You have endured so much in life, perhaps from childhood, from society, from being the strong one for too long. Pain became familiar, and you started believing that real love must be earned through sacrifice. So when the narcissist made you suffer, you did not run; you dug deeper, telling yourself that this is what real love feels like—raw, gritty, intense, filled with obstacles. But that’s not how it is. Love isn’t supposed to feel like survival; love is supposed to heal. Your endurance helped you in other areas of life, but in this dynamic, it only prolonged your captivity.
Trait 6: Emotional Generosity
You are emotionally generous, which made you a target for emotional theft. You give second chances and make room for people’s wounds. You understand that people are human and that healing is messy. You listen when no one else does and offer empathy even when none is returned. But with a narcissist, your emotional generosity does not inspire gratitude; it fuels entitlement. They took and took until you had nothing left but guilt for wanting something in return.
Trait 7: Belief in Love’s Transformative Power
You believe love can change people. You believe in redemption stories and have perhaps even changed yourself through love. You think that if you just love them harder or hold on long enough, they will wake up—especially if they share their childhood stories of being wronged. The problem is that narcissists do not transform through love; they consume it, use it, and weaponize it.
Trait 8: Admiration for Resilience
You admire resilience so deeply that you ignored your own suffering. You are proud of your ability to bounce back, to keep smiling, to keep working, even while breaking. But while this helps you succeed in many aspects of life, in relationships, it can blur your ability to recognize when something is hurting you.
Trait 9: Normalizing Emotional Neglect
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