Here is a small disclaimer: sometimes people on the autism spectrum or people with ADHD may feel more comfortable not making eye contact. When they aren’t making eye contact and you’re talking to them, that is when they are listening. If they are looking at you and nodding their head, they may feel like a prisoner in that situation. So context matters. That’s why I said that any behavior I’m talking about today, in isolation, means nothing.
3. Constantly yawning when you are talking.
Now, you might be really tired, overwhelmed, and you might yawn, but not out of disrespect. You don’t do it intentionally. Narcissists, however, are attention-seekers. If, in any conversation, the focus is not on them, they get easily bored and need stimulation. When you’re talking about yourself, opening up, and sharing your side of the story, they’ll take a big yawn, with teary eyes, clearly showing they’re not interested in hearing your story because it’s not about them. They just want you to stop talking as soon as possible or switch the focus back to them. The minute you start focusing on them, you’ll see them re-engage, as if a switch has been flipped. It’s like they were possessed, and now they’re back, active, and listening again. My mother did this all the time—not so much to me, but to other people.
I would observe it and absorb the shame, embarrassment, and disrespect that person must have felt in those moments. It was horrible. On top of that, she would start talking to someone else about something ridiculous and unimportant, ignoring the person who was talking to her. That person would be left talking to themselves, then start talking to me or someone else. It was crazy and beyond unacceptable.
4. Puppy patting.
the Consequences of Leaving a Narcissist
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