Can a narcissist love?

Only themself.

In a strange up and down bit, and depending on what and context, yes. But due to their personality disorder they are not stable, can become totally unreliable, dangerous and violent.

No they don't. Not one dicky bit. If they did they wouldn't have the personality disorder. They have been subject to a trauma that deeply affected them and made them create an alternate personality that gives them stability and safety. Sheer survival, survival strategy. Without it they cannot live/function.
The fact they need so much attention or do whatever to get a lot of credit and validation is only to feed that alternate personality. Without this input the personality crumbles and then they are back to the seriously damaged true self that they can not handle. They cannot deal with it so they will do whatever to keep the fake self in place.
This is not self love at all. It is really quite sad but difficult to feel for them because of their incredibly rude, abusive, manipulative behaviour.
And it cannot be cured btw. Therapy doesn't work either. Their innate will to keep their fake personality -their only safety in life- intact is like the drive to live in a healthy happy person.

I believe not due to their lack of emotional empathy so it limits the ways that they can experience and express positive feelings.

Few people are 100% narcissistic.
People display narcissistic behavior as a defense mechanism.

Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behavior, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration. Others often describe people with NPD as cocky, manipulative, selfish, patronizing, and demanding.

Sociopaths tend to try to seduce and ingratiate themselves with the people around them for their own gain, or for entertainment. Rather than forge connections with the people in their lives, they might try to exploit them for their own benefit through deceit, coercion, and intimidation. A lack of empathy, particularly an inability to feel remorse for one's actions.
Sociopaths have a reputation for being dishonest and deceitful. They often feel comfortable lying to get their own way, or to get themselves out of trouble. They also have a tendency to embellish the truth when it suits them. Some might be openly violent and aggressive. Others will cut you down verbally. A disregard for financial and social obligations. Ignoring responsibilities is extremely common. They find it extremely difficult to make a plan and stick to it.
Combine irresponsibility, impulsivity, and a need for instant gratification, and it’s not surprising that sociopaths get involved in risky behavior. They tend to have little concern for the safety of others or for themselves. This means that excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse, compulsive gambling, unsafe sex, and dangerous hobbies (including criminal activities) are common.

While psychopaths are classified as people with little or no conscience, sociopaths do have a limited, albeit weak, ability to feel empathy and remorse.
Psychopaths are usually deemed more dangerous than sociopaths because they show no remorse for their actions due to their lack of empathy. Both of these character types are portrayed in individuals who meet the criteria for antisocial personality disorder (APD).

All three disorders are antisocial disorders.
Humans are a social species as a whole but individuals have occasion to exhibit antisocial behaviors from time to time, usually as a result of a significant life event.

People can be slightly narcissistic or deeply narcissistic. Narcissistic behavior can be sporadic as well. Few people are wholly narcissistic.
This is why you can meet someone who seems just perfect and as time progresses (life events) they become narcissistic or antisocial. Its a defense mechanism.

There are extreme cases of ASD where the individual is harmful to society, these are the individuals you hear about. Those extreme cases usually have multiple disorders and some are completely insane.

Low self-esteem can trigger narcissistic and sociopathic tendencies. If left unchecked/untreated these tendencies can develop into psychopathic traits.
Rooting in low self-esteem narcissism causes a person to focus on themselves and their own worth as the most important factor. Everything becomes about them, in their mind.
This is usually caused by an outside influence. Parents, siblings, spouses, classmates and coworkers create a person's narcissism. Their narcissistic behavior/attitudes are a defense mechanism when self-worth is challenged repeatedly. Before narcissism takes hold, the person usually exhibits depression.

People with self-esteem issues are common in today's society. Most people never go past the depression stage. Everyone gets depressed for any number of reasons. Most of us are able to over-come those feelings. Someone with depression and low self-esteem is very susceptible to challenges of their self-worth. As a defense mechanism they will build their self-worth to extreme levels, often at the expense of others. It makes them feel better about themselves.
When their vision of self-worth becomes more important to them than other people, they enter into sociopathic patterns. Left unchecked, it gets stronger over time.

For a common narcissist, healthy self-esteem can reverse the condition. Talk therapy with a professional can rebuild a person's self-worth in a healthy way. Its difficult because a narcissistic personality finds self-assurance based on lying to themselves. No talk therapy can work when its rooted in lies.

This being a dating site, everyone should be familiar with the signs of ASD in others. Most people, to a point, can recognize blatant narcissism in others and avoid a relationship with them.
The problem is, narcissism can be subtle or purposely hidden because people with ASD tend to be effective liars.

Nine Signs and Symptoms of Narcissism
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/what_are_the_nine_traits_of_a_narcissist/article_em.htm

Symptoms – called core features – of narcissistic personality disorder (narcissism) include:











It can be difficult to determine if long relationships start with a narcissist lying or narcissism develops during the relationship.
If the narcissism develops during the relationship (not already there beforehand) it can usually be rectified by adopting new disciplines by all involved and seeking talk therapy.
If the trait is rooted in development (childhood/school) it may be so deeply seated extreme professional assistance might be required.

A note to all...
When you belittle or bully someone, you may be creating a narcissist, sociopath or psychopath. Narcissism can be propagated through generations.
You teach your children to be like you, even when you don't intend it.

Let me go talk to that Dude in the stream.
He's so smart, and darn handsome.

Maybe. It's an overly simplistic question.
And it's a question that is probably best addressed to professionals.

Other than that, to what degree are they a narcissist?

Did a professional diagnose them as a "narcissist," or having narcissistic personality disorder?

Or is that just a label one person is calling another, or they're calling themselves, based on subjective criteria?


Not to mention...so what if they can't?
No matter what you have. A handicap, a personality disorder, an emotional disorder, race, eye color, height, weight, whatever, all that really effects is your dating pool, your league, the potential number of compatible candidates with whom you can form a stable, healthy, long term relationship.


Also, what is "love?"
How do you define it? How do you understand it? How do you express it? How do you communicate it? How does it influence you?
How do you recognize it in others? How do you understand their expressions/communication of it?
How do you think it affects a relationship beyond your rational decisions? What is its purpose? Or do you think it is the sole purpose of a relationship?
Point being, if a narcissist can't love, do you believe that everyone else is capable of it, as long as they aren't a narcissist? Or that any relationship you have will be "easier" as long as it's not with a "narcissist?"


"Can a narcissist love" is too simplistic of a question.

Sounds like you don't even know what Narcissistic Personality Disorder is and yet do your picking apart of a posting.

You speak of them and having healthy, stable, long term relationships. They aren't capable of that. They may have long term relationships, but they're not healthy nor stable due to the nature of their disorder.

I was wondering how often they use addictions to compensate for that empty feeling they have?

Certainly, people feel love, joy, sadness, anger, contentment and a bunch of other feelings...because they're people.
A narcissist is more likely to feel love for themselves to an extreme level.
Their compassion shifts from others to themselves. Their love for others is a shallow display while their love for themselves is most important to them.

The world exists for you because without you, there is no world.
Your entire life has been 'life' as you see it, thru your senses.
You are the only one to actually travel your path.
A narcissist tries to...wants to, force the world to their own standards.

They associate themselves with people and things which boost their image of themselves. Everyone does this to a certain degree, the narcissist demands it.

In reality of life, you meet many people with narcissistic traits. Some push only part of the behavior/attitudes listed above. It can be hard to recognize at first. Their lies and false displays gives them away.
To many people its hard to define when a narcissist becomes sociopathic.

"Why are you acting like this?"
Is a common question people ask when someone is displaying narcissistic behavior/attitude. They can't honestly tell you because it offends their sense of superiority. Most of the time, they will turn it around so it looks like their behavior is your fault.

OT:

Ask Mrs M T, you may find her hiding out in Florida.

Based on the ones I've known... some don't, some do.
The one I've spent 10-11 yrs with did. Drugs in the past, still smoking joints, and when he quit smoking tobacco, beer. And if someone brought whiskey around... then that. He was too cheap to buy that himself.

There are levels of narcissism and maybe the 'lighter' variety isn't so prone to it?