Narcissism – A term we’re all fairly acquainted with. We see it popping up on our social media feeds from time to time. A word targeted towards celebrities and close ones alike, maybe it’s time to understand this trait a little better. When it comes to being in a relationship with a narcissist, it may be more insidious than your realize.
Like most personality disorders under the sun, narcissism or more specifically Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) falls on a spectrum. Individuals with NPD exhibit an abrasive level of superiority over others and expect everyone in their life to fall in line. The needs and opinions of any carbon-based life form with a mind of their own fails to make a blip on their radar.
If you perchance find yourself to always be on the short end of the stick with your significant other, it may be worth it to take a step back and look for signs whether your feelings of suffocation arise from your partner’s inability to look beyond him/herself.
Here area few signs to identify a narcissist –
1) Lack of empathy –
Empathy is a quality that enables you to be able to put yourself in another’s shoes and try to ‘feel’ or understand their situation. A narcissist will not be able to empathize with another.
So, if you find your partner invalidating your feelings or never letting you finish your line of thought, chances are they have a tendency to develop narcissism. If you find yourself feeling invalidated, unaccepted and/or misunderstood almost always, maybe you should talk to your partner about it.
Read more : Why Moving Away From Home And Parents Made My Relations With Them Even Better
2) Being gaslit –
Gaslighting another person is amongst the main tendencies of a narcissistic individual. It is a form of emotional and psychological manipulation used by people to distort another person’s reality in order to achieve their end of things.
If you find yourself constantly doubting your own judgement or apologizing or questioning your self worth – maybe you are being gaslit. Other signs include feeling anxious, guilty or being overly apologetic for no reason, almost always.
3) Being constantly picked on –
Being antagonistic or hostile to other people – it could be you or a friend of yours or a random acquaintance. Narcissists often find a way to make other people’s victories look insignificant.
You might find yourself happy and the next thing you know, they say something that immediately takes away from of your happiness the very source of it. They might pick on you constantly about insignificant things and make it look like your happiness or joy is because you had an advantage they seemingly lacked.
4) Fishing for compliments – A LOT!
People who fall under the NPD category (have been diagnosed by a professional) or show narcissistic tendencies often seem confident. However, when closely looked at they are quite the opposite.
Studies reveal that narcissists often have a staggeringly low self esteem and need constant attention. They may go to extreme lengths to receive said compliments, mostly at someone else’s cost.
5) Hogging conversations –
Narcissistic people often make it a point to unnecessarily hog conversations; they want to be the at the centre of it. You will find such people almost always speaking of themselves or their accomplishments and achievements for hours and with an alarming amount of grandiose.
Note that the above points are simply a few of the many qualities that are identifiable in a narcissist. However, these points are not a basis for a diagnosis. If you find similarities in behavioural quality of any one you know or yourself, please do not hesitate to seek professional help because a narcissistic existence could be a painful – for others as well as one’s own self.
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature Image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: Healthline, NBC News, PsychCentral
Find the blogger: @SreemayeeN
This post is tagged under: narcissism and empathy, narcissism vs empathy, narcissism, gaslight relationship, gaslighting abusive relationship, gaslighting, psychological manipulation, mental health, healthy relationship, unhealthy relationships, relationship issues
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
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