Spotting a Narcissist - Part 2

Spotting a Narcissist Part 2

 

After all the positive feedback I got about last month's article, I decided a follow up would be helpful as well. So this segment will go into another common behavior you can spot in a narcissist.

You will often see a narcissist with a following of some sort. If they are highly educated, for one example,  they will not surround themselves with peers so much as people who are not at their education level. They need to be right, and admired at all times - so they have followers or minions more than friends.
These folks will stay by their side, do them favors, praise them and take their abuse - often while apologizing to them!

Here is an example : You are at a gathering of some sort with this person. They are charming and then all of a sudden something makes them very irritable. The entourage of the narcissist will try to placate them right away - offer them something, ask if they're ok, etc. The narcissist will never say, thanks, it's ok. You don't' have to stop our day for my bad mood. They won't say, I'm sorry,
something said just now triggered me. I"ll be fine.  Nah...

The narcissist will gladly take the favor and not say thanks. It is owed to them
for being made uncomfortable. They will use some form of guilt that they were
made to feel uncomfortable at whatever triggered them, and their minion will
then apologize and turn it into their fault.  So even if this person has ignored
you all day, cutting you off when you speak about your day to interject with theirs, taking the last piece of your birthday  cake without asking - the follower will feel bad the second they
sense a shift in the narcissists' mood and try to fix it and praise them.

It's a very toxic. out of whack dynamic, but I'm sure many of you will identify
with it! Look at the entourage of some celebrities, politicians, or any other
magnanimous public figure and you'll see the groupies.  So when the "friends'
and surrounding companions of someone with other narcissistic traits seem more
like slaves or a fan club to this person who clearly takes them for granted - you
have spotted a true narcissist.