Number 9: They will get defensive.
When you do silent treatment, it’s hard for them to understand why you’re doing it. They don’t see how their behavior could be wrong, so they can’t imagine why you want to be silent with them. This makes them feel like they’ve been wronged somehow, like you’re punishing them for doing something they didn’t do.
Narcissists react to silent treatment by getting defensive, they feel like you’re attacking them and they will do anything to win the argument. They will try to make you feel guilty for doing the silent treatment in the first place; they think that if they can make you feel bad enough about this tactic, you might stop using it.
A Book: Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men.
Number 10: They will spread rumors about you.
Narcissists react to silent treatment in a variety of ways, one of the most common is to spread rumors about you. They may create a story about why you’re ignoring them if you don’t respond to their phone calls, texts, or emails. Narcissists are all about control, when you give them the silent treatment, they will feel a loss of control over you… narcissists react by trying to regain it. They don’t deal with feelings of vulnerability or powerlessness, they are always looking for ways to get back on top. So if you’re giving them the silent treatment, they might just go around telling people that you’re crazy or annoying, to make themselves feel better about how powerless they feel around you.
Narcissists are so accustomed to getting what they want that the silent treatment is interpreted as a challenge that will not be tolerated for long. The Narcissist will try to wear you down and get you back into the cycle of arguing with them. The silent treatment is a way to make the narcissist feel bad for upsetting you, but it doesn’t work the way you might think. They may react in ways that can make you feel worse if you don’t stand your ground.
Read More: What The Narcissist Does When You Go No Contact.
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