When a narcissist sees you happy, he or she may not react well. There are things you can do in this situation to prevent tampering.
If you have dealt with someone with narcissistic traits, you may know how damaging this can be to your well-being. You may be afraid of happiness because of their behavior and the way they treat you.
Survivors of narcissistic abuse or those still suffering from it may feel like they function differently. If this is the case for you, you may feel like you can’t be happy without someone else’s permission. You may also be afraid to be happy because you know it might cause consequences.
These feelings can be alienating and may disrupt any happiness you feel. However, you deserve to be happy and should consider finding ways to prevent manipulation. You can stop letting narcissists influence you when you learn tips for dealing with the way narcissists react to your happiness.
Not all people with narcissism are unhappy, but many of them cannot feel good when they are not the center of attention. They may appear unhappy or insecure unless they get what they want and receive praise. However, when they are not happy, they may do everything in their power to disrupt your happiness.
In this case, it is helpful to learn what to do when the person suffering from narcissism sees you happy. Knowing how to protect yourself can improve your self-confidence and sense of well-being.
Do narcissists not want to see others happy?
People with narcissistic personality disorder may have difficulty seeing others happy unless it benefits them or improves their situation. An inflated ego may make them believe that others should only be happy if it is because of them.
They tend to be the best and appear the happiest at the expense of someone else’s well-being. You may notice that they use harmful behavior to devalue the happy people around them. This is likely because they want to stand out and do everything they can to get a higher status and make others unhappy.
Your happiness also threatens the person’s control over your life. They realize that they no longer control your emotions, which can be difficult for them to accept.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) classifies narcissism as a personality disorder that often interferes with social and romantic relationships.
Experts point out that signs of narcissism include:
- Judging another person’s appearance
- Sense of entitlement
- Arrogant behavior
- dominance
- Unrealistic fantasies
- Seeking affirmation through the approval of others
- Get angry easily
- aggression
- Lack of empathy
- Attention-seeking behavior
- Being overly critical
- Take advantage of others
- Perfectionism
- Revenge
- Suspicious beliefs
Common examples of when a narcissist feels jealous
A narcissist may lash out when he feels jealous. Trusted Source: Some common examples of when they might feel jealous include:
- When they are not the center of attention
- After separation
- Loss of dominance or control
- Seeing someone happy
- Seeing you with someone else
- Someone stands up to them
- When you are most successful
- When you tell them they are wrong
- Moments of insecurity
Tips for dealing with a narcissistic person who sees you when you are happy
Dealing with a narcissist can be difficult because they often don’t want to see you happy. It can lead to arguments, aggressive outbursts, and shame. This person may also play the victim and try to convince you that you are wrong.
Dealing with people who suffer from narcissism requires not manipulating them. You can do this in the following ways:
Ignore their negatives
A person with narcissism may do anything they can to make you feel bad about yourself. They may make rude comments in front of others to lower your sense of self-esteem. When this happens, you can remind yourself of your self-worth and right to happiness.
Try not to change their minds
Trying to change the mind of someone with narcissism may result in the spotlight being on you. Gaslighting occurs when someone tries to change your reality about a situation or event, such as trying to convince you that something did not happen. They often seem so convinced by what they say that it can make you accept their false reality.
Related : 3 Reasons You Can’t Win with a Narcissist
You may want them to know how harmful their behavior is, but they probably won’t change their minds. Instead, they are likely just trying to manipulate you and make you question your reality.
Remind yourself of the reasons for your happiness
Dealing with a narcissist can make you feel anxious. When this happens, thinking about why you’re happy can ease your anxiety and help you focus on the present.
