Search Results: act around him

I grew up with a narcissistic father and later spent five years married to a narcissistic partner. After living through that, I can recognize those patterns instantly. I’ve learned how their dynamics work — what to avoid saying, how to respond, and even how tone and body language can shift the interaction. Their tactics are sophisticated, and surviving them taught me a lot about how to protect myself.

I don’t use those skills to control people, and honestly, the idea of having that kind of influence makes me uneasy. But when I realize I’m dealing with someone who’s using manipulative behavior, I know how to hold my ground and not get pulled into their games. It’s empowering to know I’m no longer an easy target, even if the whole thing feels complicated at times.

A close friend of mine, who works in mental health and also has NPD, once gave me the best advice: “Stop oversharing and start listening.” It changed everything about how I navigate these interactions.

In a way, spending so much of my life around narcissistic personalities taught me how to mirror some of their strategies when I absolutely need to — but only as a form of self‑protection, not as a way of living.

Have you ever dealt with friends who are in silent competition with you? How did you notice? What is the best way to deal with friends like that?
What did these friends do? Did they, for example?

* Minimising your success.

* Go mute when you tell them about your success, accomplishment, or just good news?

* Try One-Upping you.

* Show "Copycat" Behaviour. (for example, you tell them about becoming good at playing basketball and suddenly they want to play basketball too when they were no interested before you said/showed you are getting good at it.)

* Forcing Competition: They act as a "rival friend" rather than a supportive peer.

A example, you're interested in dating a woman or guy, and suddenly your friend wants them too or the person to be interested in them more than you or wants their attention as well, claiming the person you want to date is just fun to be around etc).

* Did they maybe try to hijack or try to dismiss a compliment someone else gave you in their presence?

(For example a women complimnting you on your looks and your friend stepping in and tells the woman someing like ''Oh he is just tall, all women love tall guys'' .

Or another example a guy calling you beautifull in front of your friend and your friend telling them ''it's because she is wearing make up''.)