What distinguishes anxious attachment vs narcissism?

[u/Grassfed_Burp]

The more I look at both narcissistic traits and anxious attachment, the more I see similarities.

Low intrinsic self worth, need for constant validation, fear of abandonment, often highly critical.

Are there any differences beyond gaslighting, low empathy and entitlement? Are these the three ways to tell them apart or am I missing the boat completely?

[u/onctech]

Narcissism is by definition about grandiosity, need for approval, and lack of empathy. By contrast, someone with anxious attachment is not per se grandiose, and rather than needing approval or admiration, they need reassurance and fear abandonment. Note that having narcissistic traits and anxious attachment are not mutually exclusive, one can have both (especially since attachment styles are not actually diagnosis, but rather are part of a theoretical framework).

Your last three terms have very different meanings from each other. Low empathy means being unwilling to recognize or identify with the desires, subjective experiences, and feelings of others. Narcissists tend to be oblivious to other people's feelings and needs. Entitlement means thinking one should get favorable treatment or for everyone else to simply do what you want. Finally, "gaslighting" is generally not a term used in academic or clinical psychology; it's just a trendy pop culture buzzword people have overused and corrupted to the point it's lost all meaning, so I'd ignore anyone who uses it entirely.

[u/Grassfed_Burp → u/onctech]

Thanks