How to Identify a Narcissist
Watch for a change in behavior., Examine the people around them., Check out their social media profile., Look for short-term relationships in their past., Look at their appearance.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Watch for a change in behavior.
Most relationships with a person with narcissism will start off well.
They will initially come off as friendly and confident, and seek to find ways to show that you two are similar.
They really are listening to you, at least at first, because being friends with you reflects well on them.Their pleasant demeanor may vanish when he or she does something that might show weakness.
Rather than turn to you for support, as a friend will, they will retreat further, focusing on the special circumstances or the unique nature of their situation.
This change may come when they think something about you changes.
They will find something about you that doesn’t fit into the vision they have for you and your relationship.
These differences suggest that you aren’t the same as them, making you not a good as they are. -
Step 2: Examine the people around them.
People with narcissism like to keep the focus on themselves, and so they tend to surround themselves with people who will mirror this behavior.
A person with narcissism will be surrounded by people who help inflate those feelings of superiority, and rarely (if ever) challenge them.Narcissism involves a certain emptiness, a concern that the person doesn’t live up to their own expectations.
To compensate, they will like to be surrounded by admirers who tell them that he or she is smart, attractive, or whatever else the person with narcissism needs to hear. , Because people with narcissism are focused on status, they use social media as a way to reinforce their position.
A person with narcissism on social media will have lots of friends and a large network.
They may even comment on their large network as a way to reinforce how important they are., Because they are so focused on themselves, people with narcissism tend to have very short relationships.
They look for partners who will reinforce their sense of self-worth, which can be unsatisfactory to the other person.
This leads to a lot of short-term relationships.In some cases, this sense of self-worth can be expressed as infidelity.
A person with narcissism will look for someone else who can focus on taking care of his or her needs, implying that their current partner cannot.You can find similar backgrounds in business leaders with narcissism.
They stay at companies for a short time, end up wrecking or damaging the business, then quickly move on to the next one.
They will also always have an explanation or excuse for how they couldn’t have done any better. , People with narcissism place a high value on good outward appearance, and they use their appearance to promote their status.
They spend a lot of time working on their appearance, such as by styling their hair or choosing clothing.
The clothing they choose is often flashy and expensive.
Women are also more likely to wear makeup and show off their cleavage.If you suspect a person might have narcissism, looking at the way they present themselves outwardly can be a good sign.
Many people with narcissism can draw you in at first because they are trying make a good first impression.Part of the reason why people with narcissism may like expensive flashy clothing is because they use these items as a way to show off high status and improve their own status.
One comparison is that a shopaholic will talk about a great deal they got on something, while a person with narcissism will talk about how prestigious the item is. -
Step 3: Check out their social media profile.
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Step 4: Look for short-term relationships in their past.
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Step 5: Look at their appearance.
Detailed Guide
Most relationships with a person with narcissism will start off well.
They will initially come off as friendly and confident, and seek to find ways to show that you two are similar.
They really are listening to you, at least at first, because being friends with you reflects well on them.Their pleasant demeanor may vanish when he or she does something that might show weakness.
Rather than turn to you for support, as a friend will, they will retreat further, focusing on the special circumstances or the unique nature of their situation.
This change may come when they think something about you changes.
They will find something about you that doesn’t fit into the vision they have for you and your relationship.
These differences suggest that you aren’t the same as them, making you not a good as they are.
People with narcissism like to keep the focus on themselves, and so they tend to surround themselves with people who will mirror this behavior.
A person with narcissism will be surrounded by people who help inflate those feelings of superiority, and rarely (if ever) challenge them.Narcissism involves a certain emptiness, a concern that the person doesn’t live up to their own expectations.
To compensate, they will like to be surrounded by admirers who tell them that he or she is smart, attractive, or whatever else the person with narcissism needs to hear. , Because people with narcissism are focused on status, they use social media as a way to reinforce their position.
A person with narcissism on social media will have lots of friends and a large network.
They may even comment on their large network as a way to reinforce how important they are., Because they are so focused on themselves, people with narcissism tend to have very short relationships.
They look for partners who will reinforce their sense of self-worth, which can be unsatisfactory to the other person.
This leads to a lot of short-term relationships.In some cases, this sense of self-worth can be expressed as infidelity.
A person with narcissism will look for someone else who can focus on taking care of his or her needs, implying that their current partner cannot.You can find similar backgrounds in business leaders with narcissism.
They stay at companies for a short time, end up wrecking or damaging the business, then quickly move on to the next one.
They will also always have an explanation or excuse for how they couldn’t have done any better. , People with narcissism place a high value on good outward appearance, and they use their appearance to promote their status.
They spend a lot of time working on their appearance, such as by styling their hair or choosing clothing.
The clothing they choose is often flashy and expensive.
Women are also more likely to wear makeup and show off their cleavage.If you suspect a person might have narcissism, looking at the way they present themselves outwardly can be a good sign.
Many people with narcissism can draw you in at first because they are trying make a good first impression.Part of the reason why people with narcissism may like expensive flashy clothing is because they use these items as a way to show off high status and improve their own status.
One comparison is that a shopaholic will talk about a great deal they got on something, while a person with narcissism will talk about how prestigious the item is.
About the Author
Kelly Peterson
Kelly Peterson is an experienced writer with over 11 years of expertise in lifestyle and practical guides. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Kelly creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
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