Number 2: Ridiculing for pleasure.
Intentionally putting you down and ridiculing you for sarcastic pleasure. To the narcissist, your joy is offensive. Your ambition is a threat. Your self-worth is an insult to the pedestal they built for themselves. So what do they do? They make it their mission to chip away at you slowly, surgically, and with a smile. They do not scream or insult outright; that would be too obvious. Instead, they ridicule in a socially acceptable way: a joke that’s “just a joke,” a backhanded compliment, a tiny smirk when you mispronounce a word, that one-liner they whisper after everyone leaves the room just to see your face fall.
They get off on the power of subtle destruction, watching your shoulders sink, watching your spark dim. They want you to laugh it off, even as your chest tightens, because the quieter the abuse, the more thrilling it is for them. You question yourself naturally, and they watch in silence, totally satisfied. This isn’t just sadism; it is psychological torture disguised as wit.
Number 3: Shallow friendships.
Making dozens of shallow friendships with zero emotional depth. Narcissists do not want connection; they do not have the capacity for it. They want orbiters, people who are props, tools, background noise that validates their starring role. So they surround themselves with shallow relationships, dozens of them, like monkeys never getting too close, never staying too long, never going too deep. They keep conversations on the surface. They name-drop. They boast. They charm just enough to stay memorable but never enough to become vulnerable.
These friendships are carefully curated: one from the gym, one from work, one from their childhood, one from a party, but none from the soul. Because real friendship requires honesty, humility. And nothing terrifies a narcissist more than being seen without their armor. Their social circle isn’t a reflection of love; it is a mirror hall of projections. They do not bond with people; they keep them on emotional life support just to avoid being alone. And the irony? They are deeply, utterly, devastatingly alone.
You may also want to read this:
Words That Destroy a Narcissist
9 Secrets ALL Narcissists Keep
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