How to Fight a Narcissist

Dr. Michael Hurd January 28, 2019

I recently posted the following meme and was asked to expand:

• How to survive a narcissist: Reality is what it is. Not what the narcissist claims it is. Objectivity trumps toxic.

My point: You’re less subject to narcissists or other toxic people if you’re confident and competent in the use of your own objective, reasoning mind.

Consider the narcissists in our government. They want us to believe we cannot exist without them. They want us to believe we are helpless, perpetually vulnerable people who cannot possibly cope — without their stupid, economy-thrashing, initiative-killing, Constitution-bashing programs.

If you’re confident in your mind, you’re suspicious of such claims from the start. “This person says I can’t cope or live without him. What’s in this for him? Is it possible he’s selling me a bill of goods?”
I work with people in therapy all the time who have narcissistic or otherwise toxic people in their lives. When I point out the irrational, controlling or otherwise improper behavior of people in their lives, they are often surprised. It’s because they’ve been duped. Their failure to see this — at least before now — usually boils down to some version of the premise, “Who am I to judge? Who am I to think?”........... To Read More...