Think you can see through a narcissist’s manipulation tactics?

I want you to think again, because they’re always one step ahead!

Narcissists are masters of subtlety, and they use passive-aggressive moves that may make you wonder if you’ve finally gone crazy.

Here are five passive-aggressive tactics you need to know about—and how a narcissist uses them against you will leave you speechless!

So buckle up, we’re about to decode it all.

PassiveAggression and Narcissism

Not all aggression will be overt. People yell, but when they don’t, they can still leave scars of anxiety and frustration in the person they target.

Your character can be shattered by regular bouts of passive-aggression from narcissists, and just because they don’t break the sound barrier with their angry voice doesn’t mean they’re not causing damage.

Narcissists use passive-aggressive behavior as a means of controlling you. This comes from their inability to talk to someone with the right emotion, words, or frame of mind.

Instead, they see it as another opportunity to punish you and inject more anxiety into you.

Make no mistake about it – narcissists love to do this. When you react with “megalomania” as they call it, you’re the problem, not them.

That’s not the case at all!

Why Narcissists Use Passive Aggression

Narcissists are big fans of passive-aggressive behavior because it means they can act accordingly without causing a fuss.

Narcissists are great at stirring up trouble, but if they want to protect their persona, they’ll use passive-aggressive attempts to upset you.

5 Passive-Aggressive Tactics to Watch Out For

1 Sarcasm

Nice car. I’ve always seen you in something big and bulky.

Oh my god, that chicken is definitely cooked, isn’t it? Did you forget it was in the oven for a while?

You’re being extra sensitive today – I’m sure it has nothing to do with your hormones at this time of the month.

Enough, right? You want to yell at them to stop, but you know that if you do, they’ll look at you with those wide “trying to be innocent” eyes.

Related ; 10 Perfect Examples of Narcissistic Abuse

Narcissists know exactly what to say to make every moment worse, and it can be a mockery of any kind of personality or character you have.

They do this because that part of you shines. Maybe you’re a great chef, and your car is newer than theirs.

Yeah, so what’s the big deal, your hormones are fluctuating every month because that’s what happens and as a result you feel real emotions (that they can’t) – but narcissists make every little thing you do a problem.

2 Indirect Compliments

You look younger than you normally do.

That’s a nice dress. It gives off a really boring impression that you’re a librarian.

You have one of those voices that can put people to sleep.

You know the kind of comments I mean, but these are some golden examples of how narcissists can be downright passive aggressive, while trying to keep it nice.

No, I didn’t mean it that way!

Yes, they did! Never fall for the lies that follow. They will try to create an innocent bubble around themselves, but this is really for self-preservation.

When you become the problem by being offended, the focus is on you, not the original unkind remark they made to you.

This is standard narcissistic behavior, and they all get away with it by throwing indirect compliments at anyone they work with on a daily basis.

3 Silence

The most commonly assumed form of conflict is yelling.

Yes – it’s horrible to hear raised voices. No one wants to get involved in insult matches, and it’s not good for our mental or physical health. But what about silence?

The silent treatment is a trick that narcissists use to lure their victims in and make them feel stressed, anxious, and guilty. This tactic works by undermining any level of empathy the victim may have, and using it as a tool of abuse.

It’s wrong – and that’s why it’s a common way to punish and control their victims.

If you’ve ever been subjected to the silent treatment, you’ll know how minutes can feel like hours.

You’ll realize how your mind can race, jumping from one incorrect assumption to the next—mostly about yourself.

There will be times when you’ll replay what happened before the narcissist silenced you, hoping you can piece together exactly what you did that was so wrong; so terrible.

None of this will help you. Nothing will give you the answers you need.

The narcissist knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep going because he knows he’s not “screaming” or “making a fuss.”

Silence is just as damaging, people.

4 Subtle Insults

I love how comfortable you are going out without makeup on. That must be so liberating.

I didn’t invite you to the theater for this show because I don’t consider you to be someone who appreciates fine art.

Any kind of comment that seems like it’s a compliment or a concern is a great way to be passive-aggressive toward someone else.

Narcissists are masters at this and know how to stoke the fire of frustration inside of you, don’t they?

Have you noticed how they do it covertly too? Sometimes they can even pass comments on to you, right before you walk into that family event.

Related : Help! I Can’t Leave The Narcissist Without Destroying My Life

They want to make sure you’re having a miserable time, because they can come across as happy and carefree while you have to force an external desire to be there.

These types of insults are cruel, and not only do they make you feel like you’re in a certain state of mind, they’re also known to lower your self-esteem.

5 “Joking”

Oh my god. You know, this is what I actually hear more than anything else. Victims of narcissistic abuse always tell me that their abuser was joking the entire time.

They were given complete freedom to say whatever they wanted to say, while trying to disguise it as lighthearted fun or a joke.

There is nothing funny about being downright rude. You can’t say something hurtful to someone you love, watch their face fall, pat them on the back and blame them for not being able to handle the joke.

No.

I’m sorry. Here – yes of course – the greatest tactic of narcissists is to lure you into a state of mind where you feel completely worthless about yourself.

But pretending it was a joke when their intention all along was to shift your mood from confidence to self-loathing…

… is the ultimate form of passive aggression.