Simply put, anything that jeopardizes their basic needs for superiority can quickly irritate them. If you want to know how to infuriate a narcissist, you can look no further than giving them nothing. But you can also stand up for yourself, set boundaries, and refuse their gaslighting strategies.
Deep-Seated Fear of Rejection / Being Unimportant – This is the core of narcissistic rage. Many narcissists are constantly hounded by the insecurity that people may not see them as the privileged, powerful, popular, or “special” individuals they make themselves to be, and react intensely when their fears are confirmed.
They don't get their way, even if what they want is unreasonable. They feel that they've been criticized, even if the critique is constructive or said kindly. They're not the center of attention. They're caught breaking rules or not respecting boundaries.
This rage may take the form of screaming and yelling. Selective silence and passive-aggressive avoidance can also happen with narcissistic rage. Most episodes of narcissistic rage exist on a behavior continuum. On one end, a person may be aloof and withdrawn.
True narcissists cannot tolerate being provoked and they have what's called narcissistic rage, which is an intense fury, accompanied by the need to punish those who have offended them. It's a bad idea to make a narcissist mad.
Narcissists feel threatened whenever they encounter someone who appears to have something they lack—especially those who are confident and popular. They're also threatened by people who don't kowtow to them or who challenge them in any way. Their defense mechanism is contempt.
Other signs of narcissistic collapse may include: increased irritability. increased sensitivity. verbal expressions of strong emotions like hate. ... Signs of a narcissistic collapse
Although narcissists act superior, entitled and boastful, underneath their larger-than-life facade lies their greatest fear: That they are ordinary. For narcissists, attention is like oxygen. Narcissists believe only special people get attention.
They believe that they are the best at everything and losing to those they believe to be inferior can be infuriating. Since narcissists are always in pursuit of status and admiration from others, losing for them can be a devastating ego blow that can trigger their narcissistic injury.
Here are some narcissism red flags to look out for: Lacking empathy. They seem unable or unwilling to have empathy for others, and they appear to have no desire for emotional intimacy. Unrealistic sense of entitlement.
The narcissist will respond with rage, and the situation will escalate. The situation will end the same as it always has. Let yourself get angry. No, not in front of the narcissist.
Narcissists also gaslight or practice master manipulation, weakening and destabilizing their victims; finally, they utilize positive and negative emotions or moments to trick others. When a narcissist can't control you, they'll likely feel threatened, react with anger, and they might even start threatening you.
During a collapse, an introverted narcissist might say you hurt them through a specific action or words, but they won't explain why it hurt them or how to work through it. Doing so would requires true vulnerability, which is a narcissist's greatest fear, Malkin said.
Narcissists will make you question everything about yourself, including the people around you and your sanity. It includes statements like, “There's something wrong with you,” “Everybody's worried about your state of mind,” “That's not what happened,” and “You're crazy”.
