One of the things a narcissist hates most in life is being ignored. You might as well have smacked them in the face.
They hate it so much that they may throw a fit when it happens. He or she will not shy away from creating a public scene to let you know how much they hate that.
Are you in a nasty mood and itching for an argument? Ignore a narcissist and you will have one.
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Additional behavior patterns to watch out for
When you ignore a narcissist, he or she will be wounded to the core of their inner soul. This can make them feel out of control, which is another thing they hate.
What they will typically do is hang around you and pester you until you acknowledge them.
If you keep ignoring them, it becomes like a game that they must win.
Although they may not display emotions other than anger, this person will make whatever moves necessary to get your attention.
Another thing this individual might do is avoid any contact with you, at least for a while.
If you invite him or her over for dinner, and they do not respond, it is probably payback for failing to pay attention to them last week.
The narcissist may ignore you with a delayed response
This is revenge at its finest. Even if the narcissist has quit hounding you about your lack of interest, expect to be paid back in kind. They will never forget that it happened.
When you least expect it and are trying to talk to them about something important, they will ignore you.
They want you to feel every bit as bad as you made them feel when you ignored them. It doesn’t matter what you are talking to them about.
Your words will go in one ear and out the other. For this particular person, it is the ultimate payback.
Then, of course, there is the silent treatment. Has your narcissistic mate stopped talking to you suddenly? This is also a way they can retaliate for the recent time you ignored them.
Rejection ranks up there too
When you reject a narcissist by any means, it causes them great personal humiliation, which is another thing they hate.
A narcissist does not like to feel vulnerable. You might as well have made an all-out assault on them. That is what it feels like to them to be rejected.
So, what will they do about it? They have to find a method of coping with the rejection. This is accomplished by lashing out verbally or maybe even physically.
It might not happen at the precise time you reject them but be assured this person will act out.
Things get really bad when you ignore a narcissist intentionally!
Up until now, your ignoring them was accidental. But what happens when you ignore them on purpose?
Then be prepared for an all-out war! You have hurt their ego to the max! You must now pay.
The narcissist will retaliate by bugging you until you apologize. Even then, if they feel the apology is not sincere enough, the annoying behavior is going to continue.
To this individual, there is no good reason for you to ignore them. In their mind, either you apologize, or else!
If they deem the hurtful event bad enough, they could disappear from your life without prior warning.
Suddenly, this person will be inaccessible to you. It is their way of fighting back against the harm you have caused them.
Never threaten to leave them
Narcissists – especially ones who have felt ignored – treat payback like a game. You might consider this aggravating enough to leave them alone.
If you truly love this person, never threaten to leave them, even in jest. Now it dawns on them that their actions were inappropriate, and they must pay the price. This is awful!
If your boss at work is the narcissist in your life, threatening to leave the company is deemed by them as a cruel blow.
They realize how important you are to the company and that your absence would be detrimental.
Do not expect your narcissistic boss to verbally tell you this. They cannot bring themselves to do that. But they may give you a series of projects that require you to stay.
In other words, they will try to trick you into staying. That is their way of dealing with it.
It is a matter of control
When your narcissistic partner fails to control you, alarm bells go off in their head. They will manipulate you and try to get you to conform to his ways.
They love to control other people and get angry when they can’t.
What can you do about this? Stay strong and determined not to allow them to have their way.
Put up a fight and immediately show them they cannot control you no matter what they threaten you with.
Once they see you are not an easy target, they will move on to somebody who is.
A narcissist tends to be a bully. Bullies will bug a person to no end unless they fight back.
When the aggressor is this bad, ignoring they will make them try harder. Instead, you must stand your ground and prevent them from getting their way.
The narcissist’s double standard
You may think you’re dealing with a different person when the narcissist ignores you.
Suddenly, the concept of ignoring somebody is okay. What gives? Why is it alright for them to do the ignoring?
Remember, we said the narcissist loves to be in control. When they ignore you, it is an example of their controlling personality.
It is fine when they are the ones doing the ignoring. It may be a very delayed reaction to the time two months ago when you ignored them. But now they feel like they are back in control.
It is also fine with them when they reject or threaten to leave you. It is all part of a manipulative scheme on his part.
They think they can weaken you and cause you significant harm. The best way you can deal with this harkens back to our original point. Ignore them until he goes away!
Making the narcissist go away permanently
We touched upon this a few moments ago. If you really want to make this person vanish, fight back.
This is better than ignoring them. When they see that you cannot be harmed or controlled, they will do the leaving and find an alternative target.
Another tactic you can use in lieu of venting your anger at them is to up and leave. We have already told you this is their biggest fear.
However, it might be your best move if they are seriously bothering you. If this is your boss, find someplace else to work.
In the end, nobody is forced to tolerate a narcissist. If they are that unpleasant to be around, do something definitive about it.
Otherwise, it will never end. Good luck with your efforts!
