What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)?
A person with NPD is characterized by lack of empathy, an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and self-centeredness. The narcissist will exploit other people for personal gain with no regard for the destructive path they leave behind.
According to the Merck Manual, people with narcissistic personality disorder often:
Think they're more important and special than other people
Exaggerate their own achievements and belittle other people's
Are very sensitive to any failure or criticism, which makes them angry or depressed
Fantasize about being very smart, beautiful, or important
Take advantage of others
Need constant praise and for people to look up to them
Envy others, and often think that others envy them
False self
According to Shahida Arabi, one of the first things you should understand about a narcissist is that you will truly never understand or know anything about them. A narcissist constructs a "false self” who they present to the world and their true self only comes out in private with those closest to them.
The narcissist learns how to put on this fake front from years of imitating other people, they can fake empathy, but honestly do not know what it is like to feel remorse or shame for hurting someone.
True self
A narcissist does not feel empathy for others and only develops connections to gain supply from their source. They are naturally drawn to empaths because they lack the ability to empathize.
The narcissist will gaslight you into thinking what you are feeling, hearing and experiencing is not true. They will manipulate their victims into thinking they are crazy. Pathological lying and isolating their victims are common traits among narcissist individuals.
What is gaslighting?
Gaslighting is a form of manipulation that happens over time to change the perception of reality of another individual. The narcissist uses this technique for control and to create a dependence on the narcissist.