Look out for signs that your friend could be a narcissist. Picture: fauxels / Pexels
Image: fauxels / Pexels
Friendships should be built on mutual respect, trust, and support.
However, if you constantly feel drained, manipulated, or undervalued in a friendship, you might be dealing with a narcissist.
Narcissistic individuals often display patterns of self-centeredness, lack of empathy, and a need for admiration.
These are traits that can make friendships one-sided and toxic.
Here are 10 signs that your bestie may be a narcissist.
Narcissists love talking about themselves, their achievements, their problems, and their opinions while showing little interest in yours.
If your friend constantly steers conversations back to themselves and interrupts or dismisses your thoughts, it’s a red flag.
They always dominate conversation. Picture: Elevate / Pexels
Image: Elevate / Pexels
A narcissistic friend struggles to genuinely empathise with your feelings.
They may downplay your struggles, change the subject when you’re upset, or even blame you for your emotions.
Narcissists need excessive praise and validation.
If your friend fishes for compliments, gets upset when they’re not the center of attention, or becomes jealous when others succeed, they likely have narcissistic tendencies.
Gaslighting is a manipulative tactic where someone makes you doubt your own reality.
A narcissistic friend might deny saying hurtful things, twist past events, or accuse you of overreacting to avoid accountability.
Narcissists often view friendships as transactional.
If your friend only reaches out when they need a favour, emotional support, or an ego boost but disappears when you need help, they’re likely using you.
If your friend only reaches out when they need a favour they’re likely using you. Picture: Anna Tarazevich / Pexels
Image: Anna Tarazevich / Pexels
Even mild feedback can trigger extreme defensiveness in a narcissist.
They may respond with anger, passive-aggressive remarks, or play the victim instead of reflecting on their behavior.
If you share good news, they’ll try to outdo it.
If you share a struggle, they’ll claim theirs is worse.
Narcissists always need to feel superior, making genuine celebration or commiseration impossible.
Narcissists often gossip, belittle, or backstab others to elevate themselves.
If your friend constantly criticises people behind their backs, chances are they do the same about you when you’re not around.
Narcissists often gossip, belittle, or backstab others to elevate themselves. Picture: Freepik
Image: Freepik
A narcissistic friend may give a half-hearted “sorry” to shut you up but rarely takes real responsibility.
They might also follow it with excuses (“I was just joking!”) or blame-shifting (“You’re too sensitive”).
Healthy friendships leave you feeling uplifted.
If you consistently feel exhausted, anxious, or insecure after interacting with your friend, it’s a sign their narcissistic behavior is taking a toll.
IOL Lifestyle
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