Recognizing A Narcissist Personality

In Ancient Greece, there was a man named Narcissus who, upon seeing his reflection in a pool, fell in love with himself and consequently wasted away. While many of us may find this tale fascinating, real narcissistic people do exist, and not just in myths. A person with a narcissistic personality disorder (or a malignant narcissistic personality) are people who care only about themselves and believe they are entitled to whatever they want. At Florida Women’s Law, we find a lot of women who are in a marriage with a narcissist and, when they decide they want to end the relationship, the narcissist makes it very difficult to leave. Because a narcissist is ego driven, they believe they can do no wrong. In their eyes, a relationship is all about making them happy — and not their partners. During the marriage, a narcissist usually plays the victim when things get heated. Every fight, argument, or anything that may go wrong in the relationship is always their wife’s fault. The wife may spend all their time trying to please this person they love, but it can easily turn into an unending and exhausting cycle. It creates a very dysfunctional relationship that ends in divorce. Unfortunately, a narcissist may not first appear completely self-absorbed. In fact, many narcissists’ grandiosity tends to pull people in and it might take some time for their true personality to shine through the glamour.

Here’s how you can recognize a malignant narcissistic personality:

1. They tend to live in a fantasy world that supports their ideas of power, wealth, beauty, or a perfect romantic partner.
2. Their self-centeredness goes beyond vanity or wanting to look nice. They believe they are truly unique and have a high sense of superiority.
3. They have no trouble exploiting or manipulating the people around them to the point where they feel no guilt or shame about the act.
4. Their sense of entitlement and sense of uniqueness makes them believe they should get whatever they want, whenever they want it.

If you’re struggling through a separation with a narcissist, our attorneys can help. Call our office today to set up an appointment.