Discerning decency of character in our times is a challenge. With all manner of character dysfuntion “normalized,” we’ve largely become desensitized, even to the most egregious forms.

Narcissistic Pomposity and Pretense

May 20, 2026Abuse, Empowerment, Entitlement, impression management, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Manipulators, Mental Health, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Psychopathy and Sociopathy, Relationships, Social Issuescharacter disordered, exploitation, grandiose, impression management, narcissism, Narcissists, pomposity, pretenseDr. Simon

Pomposity and pretense are common in narcissists. Sometimes, it’s an act. But it can also reflect grandiose, nearly delusional beliefs.

Narcissistic Rages and Their Forms and Causes

February 27, 2026Abuse, Aggression, Character Matters, Empowerment, Entitlement, gaslighting, Integrity, Manipulation, Manipulators, Narcissism, Neurotics, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Relationships, Social Issuesdominance, grandiose, manipulation tactic, narcissism, narcissist, rage, superior, tactical, thin-skinnedDr. Simon

Narcissistic rages are common in abusive relationships. But characterizing every rager as “thin-skinned” is a potentially fatal mistake.

Charm and the Potential for Harm

February 19, 2026Abuse, Character Matters, Entitlement, Integrity, Love, Manipulators, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Relationships, Social Issuesboundaries, character disturbance, charm, ego massage, entitlement, love bombing, malignant narcissists, narcissistic, psychopaths, seduction, spellDr. Simon

Charm should generally sound an alarm, because its aim is to disarm, and that always carries the potential for harm, whether intended or not.

Narcissists Exaggerate Just About Everything

February 9, 2026Abuse, Character Matters, Covert-Aggression, gaslighting, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Relationships, Social Issuesattention, deference, enabling, exaggerate, gaslighting, higher power, image, narcissistic behavior, Narcissists, truthDr. Simon

Narcissists exaggerate to advance their image-promoting agendas. Tolerating or enabling this behavior harms everyone, even the narcissist.

Impression Management Skill and Gaslighting

December 9, 2025Character Matters, Covert-Aggression, gaslighting, impression management, Integrity, Lying and Deception, Manipulation, Manipulators, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychological Manipulation, Psychology, Relationships, Social Issuesbeing good, covert characters, gaslighting, genuine love, impression management, looking good, seductionDr. Simon

Impression management skill and gaslighting often go hand-in-hand. When others don’t see your nemesis the same way you have come to see them, it can make you feel crazy, which is what the gaslighting effect is all about.

Dr. George Simon’sCharacter Matters

A Resource for Understanding and Dealing with Narcissists, Manipulators, and other Problem Characters

Category Archives: Psychological Manipulation

The Grandiose Narcissist’s Image is Built on Lies