Instead of confronting you directly, they work quietly to erode your credibility or success. For instance, they may conveniently “forget” to pass along important information, ensuring you miss a deadline or opportunity. Or, they subtly plant doubts in others’ minds about your capabilities, saying things like:
- “Oh, they’re good, but I don’t think they can handle this kind of pressure.”
- “I’ve noticed they’ve been off lately.”
This is all done in a politically correct way, making it hard to trace back to them. They aim to destabilize you without being obvious, leaving you feeling small, frustrated, and unsure of yourself. They want you to quit, leave projects unfinished, and never reach your potential.
3. Emotional Triggers: Proving You’re Flawed
If a narcissist cannot control your thoughts, they will try to control you through your emotions. They deliberately provoke you by saying or doing things designed to get under your skin. It might be a subtle jab at your insecurities or a blatant attempt to humiliate you in public.
Their goal? To get you to react. They want you to explode, cry, or lash out so they can point to your reaction as proof that you’re unstable or the problem. They’ll say things like:
- “See? You’re so unstable.”
- “This is why no one takes you seriously.”
They may even wrong someone close to you, knowing your strong sense of justice will prompt you to intervene. Then, they twist your reaction to portray you as the aggressor, shifting the focus away from their behavior onto yours.
4. The Invisible Game: Pretending You Don’t Exist
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