Number 4: Who are you even?
Another option is to give them a quizzical look and ask, I’m sorry, who are you? The quizzical look that communicates, this person isn’t even important enough for you to know who they are, never mind be the least bit concerned with whatever stupidity they may be spewing at the moment. Then look at your nails, as if they are far more interesting than the narcissist or anything they have to say could ever be.
Now obviously, this isn’t going to work in every situation but when the person in question is a virtual stranger, this can be very effective in establishing your position in the dynamic. Again, not a good target, beat it, now.
Number 5: Remain unaffected.
However you choose to handle whatever it is that’s coming at you, you want to handle it in a way where you remain completely unaffected, even if internally that’s not the case. Poker face your way through it if you have to. But whatever you do, do not give them the satisfaction of knowing that their cheap shot, passive-aggressive dig, or insult got to you at all. That’s exactly what they want.
And the last thing you want to do is to give a narcissist what they want. So do not engage, do not defend yourself, and definitely do not attempt to refute the insult or whatever cheap shot may be coming your way. Neither do you want to go tit for tat since that just keeps you in the game, right where the narcissist wants you?
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