These are the 7 things that terrify narcissists

In a world that values modesty, narcissists are some of the most unpleasant people to deal with: they brag, want recognition and rave about their brilliance.

These characteristics set alarm bells ringing as soon as we see a person displaying narcissistic traits.

It’s the kind of person that makes us roll our eyes and gnash our teeth when they start to show their true character.

Research shows that unlike Narcissus (from Greek mythology), who is in love with his reflection, many narcissists are not in love with themselves at all.

The fact is that narcissists are afraid of many things and are not as self-absorbed as we assume, so we should re-examine the way we think about narcissists.

Are narcissists afraid of anything? Absolutely.

Here are the 7 things they are deeply afraid of.

1. narcissists are afraid of not being respected

Narcissists are afraid of being treated with disrespect or disregard.

It often happens that they imagine insults and personal attacks.

This is about the false self-image.

If you disrespect a narcissist, it’s like ripping a big hole in their balloon and they feel like they’re going to die.

To avoid this situation, the narcissist uses all the defense mechanisms he has in his arsenal, and with his methods of deception, silence, lies, etc., he wants you to respect and adore him again.

2. fear of being ignored

Narcissists are hungry for attention.

This fact is easy to understand.

If the narcissist doesn’t get attention and is ignored, it means a slow death for them.

For this reason, some narcissists would even rather be hated than ignored.

Because negative attention is still attention, and it is at least a confirmation that the narcissist still exists.

Narcissists believe that they don’t exist without attention, and if you ignore them, it scares them just as much as if you want to kill them.

3. fear of exposure

If you call the narcissist’s attention to their abusive behavior, they will surely get angry.

Narcissists may become angry and upset, but they may also resort to covert methods such as silence or slander.

When confronted, they have to admit that they are not perfect because they have done something bad to others.

They know they are imperfect, but only on a subconscious level, and the way they deal with this is to project their own imperfections onto others.

So it is easy for the narcissist to tell you that you are the narcissist and that you are abusing him.

He can also accuse you of things he has done, and he is such a good actor that no one will believe you but him.

You wouldn’t believe how the narcissist is able to twist reality.

Unconsciously or consciously, the narcissist has built up this sophisticated strategy of lying as a massive defense mechanism that protects him from being exposed as imperfect and flawed like everyone else.

4. fear of being laughed at

Narcissists laugh easily at others, but they are completely incapable of laughing at themselves because they have no sense of humor at all.

If you were to break a leg in front of them, they might be beside themselves with laughter, but if you were to laugh at them, they might never speak to you again.

It sounds a bit strange when we say that this type of person is very sensitive, but we must not forget that this sensitivity only applies to themselves.

Narcissists misrepresent themselves to the world and always need to be supported and propped up by everyone else; therefore, they find it difficult to laugh at themselves and cannot take jokes in relation to themselves.

According to many, narcissists are empty inside, and making fun of a narcissist confronts them with their frightening inner emptiness.

5. fear of death

I have met many narcissists, and every one of them lives in constant fear of death.

For them, death means the complete annihilation of the ego, and nothing is more terrifying for a narcissist than that, because their ego is all they have.

It may be that some narcissists are also afraid of hell. They know deeply how badly they have treated and abused others and think that they could be held accountable for this in the afterlife.

Many of them suddenly become extremely religious in their old age. I believe this is because they think that being religious will protect them from any responsibility after their death.

They regret their sins, or they want other people to see how much they regret their sins, but inwardly they remain what they were before: selfish and self-centered.

6. fear of rejection and rejection

If you don’t accept or reject a narcissist, they will get angry, punish you and threaten you.

It’s very difficult to leave a narcissist because you’re sure to experience scenes like in a horror movie.

When you reject a narcissist, it means that you are rejecting their false self that they have so thoroughly built up to impress you.

When you reject this false self, you negate his entire basis for existence, because the true self he may still have is completely inaccessible to him, and the false self cannot survive on its own.

This false self is completely dependent on the approval and attention of others, on which it feeds like a vampire.

As soon as you reject a narcissist, he is forced to face his own emptiness, and nothing scares him more than that. He will fight tooth and nail to avoid it, even if it means destroying you.

7. fear of getting old

As narcissists get older, they become even more abusive.

This is because aging means the loss of good looks, career, health, possibly even a spouse, and in some cases even financial solvency.

These things are important to a narcissist because they prove to them that they have value and are admired and respected.

This is because the false self is a shaky, one-dimensional construct and is unable to feel love, true connection, friendship and other things that the rest of us can fall back on when we are old and out of shape or in good health.

The narcissists who are preoccupied with their intellectual abilities or business acumen may be able to maintain these values for a little longer. At some point, their intellect wanes or they are forced to retire or reduce their working hours.

Retirement is a severe blow to a narcissist whose entire identity is tied to their career and earning potential.

The narcissist suffers an almost total loss of provision, and to escape the depression that follows, they lash out and attack others like a dragon.

When they are old, they are therefore often moody and mean. They are also afraid of death, the last item on the list they fear.