75+ Powerful Dealing with a Narcissist Quotes

Navigating a relationship with a narcissist can leave you feeling isolated, confused, and questioning your own reality. These carefully curated quotes from experts, survivors, and psychologists offer validation, guidance, and the strength you need to protect yourself.

Whether you’re setting boundaries, healing from abuse, or simply trying to understand what you’re dealing with, these powerful words will remind you that you’re not alone and you deserve better.

Understanding the Narcissist’s Mind

“Since narcissists deep down feel themselves to be faultless, it is inevitable that when they are in conflict with the world they will invariably perceive the conflict as the world’s fault.”

— M. Scott Peck

“The narcissist devours people, consumes their output, and casts the empty, writhing shells.”

— Sam Vaknin

“Realize that narcissists have an addiction disorder. They are strongly addicted to feeling significant. Like any addict, they will do whatever it takes to get this feeling often. That is why they are manipulative and future fakers.”

— Shannon L. Alder

“The narcissist is like a bucket with a hole in the bottom: No matter how much you put in, you can never fill it up. The phrase ‘I never feel like I am enough’ is the mantra of the person in a narcissistic relationship.”

— Dr. Ramani Durvasula

“Narcissists damage and hurt but they do so offhandedly and naturally, as an afterthought. They are aware of what they are doing to others—but they do not care.”

— Sam Vaknin

“A narcissist paints a picture of themselves as being the victim or innocent in all aspects. They will be offended by the truth. But what is done in the dark will come to light.”

— Karla Grimes

“Narcissism is not self-love. It’s the opposite of that. It’s a nagging horror that you are, deep down, unloveable. A narcissist needs the love, attention, and admiration of others to survive.”

— Deborah Orr

“For all his inner suffering, the narcissist has many traits that make for success in bureaucratic institutions, which put a premium on the manipulation of interpersonal relations, discourage the formation of deep personal attachments.”

— Christopher Lasch

“Narcissism is a cover for a very weak self-image. They often want attention in any form, good or bad. Although they love adoration, the worst pain for a narcissist is to not be noticed.”

— Dian Grier, LCSW

“Narcissists have a tough job because perfection is viewed as either all or nothing: If you are not perfect, you are imperfect, and if you are imperfect, you are nothing.”

— Theodore Millon

“A narcissist is someone who has a grandiose sense of self-importance, harbors obsessive fantasies of unbounded glory, feels rage or intense shame when criticized, expects special favors, and lacks empathy.”

— Daniel Goleman

“Narcissism is a reflexive turning towards the self because your childhood experiences taught you that others would not provide for your needs. A narcissist doesn’t trust that others will be there for them, so they have to be there for themselves. This doesn’t leave much room for anyone else.”

— Krista Jordan, PhD

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Setting Boundaries with a Narcissist

“The people who object to you having boundaries are those who benefitted from you not having any.”

— Anonymous

“Setting boundaries is about self-preservation and nobody should feel bad about doing it.”

— Anonymous

“You can’t force someone to respect you, but you can refuse to be disrespected.”

— Anonymous

“Set boundaries to protect yourself from narcissistic behavior.”

— Anonymous

“Don’t allow a narcissist to make you feel guilty for setting boundaries.”

— Anonymous

“Set clear and enforceable consequences for boundary violations.”

— Anonymous

“Stay firm in your boundaries, even if a narcissist pushes back.”

— Anonymous

“A healthy relationship will never require you to sacrifice your friends, your dream, or your dignity.”

— Anonymous

“You don’t ever have to feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life. It’s one thing if a person owns up to their behavior and makes an effort to change. But if a person disregards your feelings, ignores your boundaries, and continues to treat you in a harmful way, they need to go.”

— Daniell Koepke

“Stay away from people who can’t take responsibility for their actions and who make you feel bad for being angry at them when they do you wrong.”

— Anonymous

“Nobody should be in a position where they are suffering abuse at the hands of another, and if this is the case for you, stopping the abuse by leaving the situation is the only course of action to take.”

— Theresa Jackson

“Letting go of toxic people in your life is a big step in loving yourself.”

— Hussein Nishah

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The Pain of Loving a Narcissist

“Narcissistic love is riding on the rollercoaster of disaster filled with a heart full of tears.”

— Sheree Griffin

“How starved you must have been that my heart became a meal for your ego.”

— Amanda Torroni

“Relationship with a narcissist in a nutshell: You will go from being the perfect love of their life to nothing you do is ever good enough. You will give everything and they will take it all and give you less and less in return. You will end up depleted, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and probably financially, and then get blamed for it.”

— Bree Bonchay

“Narcissists will destroy your life, erode your self-esteem, and do it with such stealth as to make you feel that you are the one that’s letting them down.”

— Anonymous

“Love doesn’t die a natural death. Love has to be killed, either by neglect or narcissism.”

— Frank Salvato

“A man who loves others based solely on how they make him feel, or what they do for him, is really not loving others at all — but loving only himself.”

— Criss Jami

“Relationships with narcissists are held in place by the hope of a ‘someday better,’ with little evidence to support it will ever arrive.”

— Dr. Ramani Durvasula

“Just because someone desires you, does not mean that they value you.”

— Anonymous

“Remember that a narcissist’s love is conditional and self-serving.”

— Anonymous

“A narcissist doesn’t break your heart, they break your spirit. That’s why it takes so long to heal.”

— Anonymous

“There is simply no winning with a narcissist. He will treat you so horribly that you will become withdrawn and depressed, and then he will turn around and say, ‘You’re no fun anymore, you’re always so depressed. I need to be with someone more positive.'”

— Susan Williams

“Children of narcissists learn that love is abuse. The narcissist teaches them that if someone displeases you, it is okay to harm them and call it love.”

— M. Wakefield

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Manipulation and Gaslighting

“When a toxic person can no longer control you, they will try to control how others see you. The misinformation will feel unfair, but you stay above it, trusting that other people will eventually see the truth just like you did.”

— Jill Blakeway

“Don’t let a narcissist’s gaslighting tactics make you doubt your reality.”

— Anonymous

“Invalidation is about dismissing your experiences, thoughts and above all your emotions. Indeed the intention is to not even allow you to have those thoughts, experiences and emotions. It’s a way of invading your head and reprogramming it.”

— Danu Morrigan

“The worst lies were the lies I told myself about the lies others told me.”

— Alice Little

“The truth always comes out in the end, no matter how hard anyone tries to hide it. Lies are just a temporary delay to the inevitable.”

— Anonymous

“Don’t allow a narcissist to make you doubt your own reality.”

— Anonymous

“Stay grounded in your own reality, regardless of a narcissist’s distortions.”

— Anonymous

“Trust your instincts; if something feels off, it probably is with a narcissist.”

— Anonymous

“Intuition – once you have had a narcissist in your life, you must develop your intuition and learn to listen to it and act accordingly.”

— Tracy Malone

“Narcissists would rather lie and humiliate you than admit that they were in the wrong.”

— Mitta Xinindlu

“Narcissism is voluntary blindness, an agreement not to look beneath the surface.”

— Sam Keen

“You might as well bang your head into a brick wall if you expect the narcissist to be reasonable, empathetic, or human in any way. If you sense or witness any of these traits, there is an ulterior motive.”

— Tina Swithin

Maintaining Your Self-Worth

“When dealing with a narcissist, remember that their actions are a reflection of them, not you.”

— Anonymous

“Don’t let a narcissist’s words define your self-worth.”

— Anonymous

“Stay aware of your own self-worth and value.”

— Anonymous

“Remember that narcissists often project their insecurities, flaws, weaknesses, and shortcomings onto others.”

— Anonymous

“Don’t take a narcissist’s criticisms personally; they criticize everyone.”

— Anonymous

“Maintain your self-respect, even when a narcissist tries to diminish it.”

— Anonymous

“Remember that you deserve love and respect, just like anyone else.”

— Anonymous

“Focus on building your self-esteem independently of a narcissist’s approval.”

— Anonymous

“Seek validation from within rather than from a narcissist.”

— Anonymous

“Recognize that a narcissist’s behavior is about them, not you.”

— Anonymous

“Maintain your authenticity and individuality in the relationship.”

— Anonymous

“You don’t attract narcissists because something is wrong with you. You attract narcissists because so much is right with you.”

— Anonymous

Conclusion

These quotes remind you that understanding narcissistic patterns, protecting your boundaries, and prioritizing your healing isn’t just possible—it’s essential for reclaiming the peace and self-worth that narcissistic abuse tried to steal from you.

Trust the wisdom in these words, believe in your strength, and remember that choosing yourself over a toxic relationship isn’t selfish—it’s the most profound act of self-love you can perform.

FAQ’s

How to break narcissistic behavior?

You cannot break someone else’s narcissistic behavior; focus on changing your own responses by setting firm boundaries, limiting contact, and prioritizing your healing journey.

How to stand up to a narcissist?

Stand up to a narcissist by staying calm, using clear direct language, setting consequences for boundary violations, and remembering that sometimes walking away is the strongest stand.

What happens when you confront a narcissist about their behavior?

When you confront a narcissist, they typically deny wrongdoing, deflect blame onto you, play victim, gaslight you, or react with rage using DARVO tactics to make you appear as the problem.

How do you get your point across to a narcissist?

Getting your point across to a narcissist is extremely difficult; use brief “I” statements, stay emotionally neutral, but accept that the healthiest option is often to stop trying to make them understand.