The definition of ‘Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a mental disorder, in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that’s vulnerable to the slightest criticism. While narcissists might think of themselves as all-powerful and invincible, – there are a lot of things that scare them.
Relationship
Relationship commitment probably one of the things which narcissists fear the most is committing to a relationship. Narcissists never let their guard down, and being in a real relationship – means you can’t put up walls and hide your true self as so many narcissists do. Being that close to someone also exposes their insecurities, – and some narcissists are scared that their partners will find out their deepest, darkest secrets.
Self-reflection
When it comes to narcissists, a lot of them are in complete denial. For many, the one thing they fear most is coming to terms with who they really are. They like to think of themselves as perfect. They are afraid that if they look too deep within themselves, – they will find things that they don’t want to cope with.
Insults
Narcissists actually fear being insulted more than you might expect. Although they are quick to dish out criticism to others, they simply can’t handle the dose of their own medicine. Since most narcissists actually have a really fragile self-esteem, – an insult can be a humiliating blow to their inflated egos. And it’s something they’re really afraid of.
Shame
Narcissists will do anything to avoid feeling the sting of shame. It’s interesting to note that while they fear shame, they don’t fear guilt. This means that they fear being seen as unworthy in society and being lower in the social hierarchy. They don’t, however, fear the guilt of actually hurting someone’s feelings.
Lack of Admiration
Lack of admiration in a sense, narcissists are very much like performers. They crave attention and they want to be admired more than anything else. They are terrified that their attempts to impress others – will be completely ignored. While some people are fine going through life completely unnoticed, narcissists are the total opposite.
Getting Exposed
Sometimes, narcissists can find themselves in a thick web of lies that they’ve created. They might lie about their past exploits to impress people or lie to manipulate others. While these lies might help them get what they want, deep down, they have a huge fear of being exposed and getting called out on their dishonest behavior.
Feeling Gratitude
Narcissists are also totally incapable of saying those simple words: “Thank you”. Gratitude is a completely foreign emotion to them. And again, this probably all stems from fear. Saying “Thank you” means that they were relying on someone, – and narcissists will never admit that they need anybody’s help.
Death
Believe it or not, many narcissists see themselves as gods. They think they’re untouchable; that nothing bad will ever happen to them, – and that everything they touch will turn to gold. But everyone knows that even the most powerful people on Earth can’t beat death, – and this is something that most Narcissists are terrified of.
Preview photo credit Psych2Go
