“Toxic and abusive people overstate their ability to be kind and compassionate. They often tell you that you should “trust” them without first building a solid foundation of trust. They may “perform” a high level of sympathy and empathy at the beginning of your relationship to dupe you, only to unvei…”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“Bringing in the opinion, perspective or suggested threat of another person into the dynamic of an interaction is known as “triangulation.” Often used to validate the toxic person’s abuse while invalidating the victim’s reactions to abuse, triangulation can also work to manufacture love triangles tha…”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“The difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism is the presence of a personal attack and impossible standards. These so-called critics often don’t want to help you improve, they just want to nitpick, pull you down and scapegoat you in any way they can. Abusive narcissists and…”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“In the hands of a malignant narcissist or sociopath, your differing opinions, legitimate emotions and lived experiences get translated into character flaws and evidence of your irrationality.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“When a narcissist, sociopath or psychopath gaslights you, you may be prone to gaslighting yourself as a way to reconcile the cognitive dissonance that might arise. Two conflicting beliefs battle it out: is this person right or can I trust what I experienced? A manipulative person will convince you t…”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“Colorful, passionate, and exciting, these men lit up the landscape of her everyday life, sweeping Sarah up into a land of romantic dreams. But they undermined her sense of self--suddenly everything revolved around them. And they took her on an emotional roller coaster. Increasingly anxious, she felt…”— Diane Dreher, psychologytoday.com
“Sarah was always falling for narcissists. With their magnetic charm and emotional intensity, they made other men pale by comparison. There was Ned, the aspiring actor, with his flashing eyes and effusive flattery, so skilled at performing that she failed to see the cold reality beneath the surface.…”— Diane Dreher, psychologytoday.com
“Statistically, copycat killers tend to be vulnerable narcissists. Though overtly boastful, they harbor deep-seated feelings of inadequacy. Emulating notorious crimes makes them feel powerful.”— Jim Clemente, imdb.com
“At first glance, energy vampires can seem highly attractive. They often are good-looking, bold, flamboyant or intelligent, and may appear to have a high opinion of you as indicated by their flattering attention. Drawing you into their inner circle may seem like just the boost you need in your usuall…”— Dr. Sophie Henshaw, psychcentral.com
“The malignant narcissists who walk among you are probably people you know and like – and if you haven’t personally been victimized by them, you’re none the wiser to who they truly are behind closed doors.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“Trolls will lie, exaggerate, and offend to get a response. What kind of person would do this? Some Canadian researchers decided to find out. They conducted two online studies with over 1,200 people, giving personality tests to each subject along with a survey about their Internet commenting behavior…”— Dr. Jennifer Golbeck, psychologytoday.com
“Manipulative love bombers don’t just walk up and say: ‘We belong together.’ They have to give you evidence that it’s true. That’s why they target the vulnerable. Masquerading as 'good listeners,' the bomber gathers intel on your likes, dislikes, insecurities, hopes, and dreams. Before you know it, t…”— Dale Archer, psychologytoday.com
“Some people just take. They take until there's nothing left.”— Zander Lehmann, Anthony, Adam Lustick, imdb.com
“Well, you don't get the feeling that he has thought of anything other than himself at any given time. Certainly he was very open with me, accessible with me, and then he started to talk. Did he ever listen to me for one second? I never got that feeling. He just talks at you. ‘Blah blah blah blah bla…”— Michael Wolff, hollywoodreporter.com
“It is dangerous to characterize those higher on the spectrum of narcissism as just struggling with self-esteem issues. We are all, as human beings, to an extent, struggling with self-esteem – but most of us do not chronically violate the rights of others as a result.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“So what drives their cruel and callous behavior? It’s not low self-esteem. It’s a deeply ingrained sense of excessive entitlement.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“Disturbed characters most often target folks possessing two qualities they don’t posses: conscientiousness and excessive agreeableness (i.e. deference). So, it’s a solid conscience that makes you most vulnerable to narcissistic manipulation. Manipulators use guilt and shame as their prime weapons. B…”— Dr. George Simon, drgeorgesimon.com
“Covert fighters count on the fact that you won’t trust your gut instincts or pass simple judgment on their character or the true character of their actions. They count on you being far too conscientious for that.”— Dr. George Simon, drgeorgesimon.com
“Sometimes just the manipulator speaking with apparent conviction can invite the overly conscientious person to doubt themselves. And often, manipulators “bundle” tactics together, giving vague, misleading, half-answers, distracting, minimizing and rationalizing... they might pull out a “trump card”…”— Dr. George Simon, drgeorgesimon.com
“Covert-aggression is at the heart of most interpersonal manipulation. What the artful, subtle fighter knows is that if they can get you to doubt yourself, feel like you have to explain yourself, and question your perceptions and judgment, there’s a good chance they can get you to back down, back-off…”— Dr. George Simon, drgeorgesimon.com