Dealing with narcissists can be exhausting. They can make you feel powerless and frustrated, and you might think there’s nothing you can do to get the power back. However, there are some defensive tactics you can use to protect yourself from narcissists and get them to fear you.
1. Don’t argue after saying no.
Narcissists love to get into arguments and put other people down. When you tell them no, they’ll try to get in a confrontation with you over it. If you choose not to engage, you take the power away from the narcissist and frustrate them. When they realize you aren’t impacted by their provocations, it’ll make them fear confronting you again.
2. Don’t show them empathy.
Narcissists feed on other people’s empathy, WebMD notes. They use it to manipulate people into doing what they want. So, if you choose not to show them empathy, they’ll fear trying to manipulate you again.
3. Start engaging with their friends.
Narcissists love to show off and pride themselves on being great socializers. They think of themselves as superior by showing off that they have more friends than anyone else. So, if you start engaging with their friends, showing that you don’t need them for social interactions, they’ll fear messing with you in the future.
4. Exploit their vulnerabilities.
Narcissists fear nothing more than being exposed for who they really are. They have deep-seated fears that they try to hide from other people. If you can figure out what those fears are, you can use them to your advantage. For example, you could tease them about their habits and hobbies in front of their friends. Doing so will make them fear making fun of you again.
5. Get help from friends.
When you have mutual friends with a narcissist, it can be helpful to go to them when you need support. If they side with you, it takes away the power from the narcissist. Taking away the narcissist’s friends and getting them on your side will make the narcissist fear acting out because their pride requires that they have a large social circle.
6. Use reality as a weapon.
Narcissists have huge egos and always think they’re right. So, one of the best ways to make one fear you is to use reality as a weapon. Prove them wrong when they start talking about things, and they might start to feel scared or upset. They’ll feel threatened by you and won’t bother you anymore.
7. Act independent.
Narcissists crave control. They try to make people dependent on them so that they can manipulate them into doing what they want. However, if you take away that control by being independent, it can trigger the narcissist’s fear of losing control.
8. Stop validating them and tell the truth.
Narcissists will continuously lie and manipulate everyone around them. They bank on no one calling them out on what they’re saying to gain control. However, if you stop validating them and tell the truth, they’ll fear that you could reveal their secrets to the people in their social circle. Tell them that they’re wrong instead of validating them that they’re always right.
9. Set boundaries.
Narcissists love to overstep boundaries. They manipulate and guilt-trip people into doing things they’re uncomfortable with. If you set boundaries with them, they’ll become frustrated and might fear that you’ll share your tactics with other people in their life.
10. Be assertive.
Being assertive implies that you’re willing to stand up for yourself and your beliefs. If you’re assertive with a narcissist, you take back control and make the narcissist fear you. Narcissists prey on the weak and fear people that stand up to them. So, by asserting yourself, you’re taking power away from them.
11. Don’t feed their ego.
While narcissists think they’re better than anyone else, they also crave the validation of other people. So, one of the best ways to make a narcissist fear you is to never feed their ego. Never give them the praise they want, and they’ll fear interacting with you. At the end of the day, most narcissists are insecure, so by withholding praise, they’ll fear you.
12. Hold them accountable.
People with huge egos never take responsibility for their actions. They’ll blame other people or bad luck for things that go wrong. If you tell them that something is their fault, it forces them to reflect on their actions, which is something they never want to do. By doing this consistently, you can make a narcissist fear interacting with you.
13. Keep your distance.
One of the best things you can do with a narcissist is keep your distance. This is especially important if they’re pursuing you sexually. By ignoring a narcissist, you will frustrate them and eventually, they’ll start to fear you because you aren’t paying attention to them.
14. Document their behavior.
One of the best things you can do to make a narcissist fear you is to document their behavior. If you have proof of their poor behavior, they’ll fear you releasing the information and getting them in personal, professional, or legal trouble. So, they’ll leave you alone.
15. Use silence as a weapon.
There’s nothing a narcissist hates more than getting ignored. They need people to feed their egos, so when you ignore them, you’ll frustrate them. Not only this, but depending on your relationship, they might fear losing you and modify their behavior.
