Why do narcissists think in their smear campaigns they will turn someone’s own family against them?

[Summeroflove]

I notice when many narcissists break up or get divorced. They will go to their exes own family people they knew and start trying to smear campaign…. And are shocked when it doesn’t work out.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

It’s not done out of a brilliant idea to manipulate them, they genuinely believe their family will take their side because their ex hurt them and, whether they realize it or not, believe the family wouldn’t want them to represent them like that. Narcissists only think in their point of view, they can’t comprehend that someone else would take the side of the person who hurt them because their pain matters more than any pain they might have caused. That’s what narcissism is, an inability to think like anyone else.

[Summeroflove]

Very true

[LeatherDame]

They believe it is a battle of narratives, that their narrative is right and their ex partner’s is wrong and they they must win it or face their fears that everyone will abandon them/feel like they don’t deserve empathy or sympathy.