When it comes to narcissists and psychopaths, hardly anything good comes to mind; Whatever you think of them, it is always negative and toxic. All they do is harm people, exploit them, and make their lives hell.
But after all, is said and done, there is one thing they do that makes them the most dangerous and some of the most shameful and immoral people out there. Such is their tendency to live a parasitic lifestyle at the expense of their victims.
Now when it comes to intoxication, both psychopaths and narcissists float more or less in the same boat, but if you look closely, you’ll see that there are some elusive differences between the two. The likely reason behind this is that they have different needs, and look to exploit their goals for different motives. Using other people for their agendas is a given, but their parasitic lifestyle is meant to meet some very specific needs in their minds.
What does a parasitic lifestyle mean?
Just like a parasite that depends on a host to survive, the same goes for the narcissist and the psychopath as well. They are notorious for exploiting others and feeding them for their own needs. Narcissists and psychopaths are always looking for prey to feed on, and once they find the right people for that, they cling to them with all their might, gradually working to suck the life out of them to fulfill their deceitful intentions.
Most of the time, these people tend to be more attracted to sympathetic, highly sensitive people, because of all the goodness and kindness they have within them. Sensitive people are an excellent source of narcissistic supply for toxic people. However, there are some differences between parasitic narcissists and parasitic psychopaths, and this is because their basic needs are different, and therefore the ways they harm people are also different.
5 Reasons why parasitic narcissists appear the way they are
Narcissists are very insecure people on the inside, projecting themselves to be the most accomplished and best person on the outside. It is all a facade to cover up their exceptionally high levels of inferiority complex.
They know they are people with low vibrations, and their sense of self-worth is even lower, which is why they always target innocent people who can feed them, and feel superior and good about themselves.
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- Importance and constant attention.
If there’s one thing narcissists can’t live without, it’s their constant need for attention. When the narcissist does not understand this, he withers like a flower without water. This is one of the biggest reasons why they always target empaths because empaths have a lot of love to give to others, and no matter what the narcissist does, the empath never abandons them.
they caress their egos, satisfy their demands, and fulfill all their desires; It’s a win-win situation for the narcissist, but a very humiliating and painful situation for the empath.
- Desire for validation.
The other thing narcissists cannot survive without is their constant need for validation. Narcissists usually have a troubled childhood and trauma, which is the reason for the overwhelming sense of inferiority inside them. To compensate for, rather than confront, this painful reality, they construct a completely different reality for themselves.
Now to continue believing this illusory identity and reality, they crave constant validation. As long as they are getting this from their goals, they are happy and fulfilled, and this leads to their parasitic lifestyle becoming more dominant and difficult to break away from, in terms of their goals.
- Their needs are always more important.
No matter what kind of relationship you may be involved with a narcissist, always remember that his or her needs will always be more important than anyone else’s, including yours. Whether it is a narcissistic parent, a narcissistic partner, or a narcissistic co-worker, their expectations, problems, and demands must always be given top priority, no matter what happens.
Narcissistic parents will impose their unfulfilled dreams on their children and pressure them to achieve them. Narcissistic partners will always want their targets to set their goals and put their needs first, even at the expense of their sanity and emotional health. Narcissistic colleagues will always expect you to do their work for them, and make sure that you do it well. What you need or want never matters at all, only their needs matter.
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- The phenomenon of the halo effect.
One of the most notorious things that narcissists tend to do is surround themselves with powerful and influential people so that they too feel the same. They know how low their self-worth is, so they do their best to mingle with important people, to feel important. Rising through the social ranks, and being with someone who has a high social status is one of their biggest dreams, so it’s no wonder they do it.
By associating themselves with the rich and powerful, they are creating the effect that they are important too, otherwise, why would such influential figures hang out with narcissists? They are creating a Halo effect like this for themselves and are looking forward to gradually getting in the good books of these people.
- Too right and lazy.
Narcissists are extremely entitled and lazy, due to their inherent superiority and a strong belief that they are better off doing things that other people do. So, naturally, they expect their victims to do everything for them, and they won’t make a move. According to them, they deserve to be pampered all the time and are so great to work for anything they want.
Narcissists stay miles away from doing chores because they feel they are too good for such menial and mundane things, and they will always expect you to do everything. They are only meant to be fed and spoiled by their loved one, which unfortunately is you.
5 reasons parasitic psychopaths are the way they are
Psychopaths are very toxic people, and let’s not forget that they are also somewhat dangerous. They always want power and control in their hands, and you have to do exactly as they say and when they say it.
You have no other choice but to abide by their rules and demands, while they will sit back and demand what you need to do to make them happy. To psychopaths, people are like objects that they can exploit and use in any way they want.
- Zero sympathies.
This one is a no-brainer. Psychopathy and a lack of empathy go hand in hand, which is why they are the way they are. They have no remorse, guilt, or shame whatsoever, and are some of the coldest and most calculating people you will ever meet in your life. They never care about other people and their emotions, because they are just a means to an end for them; Human beings are like their own personal toys that they can play with whenever they want and then throw away like trash the moment their needs are met.
A psychopath will do everything he can to get his needs met, and he won’t even think twice about hurting and harming another person to do so. They are exceptionally dangerous people that you must stay away from at all costs.
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- You get bored easily and lose interest quickly.
Psychopaths run on constant stimulation, and without it, they get bored easily and start to lose interest in everything they do. This is why you will never find them working a 9-5 job where they have to do the same thing over and over, day in and day out. Because their capricious and indifferent attitude will either lead to them being scolded every second of every day or fired.
At the same time, they cannot understand the scenario of living a middle-class lifestyle or living in poverty, which is why they are looking for the perfect victims to overpower and feed until the end of time. Unfortunately, they always end up finding one person or the other, despite having a toxic personality. How? Scroll down to the next point.
- Dangerously manipulative and exceptionally charming.
Being charming and manipulative are two of the biggest weapons in their arsenal when it comes to trapping victims. Psychopaths always end up finding the perfect people for their parasitic lifestyle, as they are unfortunately blessed with amazing conversational skills and sparkling personalities. But this is all a facade, which they wear to prey on the weak and innocent.
They know exactly what to say, how to say it, and how to present themselves before a host so that they will fall for their charm and end up bonding with them. For psychopaths, it is all about setting the trap with their charm and manipulation, luring their victims, and finally piling them on and then feasting on them. Most of the time, psychopaths do this with wealthy people, because money matters a lot to them; They can live their whole lives on someone else’s money. And if they run out of money and luxuries, they simply look for another victim.
- Irresponsible and zero motivation.
Psychopaths have no motivation, and are completely irresponsible; On any given day they would choose to feed others rather than do something noble and worthwhile. Exploiting others is their favorite thing to do, and when they see that they are going to live a good and comfortable life by doing so, why would they even try to live as decent human beings?
For them, the norms and rules of society do not matter at all, and they do not hesitate to participate in criminal and immoral activities if it means that they will get something useful from it. No wonder most gangsters, serial killers, terrorists, and criminals turn out to be dangerous psychopaths; Respectable human beings never knowingly and voluntarily get involved in criminal activities.
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- They don’t have goals in life.
When you add a lack of goals with a lack of responsibility and accountability, you have a recipe for disaster, and when you know, you have a psychopath on your hands. They never plan, never look at the bigger picture, have no ambitions and goals, and believe they can navigate life simply by feeding others.
They fail miserably at keeping their jobs, have no personal possessions, absolutely no bank balance, and are always looking for other people to do everything for them. Their only way to survive in life is to exploit and benefit from others and their resources.
10 signs you might be the host in a parasitic relationship
Look for some other signs that may indicate that the narcissist or psychopath may be living a parasitic lifestyle at your expense.
- They refuse to rely on themselves, always relying on you for everything, and all their needs.
- They need to be the center of attention all the time, and in their absence of them, they will make your life a living hell.
- They will become aggressive with you (verbally, emotionally, psychologically, and physically) if you ever question their motives and behavior.
- They never help you with the housework, but after you take care of everything, they end up taking credit for it.
- They take care of their personal needs by spending all their money, and if you ask them not to, they start torturing you.
- They don’t care about your feelings and emotions at all.
- They always make you feel emotionally drained and mentally drained when you are with them or around them.
- They never hesitate to abuse you verbally and emotionally, if things don’t go their way or you don’t do what they want you to do; They even physically abuse you sometimes.
- They don’t take your opinions and advice seriously, they think they know best, but if something goes wrong, they are quick to blame you for it all.
- They don’t think twice before leaving a relationship if they feel there is nothing to gain from it. How bad you feel, or how much pain you might be in doesn’t even occur to them.
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