I think of narcissists as people who turn off their emotions to get ahead. They play the game and basically become whoever they have to be to get what they want. Underneath is the raw pain of child abuse and social rejection when their real self bleeds through. Their only experience is either pretending, and being lauded for it, or else being themselves and feeling immense shame and vulnerability.

People like that are dangerous because they lash out whenever they feel safe or actually start to trust someone. They lash out preemptively.