As more and more people become familiar with the textbook definition and textbook particulars of the classic narcissist case, those same people are going to want to learn how to expose a narcissist. Unfortunately, to many, this seems like an unachievable goal.
Are You Dealing With A Narcissist?
If you are indeed interested in learning how to expose a narcissist, the first thing you’re going to want to do is understand if you are indeed dealing with a narcissist. This is the first step, and it perhaps the simplest. You do not have to consider the complicated, potentially dangerous elements that are inherent in learning how to expose a narcissist. You are not dealing with the narcissist directly. You are simply doing some research on the various components that make a narcissist so.
In the first place, you need to understand that narcissism is a legitimate personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is what is known as a cluster B personality disorder. These are individuals who are going to have very specific, very easy-to-discern behavior patterns. The challenge on your end is to learn what those patterns are, and whether or not they apply to your partner, co-worker, friend, or family member.
Defining Narcissism
You do not want to attempt to expose a narcissist until you are absolutely sure. Doing so can naturally create a substantial assortment of problems, and it can even potentially damage the relationship beyond any hope of repair.
You don’t want to move towards exposing someone as a narcissist with any fear. By the same token, you also do not want to make the move towards attempting exposure of a narcissist with any form of doubt in what you are doing. Understanding what you may or may not be dealing with is vitally important.
A narcissist is someone who is preoccupied with personal gain to an extraordinary degree. Naturally, we all want to succeed in life. All of us want to be the best person we can possibly be. However, when a person become obsessed with personal gain as it relates to vanity, wealth, fame, prestige, and other elements, to the point of being unable to see what their ambitions are doing to the lives of those around them, the problematic behavior of the narcissist begins to emerge. This is someone who is either unable to see what their words and actions are doing to others, or this is going to be someone who simply doesn’t care about the destruction they are causing.
If you see the particulars of this definition in the person you are concerned about, then it is time to move on to the next level. You can begin to look for examples of narcissistic behavior in the person you are concerned about.
Some will also tell you that there is such a thing as healthy narcissism. This is defined as a person who has confidence and ambitions, but still retains such crucial components as empathy and compassion for others.
Examples Of Narcissism
With even a basic understanding of what narcissism is, you can begin to look for examples of it in your daily life. Most likely, you are going to focus your interest in the subject on just one person. You don’t have to study them more closely than usual. All you really need to do is keep in mind the accepted definition of narcissism, and apply it to how your friend, partner, or family member speaks and behaves.
You will want to pay particular attention to whether or not the way they treat and speak to has any correlation to the definition of narcissism.
Keep in mind that different relationships mean you’re going to be in different situations, and you’re going to need to look for slightly differing examples. For example, a co-worker who might be a narcissist is someone who loves to delegate, and then micromanage the work they have just delegated. If the work is praised, then a narcissist will take the credit. If the work is criticized, then the narcissist is going to lay the blame at the feet of the person they delegated the work to.
If you’re looking for narcissism in your relationship with your partner, you’ll want to look for someone who constantly tries to manipulate. They are going to get angry at you for being more popular in a social setting than they are. They are going to hate you for your success. They will try to impose limits on career choices, friends, and in general all aspects of how your life is spent. Obviously, these are probably not things you’re going to look for in a narcissist in the work place.
Looking for a narcissist within your family can be very emotionally straining. Nonetheless, you want to look for behavior traits in that person such as lying, a complete lack of sincere interest in what is going on with your life, and consistently deflecting when accused of inappropriate behavior.
These are all things you’re going to want to potentially look for in the narcissist you are concerned about. Whether it’s in the workplace, amongst friends, your partner, or someone from your family, you can no longer put off dealing with the situation. This is a person who has clearly caused you some significant degree of emotional distress. They are interfering with your ability to have a healthy, productive life.
If you know they are, and you have seen a number of red flags in how they treat you and others, then it is time to do something about it. It is time to learn how to expose a narcissist.
How To Expose A Narcissist
Understandably, most people do not want to expose a narcissist in their relationship, their home, their workplace, or in any other aspect of their lives. At the very least, it can cause a dramatic upheaval in their life, exposing elements of their life to the public that they do not want the public to know about.
At the very worst, exposing a narcissist can put an individual’s life in danger. A narcissist can respond to exposure with something that is best described as an adult temper tantrum. Unfortunately, the severity of a narcissist’s behavior can be such that they will respond to the threat of exposure with extreme physical or emotional abuse.
If you feel confident in your ability to expose this person as a narcissist without any physical or emotional danger, then you can do so on your own. Simply call them out on their behavior. If they have a long pattern of lying to get what they want, then show them the evidence. If they tried to shut you down repeatedly, in favor of their own needs and accomplishments, then present them with the evidence of this, as well, even if it’s simply your word. How they respond is going to be extremely important. If they respond with anger or deflection, then their illness has truly taken hold of their psyches. You may be tempted to try to save them, but at this point, your best bet is to simply leave.
If you are concerned about your physical safety, or about your chances of getting away from them, you want to strongly consider asking one or more people for help.