that she gradually becomes a functioning object with no gender or sex. Her single remaining important role is to adore the narcissist.

There is a gap between reality and the way that the narcissist perceives the female SNSS (her idealised figure, actually).

This gap is not the result of blind love. Its aim is to frustrate other women ("How come he is with her and not with me? I am more intelligent/beautiful/etc.") and to conserve his partner's quality as SNSS ("She may be ugly - but she is amazing").