The core diagnostic feature of the internalized object representations of highly dominant individuals is their pernicious nature. Characteristically, there is a marked paucity of tender and sentimental objects, and an underdevelopment of images that activate feelings of shame or guilt. The inner templates that guide the perceptions and behaviors of individuals with extreme, malignant variations of this pattern are composed of aggressive feelings and memories, and images comprising harsh relationships and malicious attitudes. Consequently, their life experience is recast to reflect the expectancy of hostility and the need to preempt it. These dynamics undergird a �jungle philosophy� of life where the only perceived recourse is to act in a bold, critical, assertive, and ruthless manner.