Today’s, we are talking about one of the narcissist’s very favorite manipulation tactics that they use to escape accountability and shift blame for something they did right back onto you. It’s a dirty and very psychologically abusive trick. Today, we’re discussing how narcissists weaponize your normal reactions to their behavior, labeling you as “too sensitive.
Being called “too sensitive” for reacting to abuse or disrespect isn’t just completely dismissive and disrespectful to your feelings; it is manipulation at its finest. It’s a calculated form of gaslighting that narcissists and toxic individuals use to distort reality, shift blame, and invalidate their victims’ legitimate emotional responses. By making the conversation about your reaction rather than their actions, they escape accountability and reframe themselves as the reasonable ones while painting you as irrational, overemotional, or even unstable.
The goal of using this tactic is to make you doubt your own perceptions, beliefs, and ultimately your feelings about yourself. When someone repeatedly tells you that your feelings are exaggerated or unwarranted, they are not simply offering an opinion; they are rewriting reality in a way that protects them and undermines you. When you internalize this false narrative, you become easier to manipulate, easier to silence, and easier to control. And that, my friends, is the name of the game.
So today, we are discussing one of the dirtiest manipulation tactics that narcissists use to escape accountability and shift blame onto you, which I call weaponizing sensitivity. One of the most dangerous aspects of this tactic is how seamlessly it flips the script, shifting attention away from the narcissist’s behavior and onto your reaction. Sometimes we refer to this tactic as reactive abuse because we all know that narcissists thrive on control and dominance and despise being confronted or held accountable. They are not interested in engaging in self-reflection or taking responsibility, so they reframe the situation to make you appear unreasonable.
For example, they might say things like, “Wow, I was just joking; you’re way too sensitive,” or “Why do you always take things so personally?” or “Nobody else would react this way; you need to toughen up.” They might even say, “You make such a big deal out of everything; just let it go.” The goal of these statements is not to express genuine concern for your feelings and emotional well-being; it’s to convince you that your pain is invalid. Once that seed of doubt is planted in your mind successfully, the narcissist knows they no longer have to defend their actions. Instead, you are left defending your right to feel.
Continue reading on the next page
Sharing is caring!
