Quotes About Narcissists

Overcoming Narcissistic Relationships with Quotes About Narcissists

If you think you’re in a relationship with a narcissist, you may feel that lack of empathy; if they don’t understand and respond to your emotions and needs, then it can be best to set some boundaries with that person in your life.

Sometimes, understanding and dealing with narcissism is much easier if you hear someone else put it into words. That’s why there are a lot of quotes and stories about the different ways that narcissistic people may affect your life. To give you some perspective, here are 145 quotes about narcissists.

What are Narcissists?

In our everyday language, we usually refer to a narcissist as someone arrogant; they are better than everyone else, have a sense of entitlement, have special value much more than everyone else, and someone who just basically likes staring at their own reflection.

However, a real narcissist has a personality disorder. They are also self-centered, arrogant, and constantly seek admiration from others. But they have a very important distinguishing trait, and that’s that they lack empathy. They’re unable to understand and share what other people are feeling, and they’re not compassionate.

There are two types of narcissists:

  • covert
  • overt

They both have the same personality traits. However, the difference is in their approach and your ability to identify them.

Covert are more subtle with their behavior, while overts are more outward with their behavior.

Regardless, both have superior manipulative skills to get you under their spell if you lack boundaries.

Narcissistic Relationships and Normal Relationships

There are some important ingredients to help you get a better understanding of normal relationships and narcissistic relationships.

But I will give you some examples that might make it easier for you to feel.

Let’s start with a normal relationship.

In normal relationships, there may be a pretty noisy argument and some disagreements from time to time, but in the end, there is always a space to hold a person’s point of view.

For example, in a situation where he gets really angry with you, but that anger stays in control, he can find a way to get past it. It could be forgetting to take out the trash, leaving clothes all over the floor, not washing dishes, talking too loudly, snoring, etc.

In normal relationships, people may sometimes lie, such as, I like your new hair, I like what you cooked, you look good in a pink skirt,…just to continue the conversation but not the technicolored lies.

So, what about narcissistic relationships? When you are with somebody who has a high conflict, egocentric, rigid, entitled, aggressive, dysregulated style.

It’s a relationship that’s characterized by invalidation, dismissiveness, minimization, and lots of dysregulated rage. It means you don’t have a comfortable space in this relationship.

The sign is that it tends to begin with a period called love bombing. It’s definitely sort of romantic and overwhelming.

Then, pretty soon after that, care and innovation gradually disappear and are replaced by contempt and dismissiveness.

How Narcissists impact Relationships?

The thing is, you are maybe in a narcissistic relationship, but you don’t care much about it, even ignore it, just because when it’s in the early stages, you do not clearly feel its harmful effects on your life or your mental health.

Here are some ways that narcissists may affect relationships:

  • Lack of Empathy
  • Manipulation and Control
  • Grandiosity and Superiority
  • Difficulty in Accepting Criticism
  • Lack of Accountability
  • Cycle of Idealization and Devaluation
  • Difficulty in Maintaining Long-Term Relationships
  • Emotional Exhaustion for the Partner
  • Isolation from Support Systems

30 Insightful Quotes About Narcissists Help Overcome Narcissistic Relationships

  1. “The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history.” — Bertrand Russell
  2. “If people are really narcissistic or have a need to be seen as more than they really are, or to be admired as having it all together, then they cannot be followed and trusted by others.” — Henry Cloud
  3. “Even though friends say they are interested in your life, they never really want to talk about you as much as you want them to.” ― Charise Mericle Harper
  4. “You give up your narcissism, your egotism. That’s how you achieve chemistry.” — Nick Nolte
  5. “A Narcissist will never admit they have a problem, if confronted with their own bad behavior they will do their very best to make people believe they are the victim.” ― Harvey Stuarts
  6. “Learning to spot narcissists and deal with their destructive behavior can save you the world of hurt that awaits anyone who mistakes the near enemy for a friend.” — Martha Beck
  7. “Ultimately there is no power to narcissistic, self-indulgent thinking. Authentic thinking originates with an encounter with the world.” — Abraham Joshua Heschel
  8. “As individuals and as a nation, we now suffer from social narcissism. The beloved Echo of our ancestors, the virgin America, has been abandoned. We have fallen in love with our own image, with images of our making, which turn out to be images of ourselves.” — Daniel J. Boorstin
  9. “Most of the narcissists are geniuses and masters of Psychology. But they are using their knowledge to eradicate, rather than to help humanity.” ― Mwanandeke Kindembo
  10. “When a toxic person can no longer control you, they will try to control how others see you. The misinformation will feel unfair, but stay above it, trusting that other people will eventually see the truth just like you did.” ― Jill Blakeway
  11.  “Narcissism is a cover for a very weak self-image. They often want attention in any form, good or bad. Although they love adoration, the worst pain for a narcissist is to not be noticed. They will say or do outrageous things to be noticed if they are feeling ignored.” — Dian Grier, LCSW
  12. “It is no wonder that narcissists — both men and women — are chauvinistic and conservative. They depend to such an extent on the opinions of people around them that, with time, they are transformed into ultra-sensitive seismographs of public opinion, barometers of prevailing fads and fashions, and guardians of conformity.” ― Sam Vaknin
  13. “Relationship with a narcissist in a nutshell: You will go from being the perfect love of their life, to nothing you do is ever good enough. You will give your everything and they will take it all and give you less and less in return. You will end up depleted, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and probably financially, and then get blamed for it.” — Bree Bonchay
  14. “But that’s the thing about narcissists. They can try to fool you, with all their heart, but in the end, they’re just fooling themselves.” ― Ellie Fox
  15. “Since narcissists deep down feel themselves to be faultless, it is inevitable that when they are in conflict with the world they will invariably perceive the conflict as the world’s fault.” ― M. Scott Peck
  16. “When I look at narcissism through the vulnerability lens, I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose.” ― Brené Brown
  17. “Hate is the complement of fear and narcissists like being feared. It imbues them with an intoxicating sensation of omnipotence.” ― Sam Vaknin
  18. “Narcissism is the part of my personality that I am least proud of, and I certainly don’t like to see it highlighted in everybody else I meet.” — Ben Affleck
  19. “No one has probably helped me more with narcissism than my dog.” — Tucker Max
  20. “If you hold on to hurt and anger with a narcissist, the children will have no normal parent. The narcissistic parent will use them as puppets, lovebomb, and abandon them. You are their only hope.” — Tracy Malone
  21. “There is simply no winning with a narcissist. He will treat you so horribly that you will become withdrawn and depressed and then he will turn around and say, ‘You’re no fun anymore, you’re always so depressed. I need to be with someone more positive.’” — Susan Williams
  22. “Relationships with narcissists are held in place by the hope of a ‘someday better,’ with little evidence to support it will ever arrive.” — Dr. Ramani Durvasula
  23. “When narcissists behave in an exhibitionistic manner, they are seeking the same sort of admiration as toddlers, and for the same reasons. They want attention. Some examples include inappropriate dress, talking too loudly, or gesturing in expansive and space-intruding ways.” — Mark Ettensohn
  24. “No matter how socially skilled an extreme narcissist is, he has a major attachment dysfunction. The extreme narcissist is frozen in childhood.” — Samuel Lopez de Victoria
  25. “Please repair your narcissism before you start loving your neighbor as yourself.” ― Charles F. Glassman
  26. “Narcissists have poor self-esteem, but they are typically very successful. They feel entitled; they’re self-important; they crave admiration and lack empathy. They are also exploitative and envious. The malignant types never forget a slight. They may kill you ten years later for cutting them off in traffic. But they act perfectly normal while plotting their revenge.” — Janet M. Tavakoli
  27. “Narcissists often appear to be very confident, but a key feature of narcissism is low self-esteem. Narcissists display arrogance and exaggerate their achievements to hide this low self-esteem.” – Emily Guarnotta, PsyD
  28. “There was nothing more unattractive than narcissism, she thought: nothing could transform beauty into a cloying, unattractive quality than that self-conscious appreciation of self.” — Alexander McCall Smith
  29. “Narcissism is a reflexive turning towards the self because your childhood experiences taught you that others would not provide for your needs. A narcissist doesn’t trust that others will be there for them so they have to be there for themselves. This doesn’t leave much room for anyone else.” – Krista Jordan, PhD
  30. “For some, life may be a playground to undermine the brainwaves of others or simply a vainglorious game with an armory of theatrics, illustrating only bleak self-deception, haughty narcissism, and dim deficiency in empathy.” ― Erik Pevernagie

Final Thought

We live in a beautiful world, each person has their own beauty and weaknesses. None of us are perfect. But knowledge nourishes the soul and gives us a happier life, which is why learning about narcissism is one of the most beneficial things for you. If you feel like you or someone you love is in a Narcissistic relationship. Hopefully, this article will be the key to unlocking that complex issue.

Don’t forget to visit Mental Map Guide’s blog for useful knowledge and great tips about mental health.