How To Recognize A Narcissist: Nine Tips

Narcissistic personality disorder, also called megalomania, is a pathological condition characterized by excessive self-confidence and a lack of empathy. Narcissists sincerely believe that they are better than those around them in every way. Read on, because below we give you even more tips on how to recognize a narcissist.

You can encounter narcissistic people at any point in your daily life. One of the main reasons why it is so important to recognize narcissists is so that you can avoid them.

A relationship with a narcissist doesn’t have to be so alarming at first. In fact, it can even be quite a rewarding experience. However, he cannot keep his true intentions hidden forever. Narcissists just want other people to feel less good than them and enjoy taking advantage of them.

According to the American Psychiatric Association ‘s Manual of Classification of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), there are nine signs to look for in order to identify a narcissist. Let’s see what they are.

Recognizing a Narcissist

1. Narcissists feel great

When we talk about greatness, we mean the idea that you are better than everyone else. Narcissists think that all their achievements and abilities are better than the rest of humanity. This makes the people around them feel inferior. Narcissists often talk and act as if they are the most important person in the world.

2. They care deeply about success and power

Narcissistic people are always looking for ways to become successful and powerful. They even dream and fantasize about it. So they would never settle for anything less than being successful, powerful, and utterly beautiful and admired by all.

3. They think they are unique

Recognizing a narcissist is actually not that difficult. Narcissists strongly believe that they are unique and irreplaceable. This ensures that they only form relationships with people who admire them and constantly remind them how special they are.

The reason for this is that narcissists often think that there are not many people who can understand them or have things in common with them.

4. ‘Special Treatment’

Narcissists like to be treated in a special way by others. They demand privileges because they feel they deserve to be treated in the best possible way. They believe they are special, which is why they expect others to treat them as such.

If you want to be able to recognize a narcissist, remember that these types of people absolutely cannot stand when others contradict or criticize them.

5. They demand excessive admiration

Narcissists are pretentious. They therefore demand that others admire them at all times and everywhere. They always expect others to have a very high impression of them.

Then they get angry when this turns out not to be the case. All they desire is for others to look up to them and put them on a pedestal where they will be admired forever, whether they deserve it or not.

6. They envy others

Narcissists are often overly jealous of people who are better than them in certain ways. This jealousy can be very obvious or hidden, either way they  will never admit it.

At the same time, however, people with narcissistic personality disorder also always think that others are jealous of their personal skills and achievements.

7. They show a lack of empathy

As we mentioned earlier, recognizing a narcissist doesn’t have to be difficult at all. This is especially true when it comes to this point. Narcissists are incapable of empathizing with others.

They simply can not connect with other people’s feelings and needs. Also, they don’t really care about others and actually never feel remorse or guilt. So you could easily say that narcissists are incapable of loving others.

8. They exploit people to their own advantage

Narcissists often take advantage of other people to achieve their own personal goals. They do this by manipulating others using different sources, ideas and contacts.

If you think you’re dealing with a narcissist, see if they have a controlling nature. Narcissists love to manipulate others. They are practically willing to do anything to get what they want, regardless of the consequences.

9. Narcissists are arrogant and domineering

Finally, you should know that every narcissist is extremely arrogant and acts dominant towards the people around them. Narcissists think they can’t make mistakes, so they believe that everyone should always agree with everything they say.

Everything they say and think must be accepted without a doubt. For a narcissist it is therefore not at all strange to impose his ideas on others.

Why is it important to be able to recognize a narcissist?

The nine signs we’ve covered above will undoubtedly make it a lot easier for you to spot a narcissist. Avoid getting into a relationship with these types of people, as these relationships lead to psychological abuse in most cases.

Another reason it’s so important to recognize narcissists is that it can help you avoid falling into their traps. At first glance, they are very charming people, because they know how to win others over.

However, remember that taking advantage of others makes them feel powerful. So don’t let yourself be tempted to fall into their trap!