NPD Theater—The False Stage | Act VI

I watch a young actor from the wings.
I know his acting.
He is a well-regarded actor, but he is not yet worthy of the ideal stage.
I call out to him lightly, keeping him in check.
He responds with his usual smile.
That smile unsettles my heart.

The play begins, and the lights shine on me.
The ideal stage proceeds quietly.
The light hits the actor, and the audience's gaze is fixed upon him.
Suddenly, he shouts. Toward the audience, with lines I do not know.
The next moment, a sandstorm blows against my cheeks.
And then, voices of joy envelop him.

In the dark dressing room, I ask him why he did such a selfish thing.
He laughs lightly, saying, "The lines just escaped, and the audience was happy, weren't they?"
"You are being deceived," the mirror whispers.
I despise him and pity the audience.
And I vow to clear up the misunderstanding and reclaim the ideal stage.

Yes, this is fine.

Commentary

The protagonist (I) looks down on the young actor. Because I acknowledge his ability, I cannot face it directly, and I try to maintain my superiority by looking down on him—this is a psychological structure peculiar to NPD. During the performance, the actor performs an ad-lib, and the ideal stage collapses. However, that performance receives the applause of the audience. But the protagonist's interest is not in the audience's reaction, but only in the actor's "deviant behavior." This is because those with NPD cannot empathize with the emotions of others. Furthermore, the actor's nonsensical excuses deepen the protagonist's contempt and reinforce his condescension. At the same time, however, the question arises: "Why did a performance that deviated from the ideal receive applause?" There, the voice of the mirror tells him, "You are being deceived." Through this, the protagonist arrives at the understanding that "the audience is misunderstanding," and he protects the legitimacy of his ideal performance. In the end, it converges into a perverse conviction that "a more polished, ideal performance is what will save them."

Afterword

This story depicts the process by which the protagonist concludes that "the audience is misunderstanding," even though an actor's ad-lib performance was met with applause. If one were not NPD, they would head toward healthy self-reflection, asking, "Why was that performance well-received?" or "Is there something to be learned from this?" However, those with NPD do not do this. They arrive at a perverse conviction that the audience is "a being that must be saved" and that "I am the savior." This is a fantasy concocted to bridge the gap between their own correctness and reality. And this very fantasy is the force that drives power harassment and stalking in reality. Under the pretext of "for the other person's sake," they try to force them to follow their own ideals even if it means twisting the other person's will—lurking behind this is a strong faith in their ideal self, the belief that "I am right."