An abusive, Unsafe Person in a Target's life who displays extreme traits of Narcissism, but who might or might not meet the diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Narcissism exists on a continuum: on the one end is "healthy narcissism" related to a positive sense of self-worth; the other end is Malignant Narcissism which may also include sociopathic or psychopathic traits. A person who is on the extreme end of the scale employs abusive tactics and manipulation in all, or nearly all, of their relationships. More than just an occasional moment of self-absorption or lack of empathy, a Narcissist chooses these predatory and exploitive behavior patterns consistently. It is a lifestyle. Calculating and intentional -- Narcissists know exactly what they are doing. Narcissistic abuse is primarily psychological and emotional (though Targets may suffer physical abuse as well). Because of the false persona they present to the outside world – a charming mask that hides their cruelty – these perpetrators’ very covert and insidious methods of abuse escape notice. Targets spend much of the Devalue/Devastate Stage constantly on their toes lest they incur the wrath of their Narcissist. Yet this effort is fruitless, as the Narcissist can and will use anything and everything (real or fabricated) as a weapon against their Target.