The narcissist expects their friend to meet all of their emotional needs. A friend is required to anticipate what, how, and when the narcissist needs admiration and adoration. This is a one-way street where the friend gives support, the narcissist takes, and there is no return.
The most official of the narcissism tests, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), is commonly used to determine if someone displays narcissistic behaviors.
“To what extent do you agree with this statement: 'I am a narcissist.'”
Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behavior, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration. Others often describe people with NPD as cocky, manipulative, selfish, patronizing, and demanding.
They Have Grandiose Fantasies
On the outside, a person with covert narcissism will seem quiet, meek, and self-critical. However, on the inside, they feel an intense sense of specialness. Despite their jealousy, envy, and apparent shyness, covert narcissists will believe they are better than everyone else.
The NPI is the most widely-applied measure for the assessment of narcissistic personality traits and, therefore, it is of great relevance for many research questions in personality and social psychology.
Other narcissist "tests" are not at all scientifically validated, such as the so-called narcissist smile test, which claims that you can tell if someone is a narcissist based on how they react if you smile, look them in the eye, and tell them "no" in response to something they ask of you.
“People who are narcissistic, they have a pretty big footprint. They have a lot of friends, they tend to date more,” said W.
Narcissists have no self-awareness, and they're not interested in developing any. The selfish person is a little different. They may know that they're lazy or uninvolved — they simply don't care. The narcissist is unaware of their behavior and they don't care to learn (because of their sense of superiority).
Manipulative narcissists can turn people against you by bringing one or more additional people into an argument, spat, or disagreement that was originally just between you and the narcissist.
Final Thoughts on the Red Flags of a Narcissist
Narcissistic individuals often exhibit traits such as a lack of empathy, manipulative behavior, and an inflated sense of self-importance. It's essential to understand that dealing with a narcissist can be draining and challenging.
Have an unreasonably high sense of self-importance and require constant, excessive admiration. Feel that they deserve privileges and special treatment. Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements. Make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are.
Although narcissists act superior to others and posture as beyond reproach, underneath their grandiose exteriors lurk their deepest fears: That they are flawed, illegitimate, and ordinary.
It's important to remember that narcissists are experts at manipulation, and they will often use your own anger and frustration against you. If you try to fight back, they will twist your words and actions in order to make you look like the bad guy. In many cases, it's best to simply walk away from the situation.
Needing continual admiration from others. A sense of entitlement to special treatment and obedience from others. Exploitative of others to achieve personal gain. Unwilling to empathize with the feelings, wishes, and needs of other people.
“What makes you so different from anyone else?” It was referring to how infallible and superior narcissists see themselves. They cannot answer why they are so wonderful and perfect; they are special, and that's all you need to know about them.