Manipulative malignant narcissists engage in a constant dance of positioning for advantage. All they care about is for you to be in the dark or second-guessing. They don’t want you to have their number or know what they’re really up to. They seek only power, dominance, and control. And lying gives them the position of advantage.
Charming narcissists turn on the charm for one of two reasons. They might simply crave your attention and admiration. But they also might just have plans to take advantage of you. In either case, the reason they succeed in manipulating you is the same. Victims simply confuse interest with caring.
No one makes a major life course-correction without submitting to a higher power or operating principle. But narcissists have a big problem with that.
It’s hard for me to think of a human dilemma I’ve encountered that didn’t have at its root a lack of positive regard for a person and the preciousness of their life.
Vulnerable narcissists haven’t fashioned a balanced or well-grounded view of their own worth. Pay attention to them and revere them, and all is fine. Ask anything of them, and you’ll quickly learn how “shallow” they are. This makes true intimacy impossible. They may do all sorts of things to “prove” they’re love-worthy. But they don’t know their true worth. And they neither know how to love nor how to be loved.
Narcissists come in two main varieties, each posing very different challenges for relationships. The two types also pose very different prospects for change. Telling the diffference between these egotistical characters can be difficult at times, so it’s important to know the signs that can help you distinguish betwen the two.
The current edition of “Dame” magazine features some of my thoughts on gaslighting and what makes certain personalities use this manipulation tactic.
A 6-hour “webinar is being planned for September 24, 2015. More details will be available in the coming weeks.
Dealing with any person who has a serious character disturbance or disorder is never easy. And there are no foolproof methods to neutralizing the distress such a person can bring into your life. But faithfully following some general rules can help make life with a narcissistic boss or co-worker much more manageable.
Harboring antiquated notions about who they are and how they got to be that way is exactly what leads people to get into relationships with narcissists, despite warning signs, and to remain in those relationships despite suffering emotional abuse and neglect at their hands.
Forming a mature, healthy conscience primarily requires two things: 1) a capacity for and sufficient degree of empathy for others and their welfare, and 2) recognition of and respect for a “higher power” or authority.