We’ve all come across a narcissist at some point in our lives.However, not all narcissists are clinical cases with difficulties in living with a broad degree of well-being: some are only partially so, in a way that is not always evident.

These are people who think they are better than everyone else, who underestimate others and who when challenged often act aggressively because they feel their ego is being threatened. Studies state that at least 6.2% of the population is narcissistic and that most of them are men. Narcissists are often associated with a variety of problems, from childhood behavior disorders, exercise addiction (e.g., runnorexia), depressive disorders, or anxiety.

Narcissists are empty people

The narcissist puts on a mask because it’s actually empty inside. What they appear to be isn’t really what’s behind their facade. The narcissist makes friends easily because he is often open to others at first, even becoming sweet. But he has serious difficulty maintaining relationships, because it is difficult to really care about another person. The friends of narcissists, sooner or later, tend to move away from these characters because of their selfishness and because they are not trustworthy.

Narcissists eventually give themselves away, because their need to always be first does not help to forge lasting friendships . And although they always boast about their achievements, they are really weak people. They can be attractive and intelligent, and they can love to be in public, but they become extremely cold in private, when no one is looking at them.

Now, that doesn’t mean they don’t surround themselves with people. Narcissistic people need others to feel that they’re being admired. They fear loneliness, they fear being alone with themselves, because this can mean doing serious soul-searching, which is the biggest nightmare for them. Narcissists fear coming into contact with their own reality because they have to accept that their true “self” is not what they are trying to make others believe.

Detecting a narcissistic person

But how can we identify a narcissist? What clues do these people give us? Today we’re going to address the key characteristics of a narcissistic person, so you can recognize that you’re dealing with one of them.

1.The photos are constantly selected and retouched

We have all done some selfie at some time, and this doesn’t have to be anything bad. But or narcissists spend all day taking self-pictures and posting them on social networks . Social networks can be really harmful for these individuals, because they can be online constantly trying to show off and boost their ego. In reality, the opposite effect occurs and they can suffer from FOMO Syndrome, feeling that the lives of others are more interesting. Therefore, they enter into a vicious circle that ends up negatively affecting their state of mind and their self-esteem.

Regarding the use of social networks, a study carried out in 2014 with a sample of 1,000 subjects, showed that narcissists differed from others for three reasons:

  • They spend more time on social networks than non-narcissists
  • They hang more selfies
  • They edit more selfies until they get a “perfect” picture

2. Constantly criticize others

A narcissist will rarely talk about others, and if he does it will be to criticize or belittle the work of others . With this attitude they may think they are powerful or better than others, but in reality this does not leave them in a good position, as it is a symptom of insecurity.

3. They think the world revolves around them

Narcissists are unconcerned with the feelings of others because they are too focused on themselves . If they talk to others they may give the impression of only one personal interest, their own. Therefore, if you ever meet a narcissist, he will constantly try to talk about himself and inflate his image. Although at first they may be warm, soon their actions appear insensitive. This is because they only think about themselves and always seek to be the center of attention.

4. They are charming at first

Narcissists know how to win over others, and have a very seductive personality . Not always, but often they are physically attractive. Their appearance of confidence attracts people and they become a magnet for those who know them. At first, their loquacity makes it easy for them to reach out to others, but their friendships are short-lived because they are not people who like intimacy.

5. They often initiate many love relationships

Narcissists tend to initiate many love relationships although they are usually ephemeral . As I mentioned in the previous point, they are people who tend to be seductive, and the opposite sex is attracted by their magnetism. But relationships are short-lived because they do not meet the requirements of a good love partner. So their relationships break up after a short time.

6. They are intransigent and think they know everything

Seeing others as inferior, they always think they are right . Worst of all, they don’t mind being criticized for not being empathetic and uncompromising. They are very intolerant of others, and since they think only of themselves, they don’t have to make concessions and give in to other individuals.

7. They need to be the best at everything

This type of person is not very humble and has very high goals , almost always irrational. In addition, they always want to go to the best doctor, the best hairdresser, the best restaurant, work in the best places, etc. So they can brag about it and post it on social networks for everyone to know.

8. They usually dress impeccably

Narcissists constantly seek attention, and physical appearance is very important to them . That is why they always dress impeccably and are always in fashion. Such is their obsession with dressing well that it is their priority, even if they have to sacrifice their needs.

9. They do not accept criticism

Narcissists do not accept criticism and are often very aggressive when they receive it . They always want to be the best at everything, and if they see that their ego is being threatened they get defensive.

10. They are proud to be narcissists and admit it

A study conducted at Indiana University in 2014 identified that to the simple question “Are you a narcissist”, they proudly answered yes . This answer, which may seem counter-intuitive to most mortals, is quite special to a narcissist.These results generated some scepticism in the scientific circuit, so Sander van der Linden decided to do another investigation to find out if it was true. To his surprise, the new study yielded findings that were equal to those of the original study.

Relating to narcissistic people

Before judging narcissists negatively by their characteristics, it should be noted that, in part, they act this way because they have learned to adopt such habits and customs. This means, on the one hand, that these people can change (and therefore it does not make any sense to label them as if the fact of being narcissistic could not be modified) and on the other hand that in their eyes their behavior is normal, it is spontaneous. Unlearning certain habits will enable them to relate more satisfactorily to others, but this requires time and effort.