Not explaining yourself to them or arguing with them. Narcissistic people are antagonistic by definition; they are sort of the opposite of people-pleasers. This means they thrive on conflict and chaos. Most people are not built for conflict and are reasonably agreeable, but narcissists are notoriously disagreeable. Their focus is to obtain narcissistic supply by any means. They may enjoy positive supply like admiration and compliments, but if they run out of positive supply or get bored, they will start testing limits by intentionally pushing buttons, causing negative supply through conflict. If you restrict their supply by not arguing or explaining why you are not arguing, you might see them completely lose their minds because they are not getting the one thing they crave the most: attention. This doesn’t apply to reasoned, respectful arguments that are part of healthy relationships and help resolve conflicts.
Number 5: Implying They May Need Professional Help
Implying that they may need professional help. A mere implication that a highly antagonistic narcissistic person may need to visit a mental health professional can cause tremendous rage and endless denials, projections, and gaslighting. They might insinuate or openly accuse the person suggesting it of needing professional help. They may deny having done anything that would merit a psychologist’s or psychiatrist’s evaluation or accuse that person of trying to get rid of them by labeling them insane.
Number 4: Setting Firm Boundaries
Setting firm boundaries. One of the best ways to cope with a narcissist’s never-ending manipulation tactics is to set boundaries and remain firm. This will infuriate the narcissistic person. Narcissists expect relationships to be one-way streets, requiring endless freedom and zero responsibility while insisting that others tolerate their constant boundary violations. Since they view people as disposable sources of narcissistic supply, they are likely to react poorly to strict boundaries they cannot regularly cross.
Number 3: Implication They May Lose Power and Control
Continue reading on the next page
Sharing is caring!
