Someone with narcissistic tendencies will be able to identify others who will allow them to be dominant in the relationship. This means that if they see you as someone who will be overly accommodating to their needs, will allow them to be in control, they will be more attracted to you.
You're an empathic person.
Empaths are drawn to narcissists, and narcissists love taking advantage: "Since narcissists rely on exclusive focus and attention, an empathic person would naturally appeal to them," explains Dorfman.
If you find yourself attracting narcissists, this is typically because: You are being too nice. You might have loose boundaries, or when you try to set a boundary, you don't actually mean it. You might be a really forgiving, very compassionate, or highly empathetic person.
People who are impressive in some way, either in their career, hobbies and talents, their friendship circles, or family. Someone who will make the narcissist feel good about themselves, through compliments or gestures. Anyone who will reflect well on them in the eyes of other people.
The study, published last month in the Journal of Personality, shows just how deeply our own personality influences how we perceive the personalities of others. Previous research has found that narcissists are more likely to be friends with other narcissists who share their “dark” personality traits.
The best way to shut down a narcissist is to walk away from them. If all else fails, you can physically remove yourself from the conversation. Even if they keep talking, simply turn around and walk away. If they follow you, close the door.
Narcissists don't have actual friends. They surround themselves with acquaintances (or a posse) that they refer to as “friends”. Their friends enter and exit frequently in their life, throughout their lifetime, often very rapidly.
Type As can also be dangerous to narcissists
Although they can be targeted, type A people can also become a narcissist's worst nightmare. One of the most important defenses against dark personalities is having strong boundaries yourself, and type A people are usually aware they have the right to build them.
Attention-seeking behavior—positive or negative—is essentially narcissistic supply. Wanting attention, accolades, and validation are not inherently narcissistic. We all need to feel heard and accepted, but narcissists crave this attention constantly.
Empaths are "emotional sponges," who can absorb feelings from other people very easily. This makes them them very attractive to narcissists, because they see someone who will fulfill their every need in a selfless way.
In fact, narcissists are often attracted to strong, confident, and self-assured women. While this may seem counterintuitive, it is important to realize that the narcissistic traits of grandiosity and confidence are really a mask for deep insecurity.
It might sound counter-intuitive, but if you have low self-esteem, you might be attracted to partners who confirm your low self-esteem by putting you down. Unfortunately, we accept the love we think we deserve. On the flip side, you may be attracted to narcissistic partners because of their confidence and charm.
If you have low self-esteem, this could be something that a narcissist will likely notice about you and want to take advantage of. Moreover, those with low self-esteem may be trying to get attention in a way where they will continue to get hurt. Essentially, it could cause you to seek out narcissists as partners.
“People who are narcissistic, they have a pretty big footprint. They have a lot of friends, they tend to date more,” said W. Keith Campbell, professor of psychology at the University of Georgia. “It's not that there are more out there.
The narcissist's self-centered desire to be liked by others is believed to facilitate mimicry behaviors because this makes people like them more, and as a result, they maintain their inflated self-view. The study shows that narcissists have a chronic desire to be liked by higher status others.
The only reason that narcissists are “nice” to others is to maintain a public persona that allows them to get as much validation, admiration, and reassurance that they need to support their fragile sense of self.
They Face a Setback, Disappointment, or Conflict
A narcissist can become easily enraged if a setback occurs in their life, job, or relationship. Not getting their way results in both a loss of control and a bruised ego.
Although narcissists act superior, entitled and boastful, underneath their larger-than-life facade lies their greatest fear: That they are ordinary. For narcissists, attention is like oxygen. Narcissists believe only special people get attention.
Grandiose sense of self-importance
Grandiosity is the defining characteristic of narcissism. More than just arrogance or vanity, grandiosity is an unrealistic sense of superiority. Narcissists believe they are unique or “special” and can only be understood by other special people.
So, if you want to make a narcissist feel shut down, you can do so by simply leaving the room. Tell them they're right: Sometimes, you just want to move on. Paradoxically, you can still make a narcissist miserable by giving them what they want. The idea here is to remove any emotion or praise.
Narcissistic friends seek out constant praise, prioritize their own needs, lack empathy, have high expectations of their friends, and often end friendships when they no longer serve them.
Sociology. 'Narcissists will isolate themselves, leave their families, ignore others, do anything to preserve a special ... sense of self'.