Number 3: Being exposed.
The last thing that we’ll discuss that will make a narcissist panic, and this is a big one, is their fear of being exposed. A narcissist has learned how to use their false self in order to manipulate people into getting exactly what they want and needs from them. But everyone is either not fooled or eventually catches on to what’s really happening. If they’re called out or exposed for who they really are and their true intentions, this will make the narcissist panic. Depending on the nature of the reveal, it can even cause the narcissist to sustain a narcissistic injury, and later experience narcissistic rage.
A narcissistic injury is the feeling that occurs when the narcissist experiences criticism, humiliation, or rejection. Normal people with normal emotions may be able to express their vulnerability and how certain comments may have made them feel. The narcissist, however, will react with defiance, arguments, gaslighting, more manipulation, or maybe even physical violence. This reaction is considered narcissistic rage. We can see the panic of their true self being exposed in romantic relationships when their partner has realized the narcissist has been having an affair and has all the proof to uncover them for what they really are.
Read More: 9 Behaviors of Wives Who Are Abused By Narcissist Husbands.
In these cases, it doesn’t bother the narcissist that they’ve hurt their partner’s feelings. No, they’ll be more panicked by the fact that their partner may now take away their supply or even worse yet tell other people about their infidelity which can in turn ruin the “good guy” or “good girl” image they’ve been trying so desperately to uphold.
This exposure can happen in friendships when the friends realize the narcissist is not a true friend and has been talking behind their back. This will panic the narcissist once their true intentions are exposed because not only will it prevent the narcissist from getting whatever benefit they were getting from their friend. But the real damage happens when this friend tells their other mutual friends what is transpired between them and the narcissist.
Recommended: Healing from Hidden Abuse: A Journey Through the Stages of Recovery from Psychological Abuse.
The narcissists will panic when they’re all together and realize the lies, inconsistency, and drama they narcissist has been keeping up amongst this group of friends behind their backs. This panic from exposure can be seen at the workplace when a co-worker realizes the narcissist has been preventing them from getting a promotion.
In these cases, the narcissist may come across as extremely friendly and act like they really have their co-worker’s best interest at heart. Yet, they are secretly communicating to the powers that be that their co-worker is not the right person for promotion. If the co-worker or manager realizes that the narcissist has not been true to their intentions and instead has been acting out of envy and jealousy. This will panic the narcissist because it will spoil the positive light they were once viewed in and reveal the real person they try so hard to keep hidden from the world.
These are the top three things that will make a narcissist panic, but these are not the only things. Anything that prevents a narcissist from carrying out their plan of manipulation or deceit has the potential of making them panic so keep your heart guarded and your head clear. Now that you understand some of the ways that you can use to beat them at their own game, you have to continue to move forward and continue to educate yourself about narcissism. This will not only help you heal but it will help you see the warning signs and other relationships moving forward.
Read More: 10 Signs That A Narcissist Is Stalking You
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