Want to cut the narcissist out of your life? Go completely no contact by blocking their number and their social media account.
If they tell you about one of their accomplishments, say something like, “Oh, cool,” or, “Nice. ” You could also compare them to someone else. If they tell you about something they did at work, try saying, “Oh yeah, Greg told me about something like that. He did the exact same thing at his job. ”
“Did I tell you about my big promotion? It came with a raise, too!” “My team totally killed it at our kickball tournament last weekend. State championships, here we come!” “I’m so happy with my grades this term. I got a 4. 0!”
“Can we talk about what you said to me earlier? Let me show you the texts you sent me so you remember exactly what you said. ” “You told them you’d go over to their house today, remember? Here, I saved the email you sent them last week. ”
“If you keep yelling at me, I’m going to walk away. ” “You’re being disrespectful to me right now. We can continue this conversation once you’ve calmed down. ” “If you keep calling me names in public, I’m not going to run errands with you anymore. ”
Narcissists act this way because they believe they’re better than you. [9] X Expert Source Liana Georgoulis, PsyDLicensed Psychologist Expert Interview. 6 September 2018. When you stand up for yourself, you directly challenge their perception. If the narcissist in your life is abusive, use caution with this tactic. Directly challenging someone who is abusive can be dangerous, and your safety is top priority.
“I really want to talk to you about being exclusive. If we aren’t monogamous by next month, I might have to leave. ” “We’ve been dating for a while now, and I think it’s time to talk about marriage. ”
Try signing them up to be an assistant coach for your kid’s sports team. Since they aren’t the head coach, they’ll have to report to someone else. Or, you could sign them up for a hobby group that they only know a little bit about. When they’re around actual experts, they won’t be able to show off or lie about their skills.
“Wow! Did you just trip and fall up the stairs? I’m glad no one saw that—oh wait! Everyone saw that!” “Wait, did you just say that Cincinnati won the Super Bowl this year? That’s totally wrong—it was the Rams. I thought you knew football, but apparently not!”
“You forgot the milk again? I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you with the shopping. ” “I guess you didn’t win that writing contest, huh? That’s a bummer. ” “You didn’t get the promotion? I’m sorry, that must have been a big blow to your ego. ”
“Are you really trying to gaslight me right now? That won’t work on me. ” “Why are you being so nice to me? What do you want?” “Yelling might work on other people, but it doesn’t work on me. I’m not scared of you. ”
“Sorry, I can’t help you out today. I’ve got an appointment that I can’t cancel. ” “I wish I could, but I’m taking the day off today to relax. I’ll talk to you later!”
