Self esteem is how highly you think of yourself, how confident you are in your abilities and in what you can achieve. This is different from narc "self-esteem" because a narc just talks the talk, repeating mantras such as "I'm the motherfucking best there is" without actually believing that deep inside.
They try really hard to believe they're the best, and really want to believe it, it just doesn't happen, that's why criticism affects them way more than it would a genuinely confident person.
Example:
Random Nigger: "You're dumb"
Confident Person: Random simple reply brushing them off or plainly ignoring them (Thinking to themselves: what a jackass)
A confident person may sometimes simply prove the critic wrong if they feel like it, and call it a win.
Narc: Overcompensating reply/whatever (thinking to themselves: how dare he insult ME)
A narc must prove the critic wrong, or it will eat at them.
Narcs are basically trying really hard to fake real confidence, they may become skilled enough to fake it properly, but deep down inside it's not gonna be genuine.
