Narcissistic psychopaths: 11 traits to identify them

Selfish, manipulative people, without remorse and with an excessive ego. Or, what is the same, a toxic person of those that we sometimes encounter in life. In popular parlance, these individuals are called narcissistic psychopaths and it is very likely that you have encountered one.

Although this profile is not included as a disorder in the DSM-5, it does share traits with two of them: narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. These characteristics result in a profile worth keeping away..

In this space, you can find useful information to recognize a narcissistic psychopath. It is not always easy, since they are artists of lies and charm, at least until they get what they want (or someone prevents them). Let’s go into detail.

Narcissists and psychopaths, what characterizes them?

To know what narcissistic psychopaths are like, the first thing is to know the two disorders from which their nomenclature is derived. Let’s see a brief summary of both:

Narcissistic personality disorder: These patients are characterized by having strong personality traits, such as an excessive sense of their own importance, great insecurity and lack of empathy. They are people who tend to have conflictive relationships and a deep and excessive need for attention and admiration.psychopathic personality: The most distinctive trait of psychopaths is a lack of empathy. These are people who do not feel remorse, are manipulative and do not establish real emotional bonds.

From these two disorders comes what is known as the narcissistic psychopath, a personality not yet classified as pathological, but very dysfunctional. In the next section you have the most distinctive features that characterize these people.

Narcissistic psychopaths often use lying and deception to manipulate others and get what they want from them.

11 traits of narcissistic psychopaths

This profile usually shows a series of behaviors typical of narcissistic disorder and also antisocial disorder. Therefore, several of the traits below can be expected.

1. They do not comply with social norms

Whether provocatively or covertly, Narcissistic psychopaths tend to break the rules for their benefit. This non-compliance, in fact, is repeated and a rescue network is woven around it that usually involves blaming someone else, gaslighting or lie.

2. They lie and cheat

Lying is an everyday part of their lives. By having low levels of empathy and remorse, They usually have no qualms about deceiving others to achieve their goals. Many times, these lies are so elaborate and fine that it is difficult to unravel them.

3. Inordinate sense of self-worth

The need to feel admired is usually born from an oversized sense of worth, in which the subject feels superior to the rest and tries to configure his environment so that reality and his ego coincide. Hence the social mask, the false self-confidence and the failure to assume his mistakes and responsibilities.

4. Lack of empathy

This lack is common to the psychopath and the narcissist. His affectivity is cold, distant and although the subject makes an effort to appear kind and charming, at some point his inability to put himself in the other’s place is revealed.

5. Cruelty and violation of limits

The abuse, usually emotional, that narcissistic psychopaths exert on the people around them usually responds to two main reasons: utilitarianism and the preservation of the excessive and fragile self-esteem they possess. If they can get something from others by making them feel bad, they will have no problem doing it.

6. They do not tolerate criticism

It’s not that they have a hard time digesting it or that they avoid it, but that they can’t tolerate it at all.. Any comment, even if it tries to be constructive, that is detrimental to your image will be received with lies, manipulation or violence.

7. They attack the self-esteem of others

It has already been said that they can easily become cruel. However, this is not always the first option in treating others. The best way to use someone is to destroy their self-esteem, because that way it is much easier to make them think that they are giving in to the demands of the psychopathic narcissist of their own free will.

8. They are promiscuous in their relationships

By seeing others as means to achieve your ends and satisfy your desires, It is common for them to maintain relationships with several people in the same period of time.. This is not necessarily reprehensible, except for the utilitarianism that characterizes them.

9. False beliefs

To maintain an image so exaggeratedly high and, at the same time, so fragile, The psychopathic narcissist feeds distorted thoughts about himself and others. They tend to aim to devalue others and praise their own figure.

Narcissistic psychopaths who are better than other people, so they despise others.

10. Need for attention

They are usually the center of conversations and strive to create social groups that revolve around their figure.. When someone threatens this prominence, they are capable of creating a real campaign against that person.

11. Some are impulsive

Although it depends on the specific profile of the person, it has been observed that some narcissistic psychopaths are impulsive when making decisions. These are individuals who feel such discomfort when something threatens their self-esteem or their network of human “tools” that They react in an exaggerated and impulsive way.

Remember that the term “narcissistic psychopath” is only present in popular culture. If you suspect that someone in your environment meets this profile, it is best to stay away. You may also need professional help to deal with the emotional havoc these people cause, so don’t hesitate to seek it.

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