Narcissistic Defenses:

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Narcissistic defenses are immature strategies narcissists use (consciously or unconsciously) to protect fragile self-esteem and fear of shame, inadequacy, or vulnerability. Various defenses, often in combination, can provide temporary relief in helping narcissists to:

Preserve superiority/positive self-image by denying shortcomings and projecting flaws onto others
Protection themselves from painful emotions and realities (denial and projection)
Boost self-esteem by treating others as inferior (devaluation)
Maintain power and control relationships (blame-shifting and manipulation)

But overuse can bring negative consequences to the narcissist and those around them:

Damaged relationships, leading to conflict, mistrust, emotional distance
Limited personal growth from lack of self-reflection and responsibility, not learning from mistakes
Difficulty developing empathy and forming genuine connections (projection and splitting)
Emotional distress from internal conflict and shame, despite outward appearance of strength

Common narcissistic defenses (also see Defense Mechanisms):

Denial: Refusing to acknowledge or accept reality, especially when contradicting self-image
Distortion: Altering or manipulating facts to fit desired narrative.
Projection: Attributing worst thoughts, feelings, behaviors to others (lying narcissist calls others liars)
Splitting: Viewing people and situations as all good or all bad, not recognizing nuance or complexity
Idealization and Devaluation: Overvaluing oneself or others and being disappointed when reality doesn’t match up. Disparaging or belittling others to elevate one’s self-esteem
Envy: Resenting/being jealous of others who have what the narcissist wants to manage feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, compensated by undermining/belittling others
Blame-shifting: Avoiding responsibility for one’s actions by attributing fault to others
Victim playing: Avoiding responsibility for abusing others, also for attention seeking