Everything Regarding a High-Functioning Narcissist
What is a high-functioning narcissist? If your curiosity has led you here, then this article is providing everything regarding a High-Functioning Narcissist. Let us get to know the details further.
What is a Narcissist?
Narcissists are someone who is often characterized and peculiar regarding their trait of being self-absorbed. They hardly think about others. They always prioritize their own self and their needs above others. They have a high sense of self-importance, so much so that they might even ignore their own children or their own parents. They even tend to ignore their life partners too, in some cases. Thus it can be concluded, that narcissists only care for themselves, their needs and desires, and their wishes.
What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)?
NPD(Narcissistic Personality Disorder) or Narcissism is portraying some common toxic traits in an intensified state than others. In psychological terms, narcissists who suffer from NPD(Narcissistic Personality Disorder) portray these emotions and traits in a greater magnitude than others. These emotions include a boosted sense of self-importance, inflated self-worth, and a constant need for admiration, adoration, and validation.
Characteristics of a Narcissist
Narcissists possess some traits or characteristics that make them a little hard to deal with. Some peculiar narcissistic traits include,
- Lack of sensitivity and empathy.
- Are self-centric.
- Blame others for your mistakes.
- Have unhealthy relations.
- Arrogance and anger is your first reaction to any problems.
- Hate changes and also cannot take them well.
- Are emotionally unstable and unavailable.
- Takes advantage of others easily.
- Are abusive.
- Lack of self-awareness and self-reflection.
- Always expect more from others.
- Boosted sense of self-importance.
- Obsession with image and reputation.
- Tendency to manipulate others mostly by gaslighting them.
- Preoccupation with fantasies of power, success, looks, and money.
If the words high-functioning narcissist do not ring a bell for you, do not worry as it is difficult to identify and pick them. Narcissists can be identified when they are being natural by displaying toxicity, abusing others, showing off their wealth, belittling others for their misfortunes, and much more. But what about a high-functioning narcissist? What is a high-functioning narcissist and How do you recognize one?
What is a High-Functioning Narcissist?
When a narcissist tends to be creative, and intelligent, have a good job, manage their financial affairs well, have a good record of maintaining relationships, especially romantic relationships, also hold accountability for their actions are responsible towards society, and have those traits which an average narcissist would be lacking, yet they are narcissistic individuals. Then how do you identify such narcissistic individuals who do not display any average typical narcissistic traits?
It becomes difficult to detect such an individual and also ascertain their abusive and flawed personality.
A high-functioning narcissist is someone who can easily conceal their true toxic identity just by wearing a mask of confidence. They do possess all the traits of a narcissistic individual, but they are just good at hiding them efficiently.
Even though high-functioning narcissists may seem perfect, they are flawed too. They also have underlying deep-rooted insecurities and have depleting self-worth. They also cannot take criticism well and they are also unsure from within, they just try to portray a perfect grandiose image in front of others. They are just an upgraded and more refined version of a classic narcissist, and also deep down they do possess all those traits of a classic narcissist, but in an intensified manner.
How to Recognize the High-Functioning Narcissist?
High-functioning narcissists are so intelligent that they make their partners believe that they are the problem in the relationship and not the narcissist.
High-functioning narcissists can easily outsmart their partner and create a situation where they distort reality and make their partner the culprit.
You get brainwashed by them, as they are extremely skilled manipulators, that can create fake scenarios by using half-truths and make-believe lies.
Narcissists enforce gaslighting their partners which can allow them to create such an atmosphere where the victims question their own reality and it forces the victims to doubt their own sanity.
Despite being high-functioning narcissists, they still resist criticism and would shift the blame if they have been pointed fingers at for doing something. For instance, if a high-functioning narcissist is cheating on their partner, they would blame their partner that they are inadequate or lacking that luster. Thus they are blame shifters.
Similarly to the classic narcissist, high-functioning narcissists also project their insecurities onto their partners and would accuse them of doing what they are doing indeed, ultimately gaslighting them.
When blamed, high-functioning narcissists would just ignore the issue, and instead focus on changing the subject, disregarding their partners’ reactions and feelings.
Some prominent signs that indicate a High-Functioning Narcissist
It is a little difficult to figure them out initially, but you might eventually figure them out due to their peculiar narcissistic traits. Those traits include,
Gaslighting
Highly-Functioning narcissists are deliberate manipulators. They can change the reality of the situation and are capable to prove themselves innocent when you blame them for their wrongdoing. When they’re completely done with you, they might manipulate you into believing that you are worthless and they were the one who was suffering because of you.
They would always prioritize their own needs even at your expense. They would gaslight you to establish their superiority. Some examples that might enlighten about the experiences of someone gaslighting you,
- You feel that you are losing your confidence after meeting them
- A sense of something going wrong but unable to figure out what
- Spending time with them feels draining and makes you lifeless
- You start feeling anxious around them
- Conversations mostly include you apologizing and them blaming you for all that went wrong
- If at all their mistakes have been caught up, they make excuses to cleverly cover it up
Arrogance
Arrogance is a trait that can be identified by the sense of boastful and condescending nature. Highly Functioning Narcissists are arrogant and often belittle and insult others. They amplify their own abilities, display their accomplishments by overvaluing them, and tend to establish their dominance. It is a concept of patronizing others with haughty behavior. Such narcissists always believe that they are more worthy, superior, and better in every aspect than others.
Inability to handle Criticism
A highly functioning narcissist finds it really difficult to accept any sort of criticism. They hardly can take any sort of feedback, so criticism is not their strong pursuit. They might be enraged when someone criticizes them as they think criticism is a direct attack on their self-belief of being perfect and superior beings.
Grandiosity
Grandiosity means a quality of imposing one’s extravagant and pompous self and lifestyle on others. Narcissistic individuals tend to display their superior life and their surpassing traits to others in every possible manner. They have a constant fear that they might be disliked by others or they might be repudiated by others if they do not maintain their grandiose self-image thus they might do anything to maintain their grandiosity or their high-end image.
Excessive self-importance
Highly Functioning Narcissists have a belief that they are better than others, and thus narcissists use their sense of being superior to others, They also use their arrogance to showcase their self-importance to be the elephant in the room. They are full of themselves along with being extra in everything they do. Highly Functioning Narcissists are someone who is often characterized and peculiar regarding their trait of being self-absorbed.
Entitlement
This is one such trait that really overlaps in both types of personalities; a classic narcissist and a highly functioning narcissist. They feel that they are more special and entitled than others and thus they deserve everything in priority and are better than others. That their needs are supposed to be met before everyone else’s and they should have preferences for that matter.
They demand much more than just attention
Highly-Functioning Narcissists require much more than just attention. They seek adoration and validation along with attention. They care so much about what others think about them, how adorable they look in the eyes of other people, how is their social image and how their presence just lightens up the room. How their ideas are validated by others and how impressed others get by their grandiosity. Narcissists cannot be just satisfied by a little attention they require a lot more than that. Thus they are a little extra in every aspect than a classic narcissist.
How to Handle a Highly-Functioning Narcissist?
Setting boundaries
An important step to handle the highly-functioning narcissist is by setting up clear and firm boundaries. They fear consequences. This means being clear about what you will and will not tolerate from the narcissist. It is important to communicate these boundaries clearly.
Also discuss consequences firmly, so that they would think twice before breaking the boundaries. The main step here is taking your power back by setting boundaries.
Walk away from such a relationship
Walking out of such an abusive relationship is one of the best ways to handle the abuser and the manipulation. Just look at all the red flags and seek your way out of the abusive relationship. Do not endure the pain and manipulation and hurt just let go of the relationship and be happy.
Seeking help from professionals
Seeking help from professionals like therapists, taking healing therapies, consulting, and discussing the issues with experts can help out a lot in such matters. Sometimes if the abuse increases certain limit and reaches violent measures, do not hesitate to include law-enforced measures or consulting experts for that matter.
Final Thoughts
Even though high-functioning narcissists may seem perfect, they are flawed too. They also have underlying deep-rooted insecurities and have depleting self-worth. They also cannot take criticism well and they are also unsure from within, they just try to portray a perfect grandiose image in front of others. They are just an upgraded and more refined version of a classic narcissist, and also deep down they do possess all those traits of a classic narcissist, but in an intensified manner.
It becomes difficult to detect such an individual and also ascertain their abusive and flawed personality.
Also, it is a little difficult to figure them out initially, but you might eventually figure them out due to their peculiar narcissistic traits.
From Relationship, Depression, and Personality Disorder to Narcissistic problems, I have helped a lot of people find their solutions. Upon gathering a number of common problems that people face, I decided to put the information on this blog so that anyone can get their answers easily.
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