By Jawad Yaqub
Narcissus and the Child
The Understanding of Evil
A comprehensive exploration of narcissistic personality disorder—from ancient mythology to cutting-edge neuroscience—backed by over 200 peer-reviewed academic sources.
21
Chapters
4
Parts
200+
Sources
100+
Glossary Terms
Available & Upcoming in:
About the Book
Understanding Narcissism at Its Core
Narcissus and the Child offers a rigorous, evidence-based exploration of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)—a condition that affects millions yet remains widely misunderstood. Drawing on over 200 peer-reviewed sources from psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry, this book examines not just what narcissists do, but why they do it.
The journey begins with the ancient myth of Narcissus and traces through to modern brain imaging studies, revealing how narcissism manifests in neural architecture, neurochemistry, and behavior. You'll discover the developmental pathways that create narcissistic personality disorder, the specific brain regions involved, and the complex interplay of genetics and environment.
But this isn't merely an academic exercise. The book provides practical guidance for those affected by narcissistic abuse—explaining the patterns of manipulation, the psychology of trauma bonding, and evidence-based pathways to recovery. Whether you're a survivor seeking understanding, a professional expanding your knowledge, or simply curious about human nature at its extremes, this book offers clarity where confusion has long reigned.
Who This Book Is For
Find Your Path Through the Book
Different readers come to this book with different needs. Find your situation below for recommended starting points.
Survivors of Narcissistic Abuse
If you've experienced manipulation, gaslighting, or emotional abuse from a narcissist in your personal life.
Start With:
- → Chapter 10: The Gaslit Self
- → Chapter 11: The Contagion
- → Chapter 19: The Way Out
Key Glossary Terms:
Supporters of Survivors
Family members, friends, or partners trying to understand and support someone who has experienced narcissistic abuse.
Start With:
- → Chapter 11: The Contagion
- → Chapter 19: The Way Out
- → Chapter 8: What Saves a Child
Key Glossary Terms:
Educated Lay Readers
Curious minds seeking a scientifically rigorous understanding of narcissism and human psychology.
Start With:
- → Chapter 1: The Face in the Pool
- → Chapter 2: The Cluster B Conundrum
- → Chapter 5: Inside the Brain
Key Glossary Terms:
Mental Health Clinicians
Therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists seeking evidence-based insights for clinical practice.
Start With:
- → Chapter 5: Inside the Brain
- → Chapter 6: Brain Chemistry of Misery
- → Chapter 18: Can Narcissus Be Healed?
Key Glossary Terms:
Researchers
Academics and students studying personality disorders, neuroscience, or related fields.
Start With:
- → Chapter 5: Inside the Brain
- → Chapter 6: Brain Chemistry of Misery
- → Chapter 4: What Causes Narcissism?
Key Glossary Terms:
Workplace Narcissism Victims
Those dealing with narcissistic bosses, colleagues, or toxic corporate cultures.
Start With:
- → Chapter 13: Corporate Narcissism
- → Chapter 19: The Way Out
- → Appendix: The Null Protocol
Key Glossary Terms:
Political/Societal Victims
Those seeking to understand narcissism in leadership, politics, and social movements.
Start With:
- → Chapter 14: Political Narcissism
- → Chapter 12: The Great Accelerant
- → Chapter 15: Societal Narcissism
Key Glossary Terms:
Cult & Communal Narcissism Survivors
Those who have experienced narcissistic abuse in religious, spiritual, or communal settings.
Start With:
- → Chapter 16: Communal Narcissism
- → Chapter 11: The Contagion
- → Chapter 19: The Way Out
Key Glossary Terms:
Children of Narcissistic Parents
Adult children seeking to understand their upbringing and break generational patterns.
Start With:
- → Chapter 7: The Unseen Child
- → Chapter 8: What Saves a Child
- → Chapter 9: Building the Maze
Key Glossary Terms:
Featured Resource
The Neural Field Guide
One of the unique features of this book is the Neural Field Guide—a comprehensive visual reference mapping narcissistic behaviors to their neurological origins.
For each major narcissistic trait—grandiosity, lack of empathy, exploitation, rage—the guide shows which brain regions are involved, what neurotransmitter systems are dysregulated, and how this manifests in observable behavior. It's the bridge between "what they do" and "why their brain makes them do it."
- Maps behaviors to brain regions (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, insula)
- Explains neurochemical basis (dopamine, cortisol, oxytocin)
- Connects developmental trauma to adult presentation
Sample: Empathy Deficits
Brain Regions
Anterior insula (reduced activity), mirror neuron system (impaired), right supramarginal gyrus (underactive)
Neurochemistry
Reduced oxytocin receptor density, altered serotonin function in social cognition circuits
Behavioral Manifestation
Inability to recognize others' emotional states, cognitive empathy without affective resonance, exploitation without remorse
Why "Nulling" Instead of "Gaslighting"?
More Accurate
"Gaslighting" implies dimming—making things unclear. Narcissists don't dim your reality; they null it entirely, replacing your perceptions with theirs.
Captures the Totality
Nulling describes the complete erasure of your experience—your memories, emotions, and reality become null and void in the narcissist's narrative.
Technical Precision
In programming, "null" means no value exists. The narcissist treats your reality as if it has no value—it simply doesn't exist.
New Framework
The Null Protocol
The book introduces the Null Protocol—an evolution beyond the popular "grey rock" technique for dealing with narcissists.
While grey rock advises becoming boring and unresponsive, the Null Protocol is more sophisticated. It's based on understanding what narcissists actually need from interactions—narcissistic supply—and systematically removing it while protecting yourself from their reality-nulling tactics.
Grey Rock vs. Null Protocol
Grey Rock: Be boring, don't react.
Null Protocol: Understand supply mechanics, strategically withdraw specific supply types, maintain internal reality anchoring, document for pattern recognition.
From the Book
Notable Passages
Interview
A Conversation with the Author
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
After years of researching narcissistic personality disorder and seeing how little accessible, science-based information was available to survivors, I felt compelled to bridge the gap between academic research and public understanding. Too many people suffer in confusion, not understanding what they're dealing with. This book aims to provide that clarity.
Q: How is this book different from other books on narcissism?
Most popular books on narcissism focus on personal stories or general advice. This book goes deeper—into the neuroscience, the developmental origins, and the actual brain differences that characterize narcissistic personality disorder. Every claim is backed by peer-reviewed research. I wanted readers to understand not just what narcissists do, but why they do it at a neurological level.
Q: Who should read this book?
Anyone seeking to understand narcissism at a deeper level. This includes survivors of narcissistic abuse who want to make sense of their experiences, mental health professionals looking for a comprehensive resource, researchers interested in the topic, and family members trying to understand a loved one's behavior. The book is written to be accessible while maintaining scientific rigor.
Q: Can narcissists change?
This is one of the most important questions the book addresses. The short answer is: it's complicated. The book dedicates several chapters to examining what the research actually shows about treatment outcomes, the neuroplasticity involved, and the specific conditions under which change might be possible. I avoid both false hope and complete pessimism.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from this book?
Understanding. When you truly understand what narcissistic personality disorder is—how it develops, how it manifests in the brain, why narcissists behave the way they do—you gain power. Survivors can stop blaming themselves. Professionals can better serve their clients. And society can begin to address the conditions that create narcissism in the first place.
Structure
Four Parts, One Journey
The Disorder
Understanding narcissistic personality disorder—its history, diagnosis, and manifestations.
Chapters 1-4
The Narcissistic Brain
The neuroscience behind narcissism—brain structure, chemistry, and developmental origins.
Chapters 5-9
Narcissism in the World
How narcissism manifests in relationships, corporations, politics, and culture.
Chapters 10-17
The Way Out
Recovery, protection, and healing—evidence-based strategies for survivors.
Chapters 18-21
Reviews
What People Are Saying
"A groundbreaking synthesis of neuroscience and clinical wisdom. This book will change how we understand and treat narcissistic personality disorder."
Professional Review
Coming Soon
"Finally, a book that explains the 'why' behind narcissistic behavior with scientific precision and human compassion."
Reader Review
Coming Soon
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Ready to Understand?
Whether you're a survivor seeking clarity, a professional expanding your knowledge, or someone who wants to understand narcissism at its deepest level—your journey starts here.