Egosyntonic Aggression

Egosyntonic aggression is a type of aggressive or harmful behavior which is natural and consistent to a person’s self-concept. Unlike egodystonic, they don’t see it as a problem as it doesn’t cause them distress or remorse. Instead, they feel  justified to assert their entitlement, defend their grandiosity, or express their feelings of superiority. They also don’t feel guilty—their disorganized superegos aren’t oriented to self-reflection. For example, someone with an egosyntonic personality disorder might see their traits as a fair response to others they perceive as enemies or fools — or as a means to level up their special status. They may be verbally or physically abusive, bully, or act self-destructively. It’s a trait often associated with malignant narcissism and sometimes seen in narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), often used as a defense mechanism against the narcissist’s underlying vulnerabilities, paranoia, and fears of inadequacy. This can make treatment challenging, since narcissists don’t recognize their behaviors are causing problems or feel they need to change.