In the Romantic Dynamics model, "pathological narcissism" is an important feature of our psychology which can shoot down nearly any aspect of romance, and ruin the progress in any of the three phases of courtship. We borrow from the Self Psychologists, and Psychodynamic theorists to understand it, but also add some principles of the Game Theory of Economics, most notably, the Nash Equilibrium, to understand it.

The easiest way to consider what pathological narcissism is, simply put, is to see it as immaturity, or the opposite of character maturity and virtue. As such, you might see it as childish, evil, destructive, selfish, and a host of other negative descriptors.  Even traditions in storytelling attempt to explain it to every world culture through history, in the form of "monster stories."  Especially vampire stories.  All the same story motifs offer symbolism of the various features of narcissism.

In essence, pathological narcissism, or "narcissism," for short, pulls its name from the Greek god and myth of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection and stared at it so long that he eventually died of malnourishment.

It is destructive in the game theory sense, in that it employs a "win/lose" decision-making style, with most interpersonal dealings benefitting the narcissism, and somehow diminishing or taking away from the recipient of the narcissism, much like the story motif of a vampire sucking the blood out of a victim.

Major features of pathological narcissism include the lack of skill at certain, Higher Brained features of maturity and virtue, such as a lack of Observing Ego to pay attention socially and learn moral lessons, the lack of solid boundaries or a personal boundary riddled with holes and or walls, rather than interdependent doors.  It also carries imbalance in all the psychological resources, for example a large amount of confidence with an utter lack of well-being, or an abundance of shrewdness or intuition, with a relative lack of ethics or innocence.  As such, pathological narcissism is directly contrary to the fitness as a person to find mutuality of friendship in the emotional attraction phase two of courtship, or the committed partnership phase three of courtship.

It is the master saboteur of love and romance, and must be thoroughly understood in order to have a lasting romance.

Below are many of the problems with psychological skills and resources that are contained in it: