Narcissists are a manipulative and charming bunch, so their stories often seem believable. Despite this fact, the truth is that narcissists will lie.

They feel entitled to lie to you if they get what they want, and they will do a great job of convincing you that what they say is true. They will also feel no remorse at all for being dishonest because they lack empathy.

So, if you are dealing with a narcissist, you must be prepared to discover his lies. This protects you from falling victim to their manipulative games.

Methods of detecting a narcissistic person’s lies

Narcissists tend to believe that they are smarter than everyone around them, so they believe that you will never be able to detect when they are lying. Fortunately for you, there are ways to overcome a narcissist.

Despite their charming ways, you can see through their lies if you pay close attention. Find the tags below.

ambiguous information

Narcissists believe they are superior to you, so they think you won’t be smart enough to catch them lying.

This means they think they can get away with giving you limited, surface-level information, and you’ll never even question them.

Narcissists will not waste time crafting an elaborate story when they are lying. Instead, they will give you vague information, hoping that you will simply take it seriously and believe it.

If their statements lack specific details that can be verified or refuted, you can be sure they are lying.

Contradictions

Although they believe they are smarter than everyone around them, narcissists don’t always cover all their tracks.

When they lie, you are likely to find some inconsistencies in their story. They will provide conflicting information, or the story will change over time.

For example, if they initially tell you that they spent the night at a work event, the story might later turn to them going out with a roommate from college.

This is a red flag that something else is going on, and they are not being completely honest.

Extreme exaggeration

Narcissists are extremely arrogant and need to assert themselves as superior to others. Sometimes, they exaggerate their achievements to appear as if they are above others.

If their statements seem particularly grandiose, they may lie to try to attract attention and appear superior. Some examples might include demanding to earn large sums of money or achieve nearly impossible feats.

body language

This applies to most people, but it also applies to narcissists. People generally show signs of lying in their body language.

For example, they will start fidgeting or avoiding eye contact when they are not being honest. If a narcissist is giving out vague information, and his body language also seems inappropriate, you can be sure he’s not being truthful.

Defense when arrested

No one likes to be caught lying, but narcissists feel especially uncomfortable when someone realizes they’re being dishonest.

Admitting to lying means facing the fact that they are imperfect and that narcissists cannot do it. Their ego simply can’t handle it.

So, if you confront them about lying, they will become incredibly defensive. They may even explode in anger to defend themselves because the accusation hurts their ego.

Instant blame shifting

When you suspect that a narcissist might be lying, try questioning him. Subtly suggest that what they’re saying doesn’t make sense, and notice how quickly they shift blame onto you.

Shifting blame takes the focus from the narcissist and puts it on you. This allows the narcissist to avoid taking responsibility for his or her dishonesty.

They may tell you that they haven’t taken money from your account to spend. When you find out that they did take the money, they may try to convince you that they would never have to take the money behind your back if you were simply more generous.

A narcissist is likely to gossip about himself and then quickly shift blame if he finds out that you like him.

Gaslighting behavior

If you think the narcissist may be lying, and you’re about to catch him red-handed, you can expect some deceptive behavior.

Narcissists use gaslighting as a manipulative tactic to make others feel “crazy.” They hope that you will begin to question your perception of reality, rather than admit that the narcissist is wrong.

So, if they think you like them, they will start highlighting you. They may accuse you of being overly paranoid, or state that you remember things incorrectly.

Use skew

When narcissists are wrong, they like to use deflection to take the spotlight away from their misbehavior. Therefore, when they lie about a certain topic, they will do anything to avoid discussing it.

For example, if they are lying about where they have been, they will deviate from that topic of conversation at all costs. They may change the subject, ignore your questions, or perhaps change the topic of conversation to one of your flaws.