17 Signs You’re Dealing with a Narcissist and How to Keep Your Power
Narcissists are often charming, confident, and hard to spot—until you feel drained, confused, or manipulated. Their patterns of behavior can be damaging to your energy and mental health, especially if you don’t recognize the signs.
Whether it’s a romantic partner, friend, or colleague, understanding their traits can help you set boundaries and protect your peace. Below, we explore 17 traits that narcissists commonly share and offer practical tips for safeguarding your emotional energy when dealing with them.
They Have an Overwhelming Sense of Self-Importance
Narcissists often see themselves as superior to others, craving admiration and special treatment. They may exaggerate achievements or demand recognition they haven’t earned.
Protect yourself by grounding your own worth and not feeding their need for excessive praise.
They Lack Genuine Empathy
A hallmark of narcissism is the inability to understand or care about others’ feelings. This can leave you feeling unheard or invalidated.
Safeguard your energy by seeking emotional support from people who truly value your experiences.
Like iepmommy's content? Follow us on MSN.
They Manipulate to Get Their Way
Narcissists are skilled at twisting situations to their advantage. They might use guilt, flattery, or deceit to maintain control.
Protect yourself by recognizing manipulation tactics and maintaining firm boundaries.
They Crave Constant Admiration
Narcissists thrive on attention and validation, often seeking it relentlessly. Their need for admiration can feel draining.
Focus on keeping your energy balanced by not engaging in their endless pursuit of approval.
They Struggle to Handle Criticism
Even constructive feedback can trigger extreme defensiveness or anger in narcissists. Their fragile egos can make conflict exhausting.
To protect your peace, practice detached communication and avoid personalizing their reactions.
Like iepmommy's content? Follow us on MSN.
They Exploit Relationships for Gain
Narcissists often view relationships as tools to meet their needs, whether for status, resources, or attention.
Protect yourself by recognizing transactional dynamics and ensuring your relationships are mutual and reciprocal.
They Believe Rules Don’t Apply to Them
A sense of entitlement often leads narcissists to disregard boundaries, rules, or norms. This can create chaos in personal and professional settings.
Safeguard your energy by clearly asserting boundaries and enforcing consequences.
They Have a Charismatic but Superficial Charm
Narcissists can be highly charismatic, often drawing people in with their magnetism. However, this charm rarely runs deep.
Stay grounded by looking beyond surface-level behavior and assessing their actions over time.
Like iepmommy's content? Follow us on MSN.
They Deflect Responsibility
Blaming others and avoiding accountability are common narcissistic tactics. They rarely own up to mistakes.
Protect your peace by refusing to accept misplaced blame and holding them accountable calmly but firmly.
They Seek to Control Conversations
Narcissists often dominate discussions, steering them back to themselves. This can leave you feeling unheard or dismissed.
Reclaim your energy by steering conversations toward mutual interests or limiting interactions.
They Engage in Love-Bombing
In romantic relationships, narcissists often use excessive affection or gifts to quickly gain trust. However, this is often followed by emotional manipulation.
Protect yourself by pacing relationships and being wary of overwhelming early gestures.
Like iepmommy's content? Follow us on MSN.
They Play the Victim
Narcissists can shift blame to portray themselves as victims, eliciting sympathy or deflecting criticism. Recognize this pattern and focus on factual communication rather than emotional entanglement.
They Create Triangles in Relationships
Narcissists often involve third parties to stir conflict, gain attention, or maintain control. Protect your energy by refusing to engage in triangulated drama and maintaining direct communication.
They Have Unrealistic Expectations of Others
Narcissists often demand perfection or expect others to fulfill all their needs. These expectations can lead to disappointment and conflict.
Protect yourself by setting realistic boundaries and not overextending yourself to meet their demands.
Like iepmommy's content? Follow us on MSN.
They Use Gaslighting to Confuse You
Gaslighting is a common tactic where narcissists make you question your perceptions or memories. Protect your mental clarity by trusting your instincts and keeping written or mental records of interactions.
They Dismiss Your Achievements
Rather than celebrating your successes, narcissists may downplay or criticize them to maintain a sense of superiority. Safeguard your energy by seeking encouragement from people who truly uplift you.
They Are Highly Competitive
Narcissists often view others’ successes as threats and may compete unnecessarily. Protect yourself by focusing on your own goals and not engaging in their comparisons or one-upmanship.
More from IEPMommy
- Younger Workers Refuse to Follow These 15 Outdated Office Rules
- Stop Saying These 18 Overused Phrases That Drive People Up the Wall
- The Harsh Realities Boomers Lived That Millennials Didn’t Have to Face
- 17 Things Kids Had to Follow in the 70s That Sound Unreal Today
- 19 Old-Fashioned Beliefs That Boomers Cling to but Are Harmful Today
Like iepmommy's content? Follow us on MSN.
