“You’re tone-deaf to verbal abuse. Many unloved daughters experienced put-downs, disparagement, and verbal aggression in their childhoods and all too often, they have either internalized these messages as true or have somehow come to think of them as ‘normal.’ This is especially true if the daughter is still actively working on somehow salvaging or repairing her relationship to her mother. Your inability to recognize emotional toxicity, alas, gives the narcissist a stronger foothold in your life than he otherwise would and also permits him to use additional weapons to cow, bully, and control you without your protesting. It’s another thing he likes about you.”