4 Easy Ways to Tell You’re Dealing with a Narcissistic Partner
You just scheduled an appointment with Key Interiors to help design your new office. Life seems to be going great for you, except for your relationship. Your partner seems hot and cold, and you’ve grown increasingly confused. Someone mentioned that your partner might be a narcissist, but you can’t tell. That’s why we’re offering a list of 4 easy ways to tell you’re dealing with a narcissistic partner.
Let’s get into it!
They Love Bomb You
“I love you.” “You’re the most important person in my life.” “You’re my soulmate.” Statements such as these are entirely normal after you’ve been in a relationship with someone for a long period. However, if you heard statements like this towards the start of your relationship, it could indicate what’s known as love bombing. Love bombing is a tactic used by narcissists that involve making statements such as these, doing grand gestures, and showering you with love and affection at the start of a relationship. Narcissists use love bombing to reel a new partner in before their victim even knows what’s happening.
They Gaslight You
Gaslighting is a phrase that has been around for quite some time, and it’s a manipulation tactic narcissists use in order to try and confuse your reality. Why would they want to confuse someone they claim to love? It’s simple, really, but it’s still hard to hear. Narcissists only have on goal in mind, and that’s to project their deep-seated shame and insecurity onto their partner. To do this, though, they need to break you down. Once you start questioning who you are, it’s much easier for the narcissist to abuse you verbally and mentally – as you start to believe you might deserve this toxic behavior.
They’re Inconsistent
Actions speak louder than words. If you find that your partner continuously says that they’ll do something but never follow through, it could indicate that they’re a narcissist. Narcissists are all about the talk but never the walk. That’s because they lack conviction and will say whatever needs to be said to get what they want with no real intention of changing their behavior.
They Invalidate Your Feelings
A lack of empathy is one of the biggest traits of a narcissist. They aren’t able to step into their partner’s shoes, and they don’t care to do so. In their minds, they can do no wrong and the feelings of others don’t mean anything to them. Again, this is because everything is all about them. That’s why it’s not uncommon for a narcissistic partner to invalidate your feelings. You may say something like, “This hurt my feelings,” and you’ll get a response from them like, “You’re too sensitive,” or “It’s not my fault, you shouldn’t feel that way.”
