They’ll drop it mid-way through because they’ve forgotten to whom they’ve already explained, or repeat the very same story you’ve already heard a thousand times, and yet lavish it with the same melodramatic inflection, the same theatrical pauses, the same reproving glances, as if for the first time they’re telling it. They perform as if they’re reporting to us, and every time, they need you to pretend you’ve never heard it before.
That’s self-feeding. They feed themselves on their narrative. They retell the narrative not just to overpower others but to resurrect themselves. The affirmation, the empathy, the adoration, it really kind of recharges their fake self, at least temporarily. And when they can’t get the same effect, they make tiny tweaks in the performance to keep chasing that feeling. It’s a memory, sure, but it’s a source of fuel too.
Number 3: Inappropriate Smiles and Facial Expressions
They smile during moments that don’t fit the circumstance. Their timing is wrong; their face isn’t in the room. They’ll smile when others won’t or laugh half a beat too late. These are the warning signs of someone trying not to lose it. The smile is an imitation of feeling. A vanquished narcissist employs it as armor. It’s the way they say, “I’m still charming, aren’t I?” But look hard enough, and it’s all eyes. The smile can be huge, but the eyes are flat or panicky or blank.
They even begin to smile at strangers passing by, just to look friendly and sane. They’re being civilized, polite, perhaps even charming for a short while. But if you’re close enough, the face is saying otherwise. The mood isn’t quite in harmony with the smile. It’s as if their body is reciting lines that their soul can’t catch up to. The more uneasy they get, the harder they try to smile, hoping no one sees how far from a real connection they are.
You may also want to read this:
Why Narcissists Humiliate Their Partners in Front of Others?
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