If anyone ever says or does anything that upsets you, this means that they are a narcissist. It doesn't matter whether it's a romantic partner, family member, political opponent, boss, or colleague. Nor do you need any sort of psychological training to diagnose them. In fact, you don't even have to read a psychology book. You just know.
Once you have diagnosed narcissism, don't hesitate to publicize this via a Facebook post or YouTube video. Don't overthink it, just go for it.
If you find that almost everyone you have to deal with is a narcissist, remember-- the problem is them, not you.
A word on gaslighting. Never forget: if someone disagrees with your take on reality, they are gaslighting you. If you think maybe they are not gaslighting you, this just shows how effectively they are gaslighting you. In fact, the less you think they might be gaslighting you, the more subtle their psychological manipulation must be. If you only have the vaguest suspicion someone might be gaslighting you, that person is almost certainly a sociopath.
Yes, these terms are overused. People want to diagnose everything.
ReplyDeleteOn that same topic, there have always been people who think differently. Is that neurodivergent? That's one word, but is it really a pathology. I think in the old days, in small communities, you know people and people know you and you interact based on that. Communication is not trivial. Even with the best communicators there can be misunderstandings.
Then you have people saying they have aphantasia. I don't think nearly as many people do as think they do. Or then a few years back people were saying they didn't have an internal monologue. Well, I don't know if anyone does. Sometimes people think in words, sometimes they think visually, and a lot of times it's a mix of the two.
There are many varieties of behavior and thinking and these vary amongst people. They don't need to be a medical or psychological diagnosis.