Narcissists are all around us. Thinking they’re better than us and too self-absorbed to even consider someone else’s perspective. The arrogance in such people is sky-high. There are many things ranging from cocky to manipulative and demanding. But how do you identify a narcissist and how do you deal with one after you figure out?
According to Help Guide and Healthline, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) refers to a condition where people love their idealised version and have “an inflated opinion of themselves”. In addition to this, they are huge attention seekers, and are always looking for people’s admiration. They cannot handle criticism and overreact even when they come across a remotely negative opinion of them. NPD can cause problems at work, school or in handling relationships well. Narcissistic people are arrogant, self-centred and demanding.
There are ways to identify people who are narcissists around you. Some undesirable traits of a narcissist are:
- Exaggeration – Narcissists exaggerate all their achievements and important events.
- Attention Seeking – Narcissists constantly need admiration and attention from people around them.
- Unable to Understand Others – Narcissists often fail to understand what other people need and how they feel about a certain situation.
- Arrogance – They always behave arrogantly and have inflated egos.
- Sense of Entitlement – Narcissists always feel entitled.
WebMD suggests the following ways to deal with Narcissists:
- Create Boundaries – You need to define clear boundaries that a narcissist cannot cross. This can upset them, but you don’t have to deal with their discomfort.
- Watch Your Words – When around a narcissist, make sure you choose your words carefully as they can feel offended even if you try to give them constructive criticism.
- Educate Yourself – It is important to study NPD well to understand a narcissist better. This helps you devise a strategy to deal with them better.
- Don’t Expect Communication Or Understanding From Their Side – It is best to have little to no expectations from narcissists as you would only be disappointed by them. The best way to live life with a narcissist is to not expect them to understand your perspective or needs.
