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impress casual acquaintances with his superficial bravado, he routinely displays his characteristic deficiencies, unreliability, impulsiveness, and moodiness to family members and close associates. He persistently seeks recognition.… Relationships are maintained only if they are self-serving. With few exceptions they are shallow and fleeting.… Almost infantile in his fantasies of himself and in his expectations of others, he often acts on impulse, using minimal deliberation and poor judgement. Unlikely to admit responsibility for his personal failures or for family difficulties, he usually denies the presence of psychological tension or conflicts. He rationalizes interpersonal problems, and he readily projects blame onto others. Ready to meet his own needs at the expense of those of others, he is self-indulgent and insistent on getting his way.… Owing to his basic and extreme dependency, he fears that others will perceive him as being weak and indecisive. Therefore, he presents an arrogant facade, and delights in humiliating those on whom he depends to gain a false illusion of power. When crossed, subjected to minor pressures, or faced with potential embarrassment, he is provoked to vindictive anger. His undercurrent of defensive vigilance and insecure hostility rarely subsides. Moreover, his surface affability collapses easily, and he is always ready to deprecate anyone
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Lowell Cauffiel (Eye of the Beholder: The Almost Perfect Murder of Anchorwoman Diane Newton King)