5 Habits of a Narcissist
Narcissism is a personality disorder characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others.
Narcissists are often described as selfish, arrogant, and manipulative. They may be successful in their careers and relationships, but they often leave a trail of destruction in their wake.
If you’re in a relationship with a narcissist, you may be wondering if there’s anything you can do to change their behavior.
The answer is, probably not.
But there are some things you can do to protect yourself from narcissistic abuse. In this article, we’ll explore the 5 most common narcissistic habits and how to deal with them.
Inflated Ego
A sign that someone may be a narcissist is an overly large ego. If the narcissist in your life talks about themselves all the time and wants to be the center of attention, it’s likely that they have an inflated ego. Narcissists often focus on their success and abilities while they downplay their flaws and failures. They can be extremely competitive and resent anyone who they think is better than them. A narcissist will usually consider themselves superior to everyone else. They might also believe that other people are beneath them.
Lack of Empathy
One common sign of a narcissist is their lack of empathy. If you’re in a relationship with a narcissist, they may not even realize how much they hurt you. A narcissist is unable to put themselves in other people’s shoes. As a result, they lack insight into their own behavior and have trouble seeing things from your perspective.
Narcissists may also lack empathy toward other people in general. A narcissist may exploit other people for their own benefit. They may take advantage of you, steal from you, or treat you as if you’re beneath them. A narcissist’s lack of empathy may extend to you and the rest of your family. Your narcissist may disregard your feelings, ideas, and needs. They may also treat you as if you’re a child and try to control every aspect of your life.
Need for Attention
Narcissists often crave attention, but they don’t care whether it’s positive or negative. This need for attention may lead the narcissist to seek out dangerous or risky situations.
Smoking, drinking, drug use, and reckless driving are common attention-seeking behaviors among narcissists. They may also be drawn to highly visible professions such as acting, modeling, or sports.
A narcissist’s need for attention may manifest in ways that negatively affect you. They may want to be in control of the relationship, focusing on their own needs instead of yours.
A narcissist may also try to control your behavior as a way to gain attention. They may tease and humiliate you, or even ignore you in front of other people.
A narcissist may also be a narcissist parent, and their need for attention may cause them to neglect or abuse their children.
Repressed Insecurities
Narcissists often deny their feelings of insecurity and use their grandiose behavior as a defense mechanism. A narcissist may be insecure about their intelligence, abilities, or appearance. They may also feel shame about their past or present life situation.
A narcissist’s grandiose and controlling behavior may be an attempt to cover up these insecurities. The narcissist may also use threats and intimidation to control you and others.
They may also have a lot of hostility and anger that they try to bury under their false image of perfection. They may use these repressed emotions to abuse and manipulate you.
The denial and repression of their insecurities may lead them to lash out at you if you try to confront them about their behavior. Their denial may also cause them to try to control your emotions.
Fewer Boundaries
Narcissists often disregard other people’s feelings. They may also have trouble following rules and regulations. This makes it difficult for the narcissist to respect other people’s boundaries. A narcissist may not care how their behavior affects you. They may interrupt you, ignore your opinions, and dismiss your feelings. A narcissist may also ignore your privacy and cheat on you. They may try to control your social media accounts and access your private information without your permission.
The Bottom Line
If you see these five signs in your partner, they may be a narcissist. But there’s no need to feel hopeless. While narcissists can be extremely difficult to deal with, you can protect yourself from their harmful behavior.
By setting clearer boundaries and refusing to accept their abusive behavior, you can protect yourself from this destructive personality type. However, you should keep in mind that narcissists rarely change.
If your partner shows these signs, there’s a good chance they’ll continue to be abusive in the future. In that case, you may need to end the relationship.
Thanks for reading.
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