First things first, let’s identify what narcissism actually is. Most of us have heard the story from Greek mythology about Narcissus. He fell in love with his own image. Many people assume that narcissism is someone who is obsessed with themselves. This is true to a point but the bigger picture is that it is also a mental illness. Some people exhibit narcissism as learned behavior from the environment that they grew up in and do not actually have the mental illness. Either way, it is an extremely toxic character trait that borders on the likeness of a sociopath.

People with this illness are often very charming, they are the life of the party. They are funny and usually intelligent. These are the type of people that just sweep you off of your feet, fairytale style. Then behind closed doors, they show their fangs. They are manipulative in such a crafty way that by the time you realize it their hooks are in you. They completely lack empathy but are able to feign it well enough for you to believe they care.

A person with this personality disorder or character traits often requires a high level of praise and adoration. Much more than any one person can give, so they often have a “supply”. They surround themselves with people who can only see how great they are and constantly remind them of it. Because of this need, they have difficulty remaining faithful. The damage that they leave goes far beyond the heartache of being cheated on. They destroy the self-esteem and self-image of others in order to keep them “obedient”.