Secret 5: Manipulating Authority Figures
They manipulated authority figures to gain favor and dodge consequences. The narcissists learned early that adults aren’t always wise; they’re manipulable. So, they weaponized charm. They were the kid who never got caught, the ones who always had the perfect excuse, the ones teachers praised while classmates rolled their eyes in disgust behind the scenes.
They had already begun grooming authority figures. They acted politely, helpfully, gifted, and even pretended to care. And if they were caught doing something wrong, they would fake tears, blame someone else, or twist the story until even you questioned what happened.
By the time they were teenagers, this became a reflex: charm the boss, manipulate the therapist, flirt with a cop. They learned how to weaponize likability and how to make the truth disappear under a well-rehearsed lie.
Secret 6: Destroying Siblings’ Possessions
Well, out of jealousy. Sibling rivalry is quite common, but narcissists go further. They intentionally destroy the things others love, not out of clumsiness or immaturity, but out of pure envy. They saw their sibling being praised for a trophy, so they snapped it in half. They saw a parent lovingly put up a drawing on the fridge, so they crumpled it when no one was looking.
They watched their brother sleep with a stuffed toy, and they tossed it in the garbage just to see them cry. These acts were not just about jealousy. They were early displays of a destructive streak, the need to emotionally wound others to soothe their insecurity. And years later, that pattern never stopped. Only now, it’s your jewelry, your work, your birthday, your peace that they sabotage, because someone else’s happiness still feels like an attack to them.
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