How Narcissists Hijack The Authority

A symptom of narcissistic abuse which acts under the radar is the chronic feeling of walking on eggshells — of questioning every tiny action you make. Whether you decide to brush your hair a different way or are stacking dishes, you seem to have this pervasive anxiety that you are doing things wrong. On top of that, you have an unshakeable urge to look to an external authority to tell you the ‘right’ way to act, to live life, even the right way to be yourself.

Targets of narcissistic abuse are like fish swimming in the waters of incompetence and inferiority. They rarely question this state of mind, experiencing it as a core aspect of who they are. It is as though they were born that way.

In truth, this mindset is the outcome of a systematic psychological assault — by someone who must hold superiority at all times. Not only will the narcissist refuse to share the authority over your relationship, they insist on becoming the authority over you.

Using three steps, narcissists corrode their target’s self-esteem, willpower and agency; reducing the target to being a passenger in their own life.

The n...