Narcissists often lack emotional empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others on an emotional level. They have difficulty connecting with and genuinely understanding the emotions and experiences of other people. However, some researchers and experts propose that narcissists may exhibit a form of empathy known as "cognitive" or "intellectual empathy."
Intellectual empathy is the ability to understand another person's thoughts, perspectives, and mental state without necessarily sharing their emotional experience. In other words, narcissists might be able to intellectually grasp how someone else is feeling or understand their point of view, but they struggle to emotionally connect or care about those feelings.
This form of empathy can be selective and is often used for strategic purposes by narcissists. They might use their understanding of others' perspectives to manipulate or exploit them rather than to genuinely empathize or support them.
It's important to note that while some research suggests that narcissists may possess intellectual empathy, it is still limited compared to the empathy typically seen in individuals without narcissistic tendencies. Their lack of emotional empathy and the tendency to use intellectual empathy for self-serving purposes can make it challenging to have healthy and meaningful relationships with them.