In Part 1 of this series, I learned 10 signs you’re in a relationship with a narcissist. I learned that narcissists are masters of the guilt trip. I also learned that narcissists have a set of rules for you that…
Key Points Narcissists often lack empathy for others, which means they don’t care much about their partner’s feelings or needs. Narcissists may withhold affection or attention, making the other person feel unimportant or unworthy. Although narcissists are in internal pain,…
Key Points Denial is a natural defense in early childhood.Narcissists resort to routine forms of denial to distort reality.Some forms of denial are denial, rationalization, minimization, negation, and the reverse. Denial is the refusal to acknowledge a threatening, uncomfortable, or…
Narcissism is omnipresent in our culture. We are encouraged to maximize our potential and get what we want. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself. But when we think only of ourselves, like some inflated Ayn Rand character,…
If you’re reading this post, you probably feel like it’s time to end a relationship with a narcissist in your life. Managing relationships with difficult people in our lives often reveals our weaknesses as well as our strengths. As I…
Anyone who remembers watching The Wizard of Oz as a child probably remembers how terrifying the flying monkeys that accompanied the Wicked Witch of the West were. The Witch sent these monkeys to do her dirty work, and since then…
Key Points Narcissists attempt to increase their social status by using two strategies: “admiration” and “competition.” Narcissistic admiration involves self-enhancement; narcissistic competition consists of belittling others. Research suggests that more intelligent narcissists are less likely to use the narcissistic competition…
Love bombing, a common tactic used by narcissists, involves showering someone with love and compliments to manipulate their emotions. Psychologists say there are certain phrases that narcissists use when they love to bomb you. Recognizing these phrases can help you…
Relationships are complicated. Whether you’re talking about friendships, family relationships, or romantic encounters, the relationships in our lives either enrich our experience on earth or make it terrible. When you’re dealing with a manipulative person, you may feel trapped. Manipulative…
Narcissistic personality disorder is estimated to occur in 1-5% of the population (Torgersen, 2001), and is more common in men (Stinson, 2008). Narcissistic personality disorder results from an interaction of biological and environmental factors. The core features of narcissistic personality…
