Relationship with a Narcissist: How to Communicate & Deal With Them – Part II

Narcissists can have any gender and any role, partners, friends, bosses, etc. We use the masculine form here for the sake of simplicity.

Narcissists often have an extremely dazzling charm and can appear to be very attractive. Often they are not immediately perceived by us as narcissists, which is why we usually admire them in the initial phase of getting to know each other.

Narcissists are their own biggest fans and literally bathe in self-praise, perceiving themselves as the inviolable center of the world. You often find such people in positions of power, which of course does not make dealing and communicating with them any easier for others around them.

Here are some tips for dealing with and communicating with a narcissist:

1. Learn to say NO, because if you always say yes to a narcissist, he feels once again confirmed in his entitled feeling of superiority and feels as though he has control and power over you at all times.
   
2. A narcissist feels the need to show others that he is better than the rest of the world, that he can do anything and knows everything. You should remind him that he is not better than others, that you too are a valuable person with your own talents and abilities.
   
3. Even if he showers you with romantic confessions, trust your gut feeling and don’t let yourself be too impressed by his statements.
   
4. Be true to yourself; keep your values and keep pursuing your goals. Continue to meet up with your friends as before, continue to pursue your hobbies and activities and things that are important to you, regardless of his demands.
   
5. Show the narcissist that you are not afraid of him, otherwise he will draw strength from your insecurity towards him. Do not let his attacks bother you, because he does not expect such an unbothered reaction and thus he does not know how to deal with it or how to react to it.
   
6. Should the narcissist change the subject in a discussion, this often means that he is trying to avoid having to agree with others or to hide the fact that he does not know something. So bring the discussion back to the original topic. He won’t be able to admit mistakes, but at least he will understand that he cannot manipulate you that easily.
   
7. Narcissists often tell half-truths or even invent situations to put themselves in the best possible light; you are also entitled to doubt a story, not believe it or ask for evidence and sources. If you can uncover his lies and prove it clearly, he will dismiss it as a joke and might even resort to calling you a manipulator.
   
8. If you distance yourself from a narcissist, he may respond with exuberant compliments, confessions of love, and the like, all just to win you back.

If you respect and value yourself, you’ll be better able to distance yourself from a narcissist, even if that is not an easy endeavor. To do this, you don’t need to fight, but to point out and stand by your clear boundaries.