Sam Vaknin, explores the role of contempt in narcissism as a preemptive defense mechanism that protects narcissists from emotional injury by devaluing others, thus ensuring their emotional invulnerability. He also discusses how anticipatory behaviors, such as preemptive abandonment and reaction formation, stem from anxiety and fear of negative outcomes, often leading to self-fulfilling prophecies that bring about the very disasters individuals seek to avoid. Lastly, he highlights how anticipation and catastrophizing can constrict and limit life, causing psychological harm by fostering behaviors that inadvertently realize feared outcomes.