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.

Passive Aggression 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.

Related : 10 Perfect Examples of Narcissistic Abuse

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 Aggressive Behavior

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

Narcissists are great at creating a scene, 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.

Wow, that chicken is definitely cooked, isn’t it? Did you forget it was in the oven for a little 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 already, 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 : Help! I Can’t Leave The Narcissist Without Destroying My Life

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

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

Yes, so what’s the big deal, your hormones fluctuate 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 usually do.

That’s a nice dress. It gives off a really boring librarian vibe.

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 maintain that they are being kind.

No, I didn’t mean it that way!

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

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

This is typical narcissistic behavior, and they all get away with it when they give offhand compliments to anyone they work for 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 into a name-calling match, 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. These tactics work by undermining any level of empathy the victim may have, and using them as a tool of abuse.

This is wrong – which is why it’s a common way to punish and control victims.

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

You’ll understand how your mind can race, jumping from one false assumption to the next – most of them about yourself.

Related : 10 Signs From The Universe You Are Dealing With a Narcissist

There will be times when you will replay what happened before the narcissist shuts you up, hoping that 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 or she is doing, and they will continue because they know they are not “yelling” or “making a fuss.”

Silence is just as damaging, people.

4 Subtle Insults

I love how comfortable you are going without makeup. It must be so liberating.

I didn’t invite you to the theater for that show because you don’t seem like someone who appreciates fine art to me.

Any kind of comment that seems like it comes from a compliment or interest is a great way to passive-aggressively lash out at someone else.

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

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.

They want to make sure you have a miserable time, because they can come across as happy and carefree when 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 used to joke around all the time.

It gave them complete freedom to say whatever they wanted to say, while trying to disguise it as lighthearted fun or a joke.

Related : Exposed: The Top 9 Biggest Lies About Narcissists

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

No.

I’m sorry. Here—yes, of course—is the narcissist’s greatest tactic: to push you into a mental place 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-consciousness…

…it’s the highest form of passive aggression.