A narcissist isn’t someone who brags about what he has, but one who actually is overly self-obsessed and brags with his actions, not necessarily words. Dating a narcissist and dealing with his behavior can be exhausting and unhealthy.
Below are 5 characteristics that will make you know if you are dating a narcissist:
1. If they did everything to win you over in the first place:
Narcissists are experts at love bombing. They seduce you by giving you all the attention you never asked for, then when you fall in love, they begin to seem distant. They play around with your emotions and want you to always look up to them. When they realize you’ve gotten your independence back, they come back with the affection and begin the cycle again. So if you are deeply confused on how someone who used to call and text you nonstop starts acting up and seem distant, this is the first sign.
2. They don’t care so much about your relationship, but your image as a couple:
A narcissist will ensure your relationship seems very perfect to the general public. He won’t really care about you as a person but will care about how your relationship is seen by his friends. He will ensure you have the most perfect pictures on Instagram and be couple goals for people.
3. They find fault in everything you do and tend to control you:
If you are dating a narcissist you would have noticed this already, he will complain whenever things aren’t done the way he wants, his own opinion will always be the right one and yours will not be regarded, he will tend to control your opinion and choices. This behavior will not be shown immediately because, at the beginning of the relationship, he will show you how much he loves everything about you and how he wants you to love everything about him too.
4. They make you feel worse about yourself as you date them:
At the initial stage of the relationship, when he showers you with compliments and expect times 2 of that, or when he always takes pictures of you both and upload as a picture-perfect couple, you won’t notice or have any problem with that, but as you progress in the relationship, you will begin to notice what’s going on, it may be difficult for you to leave because you may have gotten so attached to him and everything you think is positive about the relationship but staying back will keep making you feel worse about yourself. The inability to admit faults, the repeated criticism and finding fault in you, and the chances of him making you feel great about yourself again is very slim.
5. They don’t have any close friends because they are always shitty to their friends:
A narcissist will always want his friends to kiss up to him or make him feel like he is the best among the rest. They never keep close friends because of their character, they only use their charm to form surface-level friendship but never put in work to maintain the friendship because they feel they don’t need you and you need them.
