Now, I donāt want to alarm you, but narcissists are among some of the most dangerous personalities you can ever come up against. The stark reality is that they are such slippery characters that manipulation is in their DNA, meaning they canāt resist playing a few devious games to get what they want. (This might be the point where you get scared) They are so good at what they do, that picking up on their toxic behavior isnāt always straightforward.
What are the signs a narcissist is playing mind games with you? - 5 Give away indications
Here we are dealing with elite manipulators, who are so skillful and talented in the dark arts that they make acknowledging the reality of their actions and motives very complicated. That being said, despite their abilities to dissimulate the truth, they canāt disguise all of their toxic behaviors, meaning there are some telltale signs that they are toying with you. Here are 5 signs a narcissist is toying with you;
- 1) You constantly question yourself: One of the hallmark tactics of narcissists is gaslighting, where they manipulate your perception of reality to make you doubt your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. You find yourself constantly questioning your memory, judgment, and sanity, as the narcissist subtly undermines your confidence and self-trust.
- 2) You never know where you stand: Narcissists are masters of inconsistency and unpredictability. They may shower you with affection and praise one moment, only to suddenly withdraw or criticize you the next. This rollercoaster of emotions and behavior leaves you feeling confused, anxious, and constantly on edge, never knowing where you truly stand in the narcissist's eyes.
- 3) Your gut feeling tells you something is wrong: Trust your intuition. Deep down, you sense that something isn't right in your relationship with the narcissist. Despite their charm and charisma, there's an underlying feeling of unease or discomfort that you can't shake off. Your instincts are trying to alert you to the manipulative mind games being played.
- 4) Your version of events is always wrong: Narcissists excel at rewriting history and twisting the truth to suit their agenda. They gaslight and invalidate your experiences, insisting that their version of events is the only valid perspective. You're left feeling unheard, dismissed, and frustrated as the narcissist denies or distorts reality to maintain control over the narrative.
- 5) His promises and actions donāt align: The narcissist's words rarely match their actions. They may make grand promises and declarations of love, yet their behavior consistently falls short of these commitments. You're left feeling disillusioned and betrayed as the narcissist's actions fail to align with their professed intentions, revealing their manipulative and deceptive nature.
8 Narcissist mind games these devious bullies use
1) Victim playing
Playing the victim comes naturally to fully-fledged narcissists and allows them to drum up support for themselves. By adopting the victim mentality, these manipulative parasites believe they can ditch the bad guy label and make themselves out to be the person who has been wronged. Plus, adopting this daring stance will even make the real victim in the situation question themselves and their behavior. This is one of their favorite manipulation tactics and gives them the leverage they need to take control of the narrative. Indeed, it gives them the upper hand and makes them seem inoffensive.
2) Blame shifting
The simple truth is that narcissists never feel guilty for their actions and are completely void of any semblance of empathy. Their innate traits mean that they are certainly not above accusing their legitimate victims of negatively impacting their mental health. No matter what type of relationship you have with one of these deceitful rouges, theyāll never hold their hands up and face up to what they have done. Whether theyāve cheated on you, or broken your trust, you can be sure that theyāll never accept the consequences of their actions, or admit they are in the wrong. For them, the buck always stops with someone else, and nothing is ever their fault.
3) Ghosting
As master puppeteers, these folks love pulling the strings, especially when it comes to dating and romantic relationships. Now, in reality, these people just arenāt cut out to love wholesomely or to enjoy healthy relationships, however, that doesnāt stop them from promising their victims the world. Youāll notice that I chose the word victim above and not partner, well thatās because thatās exactly what narcissists are looking for. After all, finding someone you can toy with makes cutting communication and ghosting them so much easier.
>>> Discover 8 reasons why ghosters always come back
4) Love bombing
Love bombing is a form of covert emotional abuse that those in relationships with a narcissist are often subjected to. Love bombing consists of making people feel good about themselves and showering them with gifts and compliments, with the aim that showing them affection will make them lower the boundaries. After all, when the boundaries are forgotten about, manipulation and control become so much easier to activate.
5) Emotional manipulation
Emotional manipulation is used by controlling people to seize power over someone else. In the case of a narcissist, they are most likely to use this head game to savagely convince people that they have feelings for them and that they love them. Now, they rarely use violence, but their dishonesty and general bad behavior are powerful enough to disarm the folks they have contact with. The bottom line is that they will do, say, and claim anything to get what they want, no matter how ludicrous it may seem from an outsiderās perspective.
6) Passive-aggressive behavior
When it comes to passive aggression, the aggressor will never voice the negative feelings they are experiencing, however, they will always find indirect ways to imply that they are unhappy. This covert mind game will lead to gaslighting and when it is done relentlessly, it could even result in victims believing they are at fault for their puppeteerās dissatisfaction. This underhand tactic may seem pretty inoffensive, although, in reality, it is one of the most damaging that exists.
7) Self-esteem reduction
In order to keep people around and ensure they donāt escape from their clutches, narcissists play mind games to slash peopleās self-confidence. Plus, nothing is out of bounds for them, meaning they wonāt hold back in criticizing your weight, your appearance, your dress sense, or your intelligence. Their narcissistic rage means theyāll say anything to completely destroy any shred of confidence you haveā¦
8) Triggering you
Anything goes when it comes to getting a reaction out of you. A narcissistās ultimate goal is to control, therefore triggering people is a tactic they use to get them to lash out and feel worthless afterwards. Of course, after their victims let rip, theyāll decide to make them feel bad and victimize themselves, as a means to emotionally blackmail. And, they are excellent at analyzing peopleās characters, that they immediately identify weak points.
š” Practical tip time š” What to do when you realize your abuser is playing mind games;If you're faced with someone who seems toxic, even dangerous, and you're in a situation where you can't escape them, it's important to protect yourself. Behind the desire to trap a narcissist, there are 5 techniques you can use to foil his stratagems.
Technique 1: Be firm with the narcissistic pervert
Technique 2: Demand clarity from the narcissistic manipulator
Technique 3: Avoid emotional expression with the NP
Technique 4: Find the narcissistic manipulator's weak point
Technique 5: Counter-manipulate to escape their grip
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How do you outsmart a narcissist?
When faced with a narcissistic person trying to manipulate you, it's important to remain calm, confident, and in control of yourself. Here are some ways to outsmart and deal with manipulators:
- Be aware of their tactics: Understand the common manipulative tactics used by narcissists, such as gaslighting, devaluation, and projection. By being aware of their strategies, you can better protect yourself and avoid falling into their traps.
- Remain firm and assertive: Assert yourself and clearly express your limits when trying to outsmart these devious personalities. These folks may try to destabilize you by questioning your confidence or making you doubt yourself. Stand firm in your convictions and don't hesitate to defend your rights and opinions.
- Don't engage in pointless debates: These manipulators may seek to provoke you into endless debates in order to manipulate you emotionally. Choose your battles wisely and don't get involved in discussions that won't lead to anything positive.
- Set clear limits: Set clear limits on what you will and won't accept from the abuser. Be prepared to walk away from the relationship if it becomes toxic.
- Take care of yourself: Manipulation can be emotionally draining. Make sure you take care of your well-being by seeking support from friends, family, or qualified professionals.
š” FAQ š” - What are the effects of mind games on victims?1. Loss of self-esteem
When dealing with a NP, self-esteem is lost as a result of mental manipulation. The victim is psychologically unstructured. They no longer know what to believe. Indeed, projective identification sows doubt and the victim is consumed by guilt. They've lost their bearings, and may even doubt their own sanity. She may even believe that she herself has become a pervert. As a result of being blamed, isolated, psychologically or physically abused, self-esteem is completely destroyed.
2. Social isolation
The victim is deliberately isolated by the narcissistic pervert. As a result of the NP's manipulation and guilt-tripping, the victim no longer dares to act without the pervert's consent. She can no longer see her friends and family, because of the NP's threats and blackmail. This leads to profound social isolation. This can lead to social phobia, even after separation from the narcissistic pervert. People may adopt avoidance strategies for fear of encountering a potential pervert.
3. Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome is when a victim becomes so attached and empathetic to his or her tormentor that he or she can understand and adopt the NP's point of view. This is due in part to the pervert's use of powerful manipulation. |
Editorās opinion - Boundaries are key!Setting boundaries is the only weapon strong enough to fight against these malicious games. By establishing where your comfort ends, youāll send clear signals to potential abusers that you canāt be messed with or controlled for that matter.
š¤ Understand yourself, accept yourself, be happyā¦ Letās do it here and now!
#BornToBeMe
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