Is Halloween here?
No!
That doesn’t stop a narcissist from tricking you—and trust me when I say—there are no rewards!…
…Are there even rewards when it comes to narcissism?!
One of the biggest tricks a narcissist uses is their phone—especially text messages. So, how does a narcissist gain even more control over you through text messages?
If you haven’t guessed yet, the answers are here. I know some, if not all, will make you realize how much you’ve been putting up with all this time.
Narcissist and the Phone
It’s a painful conversation we need more of, isn’t it? Narcissists are stalking us, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing, thanks to the magic of the modern world.
We all have phones. We all use them. We all need them in this day and age, with work and relationships just a click away.
Related : Watch Out: These Phone Habits Are Deadly Signs of a Narcissist
Narcissists love to use their social media, too, especially the glamorous text messages that have gained increasing popularity in the past few decades.
What was once a quick opportunity to tell someone has become the dawn of an endless dialogue with multiple people, day and night.
Narcissists love this more than anything else. They love knowing that anyone they want to message is only 20 seconds away from doing so.
Bored? Text.
Feeling like stirring things up? Text.
Need attention? Text.
Want to make someone’s day? Text.
And that’s the one thing to remember with narcissists—it’s not always the message—sometimes it’s the content.
Control: The Unstoppable Power of Narcissism
All narcissists want, love, and need control. It’s a power you can never break, because it’s what makes narcissists narcissists.
People like you or I are happy to sit back and admit that we can’t control every aspect of our lives, yet this seems incomprehensible to any narcissist.
They have to control situations they want to see a certain outcome. They want to shape the ending as if it’s their own story they’re writing…
And if that means you or someone you know will suffer in the end, so be it.
With texting, narcissists become the most impossible, hurtful, and evil types of people, seeking only one thing: drama.
Trick1: “Don’t forget about me!”
The good old texting trick of not wanting to be forgotten will apply to all narcissists.
They love to remind you of their existence, and they’re especially good at it when you’re having a great day.
Related : Find Out How Narcissists Turn Every Phone Call Into a Power Play
If you’ve arranged to go out with a friend, they’ll try to reach out and start all kinds of conversations via text, so feel obligated to respond and make them happy.
And you, the victim, think: “Wow, they look so cheerful. They’re clearly in a great mood, and I don’t want to ignore that.”
You’re eager to please them.
You’re eager to keep things as they are.
But in reality, it’s just because they appear to want you to remember who they are.
So sad, isn’t it?
That someone who seems so confident is so far from it?
Welcome to the world of narcissism, folks!
Trick2: “Oh, I’ll get back to you later.”
When you need to reach out to them, the narcissist will act as indifferent as possible. They see your priority, your request, or your attempt to reach out, and they will completely ignore you.
You see, what matters to you doesn’t matter to the narcissist at all. They make sure they don’t give you what you want or need most of the time you know them, and seeing you text them doesn’t mean much to them.
In fact, it’s the text version of ignoring, and what does that do to victims?
It makes them wonder what they did wrong, and why they’re being ignored.
Trick3: “The Bottom Line”
Okay.
Sure.
It’s okay.
Yes.
No.
Hmm.
Now, I want to talk about why this is the bottom line, because it’s an unfair way to treat others.
First, there’s someone trying to engage in conversation, and it’s difficult when you’re met with short answers all the time.
Related : You’re Shocked to See Where Narcissists Really End Up
Second, what does it show you? This? It shows you that, yes, they can respond, but they aren’t giving you what you need. Victims will then fall into the trap of asking, “What’s wrong? You’re silent.”
A valid accusation!
The responses to this are usually:
I’m busy!
I don’t have time to sit around all day like you, texting!
Someone has to work!
You’re too needy!
You’ll never win.
Trick4: “Block/Unblock”
I want you, I don’t want you.
I love you, I don’t love you.
I want to hear from you/stop calling or texting.
No one really knows where you stand with some narcissists, but their way of deciding when to text and when not to text is very cruel and, of course, completely controlling.
Victims are known to constantly check their phones to see if the narcissist has blocked them that day, and this is a common and unhealthy habit.
Trick5: “Turn Off Your Phone”
Well, that’s it.
The phone is off, so even if you want to send a text, it won’t disappear anytime soon.
If you think this sounds harsh, that’s because it is.
Narcissists don’t care about your calls, or even that there’s an emergency. They just want to control the narrative that sometimes there’s no signal, or my phone ran out of battery, or I was asleep.
Enough. You’re adults.
Trick6: “What text?”
It’s funny how any narcissist would deny receiving your message.
I didn’t receive anything…
Never believe them. Phones are more efficient now than ever, and you can tell if someone’s phone received a text.
Related : The One Secret The Narcissist Knows About You
The simple fact is that they received the message, but they simply didn’t press the send button.
What a nasty way to let you know you don’t matter and to keep you under their control for a while longer.
Trick7: “Ask. Ask again.”
Alex, do you think this person is a narcissist?
It’s hard to diagnose any narcissist with just a few text messages, but there are major warning signs when you receive a text from a narcissist (usually a request), and they don’t respond immediately.
These typically include:
A GIF of some kind.
One kiss.
A picture or meme. One question mark.
A text about something they know will be very interesting to get your attention.
These are the ways a narcissist is essentially saying:
I texted you, you didn’t respond, and I’m not going anywhere.
We know…
