I recently wrote an article on “How to deal with a Narcissist (Will open in new window).” After extensive research on the web, I have created a comprehensive list of techniques and strategies to get a narcissist to reveal themselves or to be exposed. As a bonus, I also added some tips on how to a narcissist.
Managing a narcissist can be a challenging task, and frequent interactions with them might cause emotional distress or anxiety. Typically, narcissists are resistant to altering their behavior. However, by exploiting their personality traits, you can provoke them and trigger negative reactions. Refer to this article to discover strategies to trigger narcissists’ vulnerabilities and disrupt their emotional balance every time you interact with them.
So here goes.:
1.) Bring up your own or someone else’s recent accomplishment. You can go an extra level by bringing up an accomplishment you know the narcissist can’t accomplish. A good example is something like a job or education.
As soon as the narcissist hears it, they will either dismiss it as if they don’t care and don’t want to hear about it or downplay that achievement. A narcissist may also try to belittle or say something negative about that person. Even if that person is you. A narcissist hates hearing anything positive about other people unless it has something to do with them.
2.) Express doubts and show facts.
If there is one thing that a narcissist hates more than a disagreement, it’s doubting them. I enjoy using technical phrases to irritate a narcissist such as, “That’s not accurate,” or “You are incorrect,” and seeing how they respond. If their answers are negative and disproportionate to your question and they start to get aggravated, angry, and even rage, that should be a clue. Narcissists hate when you provide facts that do not align with their narratives, understandings, or beliefs.
3.) Bring up a comparison Between the Narcissist and pretty much anyone else. This could be dangerous.
Say that this person did something better. Narcissists will either belittle or downplay or snap at you.
4.) Speak in facts that you can back up and not emotions
Avoid emotional entanglement when possible. In fact, it’s almost impossible to have any kind of emotional attachment to a narcissist. Only speak with facts, which you can back up your statements with. Narcissists hate facts and will do everything in their power to prevent you from even mentioning them. Even if it means going into a rage mode or using physical violence.
5.) Expose their failures
To inflict pain on a narcissist, one effective approach is to undermine their self-image. Narcissists are particularly averse to being criticized for any kind of failure, whether it is significant, such as missing out on a job promotion, or trivial, such as failing to buy milk from the grocery store. Highlighting such shortcomings can significantly irritate and distress a narcissist.
6.) Don’t be scared to say No!
Narcissists have a tendency to expect compliance with their requests. Refusing to comply with their demands can shatter their delusion of being in control of everything. If you are dealing with a narcissistic individual, consider asserting your autonomy by saying “no” the next time they ask you to do something. However, be prepared for the possibility of an angry reaction from them.
7.) Narcissists are master manipulators.
If a Narcissist acts extra nice to you, that means they want something.
8.) Most narcissists seem to be always angry at someone or most people.
They see most people as competition.