that is an interesting way of putting it. it is something i have had cause to think about. sure one might regard them as predictions but I think they have manipulative intent. if you examine some of the literature around narcissists they are often would be could be wanna be's. they are always in the future. they know the future even if their past is riddled with failure. they use this future oriented language to make promises to others - that they have no idea of how they will meet, to extract something in the present in return for a possibility, to convince themselves they are ok and worthy.
so maybe it is not a lie in one sense but it is deceptive. and they deceive themselves as much as the other. it's childlike behaviour no matter what excuse they make. a grown up offers an immediate exchange - a win win, or they give up something to gain something else. a grown up does not threaten others if they don't get what they want.
