If you have a narcissist in your life, you already realize that it can be very difficult to get by from one day to the next. It has to do with their personality and the fact that they do everything they can to remain at the center of attention. They will make themselves seem bigger, brag about themselves and even exaggerate what they do to appear larger in the minds of others. It isn’t only something that they do on occasion, they have been doing it for years and improving on their methods.
A narcissist will often intermix lies and truth in a way that it is very difficult to recognize from the surface. When they are good at doing it, they are able to get away with almost anything you can possibly imagine. They aren’t empathetic if you are feeling pain and they have no understanding of your feelings. They do have the ability to fake it, however, and it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference. If you have ever been around a narcissist, you know that it can be a very infuriating experience to converse with them. They don’t care about you or what you are saying, they only care about themselves.
Here are 4 different things that a narcissist will do to maintain the center of attention.
1. Playing the blame game
When an opportunity arises for somebody to look worse than a narcissist, they will take advantage of it. By putting other people down, they will elevate their own position.
When given the opportunity, they will put the blame on other people and if there is any drama that surrounds it, they will just continue to blame others for those issues as well.
2. Role reversal
Narcissists are very good at manipulation when a conversation comes up. They know how to twist the conversation so that they look good in the eyes of others.
They can turn the conversation on a dime but they won’t hesitate to manipulate you in the process. They will use a sudden turn of events to make you take responsibility, even if you aren’t responsible. In the process, they look like the victim and you look like you have egg on your face.
3. They play the victim
Narcissists may not have empathy or understanding but don’t underestimate them for what they are able to do. They can receive pity quite nicely, even if it is at your expense. More than likely, you were the one that deserved the pity they got it.
A narcissist will work their entire life to perfect this manipulation tactic and they do it very well.
4. They interrupt
Since a narcissist craves the focus of attention, they will jump in on any conversation if they are not directly involved. On the other hand, if somebody interrupts them to redirect the conversation, they will be put through the ringer quickly and efficiently.
If all else fails, the narcissist will attack the individual in every way they can because they perceive them as being a threat.
Being able to recognize these four traits of a narcissist can help you to turn the tide and do something about it.