200+ Famous Quotes About Narcissists To Help Deal With Them

When we think of a narcissist, we generally think of someone who can’t stop talking about themselves in public. However, reading quotes about narcissists from great brains and people from different generations and civilizations can help you understand that narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) comprises more than just personality traits.

Besides these clear signals, a narcissistic individual is likely to exhibit all or some of the symptoms listed below, which may not be apparent at first but can be harmful to your relationship.

• An exaggerated sense of superiority
• Wanting to be admired or given special attention
• Intolerance to criticism and a lack of empathy
• Arrogance
• Megalomaniacal tendencies
• Envious
• Sets unrealistic goals
• Self-love

Dealing with a narcissistic partner can be difficult; they may not love you or completely understand your needs, they may take you for granted and resort to lies and deception, and you may lose your self-worth or personal space.

We share a collection of narcissist quotes in this post and hope that some of these statements may help you better understand narcissism.

200+ Narcissist Quotes

1. “Narcissus does not fall in love with his reflection because it is beautiful but because it is his. If it were his beauty that enthralled him, he would be set free in a few years by its fading. ― W.H. Auden

2. “Love doesn’t die a natural death. Love has to be killed, either by neglect or narcissism. Those guilty of these two crimes of the heart always hide behind excuses convenient; too ashamed, lacking in integrity and courage to face the truth. To them, it is always something other than their own actions, desires and self-importance that dictate circumstances. For these people, so blind to truth, true love can never be fully experienced for they have never really given of themselves all that they are.” ―Frank Salvato

3. “Even when he seems to be interacting with someone else, the narcissist is actually engaged in a self-referential discourse. To the narcissist, all other people are cardboard cutouts, two dimensional animated cartoon characters, or symbols. They exist only in his inner universe. He is startled when they deviate from the script and prove to be complex and autonomous.” ―Sam Vaknin

4. “It is no wonder than narcissists – both men and women – are chauvinistic and conservative. They depend to such an extent on the opinions of people around them that, with time, they are transformed into ultra-sensitive seismographs of public opinion, barometers of prevailing fads and fashions, and guardians of conformity.” ―Sam Vaknin

5. “Here lies the partner’s salvation: if you, as his intimate, wish to sever your relationship with the narcissist, stop providing him with what he needs. Do not adore, admire, approve, applaud, or confirm anything he does or says. Disagree with his views belittle him, reduce him to size, compare him to others, tell him he is not unique, criticize him, give unsolicited advice, and offer him help. In short, deprive him of the grandiose and fantastic illusions, which holds his personality together. The narcissist is a delicately attuned piece of equipment. At the first sign of danger to his inflated False Self, he will quit and disappear on you.” ―Sam Vaknin

6. “After narcissist abuse your world may seem small at first. You are grieving the loss of a partner and everything you used to do in that small world, It’s time to let go of the old and write the new chapter. Imagine a world as big, fun and peaceful as you want.” ―Tracy A. Malone

7. “A narcissist can be your husband, wife, mother, father, sister, brother, boyfriend, girlfriend, neighbor, boss, church member or anyone you come in contact with. There is endless possibilities of “who” they can be. The important thing to remember is the actions, behaviors are all very similar.” ―Tracy Malone

8. “In a narcissist’s world you are not their one and only. You are an extension of that person and last place in their mind, while they secure back up narcissistic supply.” ―Shannon L. Alder

9. “Congratulations! You have just danced with the devil and lived. No education, no training could have prepared you for what happened. Yet you survived. Be proud and live well, you earned it.” ―Tracy Malone

10. “When people don’t tell you the truth what they really are saying is they don’t value you or their relationship with you enough to be honest.” ―Shannon L. Alder

11. “The worst lies were the lies I told myself about the lies others told me” ―Alice Little

12. “The only good decision you will make while with them is leaving!” ―Alice Little

13. “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 the narcissistic relationship. That’s because to your narcissistic partner, you are not. No one is. Nothing is.” ―Ramani Durvasula

14. “Because they always measure themselves by other people, they also measure themselves against other people. They are chronically reliant on the opinions of others to form their own sense of self and are always comparing themselves, their status, their possessions and their lives to other people to determine their sense of worth and self-esteem (in a way, narcissists outsource their sense of self).” ―Ramani Durvasula

15. “Are you a flying monkey? Be careful. Don’t get caught up in a narcissist’s mind games.” ―Mitta Xinindlu

16. “A narcissist’s criticism is their autobiography.” ―M. Wakefield

17. “Most of the narcissists are geniuses and masters of Psychology. But they are using their knowledge to eradicate, rather than to help humanity.” ―Mwanandeke Kindembo

18. “Notwithstanding his occasional illusions of omnipotence, the narcissist depends on others to validate his self-esteem. He cannot live without an admiring audience,” —Christopher Lasch

19. “Dealing with a narcissist in a divorce is like dealing with a bully. The wear and tear you will experience when you try to protect your child’s emotional welfare will be significant. Even though you are mentally healthier than the narcissist, you can look unstable to the professionals involved in your case due to your reactions to the bully’s abusive behavior.” ―Karyl McBride

20. “You used me. You made me feel special then threw me away when you were bored. You took my trust. You broke my trust. You turned people against me. You turned me against myself.” ― Faith Dismuke

21. “Narcissistic pleasure seekers routinely avoid developing the humility required to manufacture a life of full measure. Shallow persons such as me hide their insecurities behind a false persona of bravado, boasting of their inconsequential deeds, pyrrhic victories, and adamant refusals to tackle any task that they fear.” ―Kilroy J. Oldster

22. “Being a control freak is a weakness, not a strength. If you can’t allow others to shine, you’re exhibiting signs of narcissism and showing a lack of self-confidence. It is isolation through ego.” ―Stewart Stafford

23.  “People don’t care about this kind of stuff, ya know? We want self-improvement, not self knowledge. We want change,” he motioned with his hands in a strange attempt to mock modern-day hipsters’ version of change, “But not for any particular reason. We want to do good deeds but only if we can tell others about it. We want all sorts of ideals, not for their own sake, but rather for the sake of appearances. We don’t want knowledge; we want to show others we have knowledge.” ―Cic Mellace

24. “We sit here and we talk about sports. We talk about our home improvement projects. We gossip about family members we don’t care about. We self-victimize and complain about petty problems we’ve created ourselves. We work like dogs to keep up with the Joneses but have no time to enjoy the things we work for. We work purposeless jobs that keep us mildly happy, never really enjoying what we do, but we also never get the balls to leave the job. We drink on the weekends to numb the pain but it never really cures it. We criticize anyone who tries to break away from the rat race, because the idea that there is a way out scares us more than dying in the state we’re in. We only give to causes that affect us personally, only follow religions that suit us, only listen to people who agree with us, and worst of all,” he paused, and in a sad, defeated finale to his rant, he said, “We lie to ourselves.” ―Cic Mellace

25. “In individuals who initially felt defected, bad or “low value,” the positive feelings gained from attention and approval can lead to a habit of seeking out similar experiences repetitively to an unhealthy degree” ―Theresa Jackson

26. “As everyone knows, in my profession we go around screwing each other as much as possible, mostly to see ourselves do it. Narcissists are always making love to number one.” ―Valerie Martin

27. “People have always been vain. Can you imagine what it was like when some guy invented the first mirror? Maidens probably spent all day and night just staring at their own reflection in the dim candle light of their drafty castle tower, back when the first mirrors were cutting edge technology.” ―Oliver Markus Malloy

28. “When wealth occupies a higher position than wisdom, when notoriety is admired more than dignity, when success is more important than self-respect, the culture itself overvalues “image” and must be regarded as narcissistic.” ―Alexander Lowen

29. “When we meet and fall into the gravitational pull of a narcissist, we are entering a significant life lesson that involves learning how to create boundaries, self-respect, and resilience. Through trial and error (and a lot of pain), our connection with narcissists teaches us the necessary lessons we need to become mature empaths.” ―Mateo Sol

30. “It’s a sad reality, but in our relationships as a species, we treat each other as objects to be owned and possessed. But once we do manage to cage or “secure” our partners to “be our everything,” we suffer horribly. Once we metaphorically capture that beautiful bird we were initially attracted to, we feel guilty every time the bird chirps: we are reminded that we’ve taken away the very thing that made the bird so beautiful in the first place.” ―Mateo Sol

31. “Narcissists often feign oppression because narcissists always feel entitled.” ―Criss Jami

32. “By aggrandizing one’s own abilities and achievements, the grandiose person remains out of touch with who they truly are and as such, remains prone to crossing the boundaries of others.” ―Steven Franssen

33. “Every narcissist I have known does this. Always mysterious. Never a straight answer. Always handing you some meaningless vagary (or one that could mean many different things) as if it says something significant.” ―Kathy Krajco

34. “Some people seem like a bright light during your darkest moment… a beautiful refuge… but it’s a trap… there is only more pain there. Now that I think about it… I imagine that’s what bugs feel like when they fly into the zapper.” ―Steve Maraboli

35. “People commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into an animal stupor that gapes at existence and they think they have seen something.” ―Søren Kierkegaard

36. “Narcissists have poor self-esteem, but they are typically very successful. They feel entitled; they’re self-important; they crave admiration and lack empathy. They are also exploitative and envious. The malignant types never forget a slight. They may kill you ten years later for cutting them off in traffic. But they act perfectly normal while plotting their revenge.” ―Janet M. Tavakoli

37. “I hesitate to use a pathologizing label, but underneath the so-called narcissistic personality is definitely shame and the paralyzing fear of being ordinary.” ―Brene Brown

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

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

40. “And think about the precise meaning of that term: a Narcissus is not proud. A proud man has disdain for other people, he undervalues them. The Narcissus overvalues them, because in every person’s eyes he sees his own image, and wants to embellish it. So he takes nice care of all his mirrors.” ―Milan Kunder

41. “This narcissist has much better social skills than the overt narcissist, and it is usually only the people closest to her who see that she often lacks self-confidence and is prone to anxiety, depression, and moodiness. She often feels that she is being neglected by others or that they have intentionally slighted her or are persecuting her, when, in reality, they’re not.” ―Paul D. Meier

42. “Non-neediness means you respect yourself AND others. Narcissism means you only respect yourself. Neediness means you only respect others.” ―Mark Manson

43. “Pathological narcissism begins when people become so addicted to feeling special that, just like with any drug, they’ll do anything to get their “high,” including lie, steal, cheat, betray, and even hurt those closest to them.” ―Bandy X. Lee

44. “Before you think you are surrounded by idiots, make sure that you don’t suffer from narcissism.” ―Giannis Delimitsos

45. “… but when we believe we are owed something by life, deserving more than the person to our right or left, we get caught in a vortex of narcissism that makes personal disruption impossible.” ―Whitney Johnson

46. “Narcissism is also often promoted to men by other men growing up, especially in highly “macho” cultures (Latin America, the Middle East, East Asian, etc.). Men are often raised by other narcissistic men who only found their way through relationships through self-aggrandizement and selfishness, and so they seek to pass these traits onto their sons.” ―Mark Manson

47. “That which he projects ahead of him as his ideal, is merely his substitute for the lost narcissism of his childhood ― the time when he was his own ideal.” ― Sigmund Freud

48. “People often discounted narcissism as relatively harmless because the term sometimes conjured the clichéd image of a vain man staring longingly at his reflection in a pool of water or a mirro” ― David Baldacci

49. “There’s a reason narcissists don’t learn from mistakes and that’s because they never get past the first step which is admitting that they made one. It’s always an assistant’s fault, an adviser’s fault, a lawyer’s fault. Ask them to account for a mistake any other way and they’ll say, ‘what mistake?” ― Jeffrey Kluger

50. “I wonder if the course of narcissism through the ages would have been any different had Narcissus first peered into a cesspool. He probably did.” ―Frank O’Hara, Early Writing

51. “Narcissists (and often, by contagion, their unfortunate victims) don’t talk, or communicate: they fend off, hide and evade . . . [They] perfect the ability of saying nothing in lengthy Castro like speeches. Their locution is impregnated with first person pronouns (“I”, “me”, “my”, “mine” – aka “high pronoun density”).” ―Sam Vaknin

52. “In the narcissist’s world being accepted or cared for (not to mention loved) is a foreign language. It is meaningless or even repellent. One might recite the most delicate haiku in Japanese and it would still remain utterly meaningless to a non-speaker of Japanese. This does not diminish the value of the haiku or of the Japanese language, needless to say. But it means nothing to the non-speaker. 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

53. “A Narcissist does not honor your boundaries and will get angry when you try to protect yourself.” ―Tracy Malone

54. “In public narcissists are charming, kind and caring. This confuses the victim because you believe that role too. When the mask falls the victim is shocked by the evil they see.” ―Tracy Malone

55. “Narcissists do not love, they are soulless manipulating beings. The game they play is use and abuse. The mask they wear is deceiving because they pretend to be everything good in ‘us’. The damage they cause hurts, yes. The lesson will save you if you let it.” ―Tracy Malone

56. “Many victims of narcissistic abuse are hypersensitive. They don’t want to be told by others that they wrong when they fight with their narcissist. They see it as standing up for themselves, when in reality it is perpetuating what the narcissist wants ― drama and a reaction.” ―Shannon L. Alder

57. “The lion is most handsome when looking for food.” —Rumi

58. “The emptiness of the narcissist often means that they are only focused on whatever is useful or interesting to them at the moment. If at that moment it is interesting for them to tell you they love you, they do. It’s not really a long game to them, and when the next interesting issue comes up, they attend to that. The objectification of others—viewing other people as objects useful to his needs—can also play a role.” ―Ramani Durvasula

59. “Narcissists, however, are similar to a spider that has built a web for its prey to bring itself.” ―Mwanandeke Kindembo

60. “Daughters of narcissistic mothers absorb the message “I am valued for what I do, rather than for who I am.” ―Karyl McBride

61. “The question ‘How are you (doing)?’ is the most common way of indirectly saying ‘Ask me how I am (doing)’.” ―Mokokoma Mokhonoana

62. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” ―Mark Twain

63. “The main priority of everyone surrounding a highly narcissistic person is to ensure that they are looking after themselves, maintaining their own mental and physical health and wellbeing, before looking after the narcissist.” ―Theresa jackson

64. “Always keep in mind the existence of those individuals, whether relatives or great friends, who believe that reality must adapt to their immediate impulses and desires. Those who created opportunities to hurt you, and then find it funny to watch your pain, sometimes pointing it out to others, instead of protecting your privacy and helping you comfort yourself.” ―Efrat Cybulkiewicz

65. “Narcissists are neither carefree nor innocent. They have learned to play the power game, to seduce and to manipulate. They are always thinking about how people see and respond to them. And they must stay in control because loss of control evokes their fear of insanity.” ―Alexander Lowen

66. “A narcissist, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of an empath. Emotionally, narcissists are like brick walls who see and hear others but fail to understand or relate to them. As a result of their emotional shallowness, narcissists are essentially devoid of all empathy or compassion for other people. Lacking empathy, a narcissist is a very destructive and dangerous person to be around.” ―Mateo Sol

67. “To love others you’ve got to love yourself, but I love myself too much I’ve got no place for others.” ―Ahmed Mostafa

68. “Individuality should not translate to narcissism. Realizing the strength of individuality is an accomplishment while being narcissistic is a failure.” ―Amitav Chowdhury

69. “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. Time has a way of showing people’s true colors.” —Karla Grimes

70. “… don’t confuse between self-love and narcissism. Self- love is making yourself your number one priority but narcissism is start enforcing that priority over others. First one is healthy; second one is not. First one is for your mental healthiness and well-being while the second one is to mess up with other peoples’ peace of mind to serve your own needs.” ―Gracia Hunter

71. “The greater our own level of narcissism, the more we detest it in others.” ―Steve Maraboli

72. “The narcissist, cut off from her spirituality, is one who spends unquantifiable energy supporting and maintaining and utterly and completely fake self, in denial of one’s true self, trading it for glamour to compensate for a core of being that is simply wracked,a deep dark cold void; using and abusing others to maintain and sustain the false state. this fake self is contrived in absentia from the connectivity that even the most unaware take for granted. The narcissist doesn’t see other human beings.” ―Stacey Scott Mae

73. “If you want to go from being adored to devalued in the blink of an eye, simply insult the narcissist.” —Tigress Luv

74. “Have you ever been in a relationship with an individual who demands your attention incessantly and becomes depressed, sulky and even full of rage if your attention goes elsewhere? This is one of the earliest warning signs of a narcissist.” — Melanie Tonia Evans

75. “The best strategy is to make the narcissist feel wanted and appreciated. Meeting negativity with more negativity fuels the narcissist’s need to defend. Instead, defuse the interaction by acting on insight and attempt to make your own needs known in a calm, nonconfrontational way. When dealing with a narcissist who knows no boundaries in his demands, make space for yourself by saying “no” in a kind manner in moments of calm.” ―Mark Ettensohn

76. “The dark triad comprises three personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy. They all have a malevolent connection: if you have traits of one, you’re likely to share traits with the others. Narcissists have no empathy whatsoever in addition to thinking they are more special than everyone else. Machiavellianism is all about manipulation and the exploitation of others, displaying a total lack of morality as the individual focuses on their own self-interest, and psychopaths are completely remorseless as they pursue their antisocial behaviour.” ―Lucy Dawson

77. “Emma had had lots of time since then to research true narcissism and now understood how slickly a person could be fooled by one. Narcissists, according to what she’d learned, were charming, engaging, and as long as the narcissist’s needs and desires were put first, above all else, things could go well in a relationship. Tad had groomed and manipulated her from the beginning to please him. She was pretty, dressed and behaved gracefully, which all served him. She adored him and fell into feeding his ego.” ―Susan Sands

78. “Maybe if we were not so addicted to other people (being approved by them) we could actually feel a semblance of happiness. If we were not so addicted to being labelled correctly by them we would have more freedom.” ―Jack R. Ernest

79. “One of the easiest ways to discover if someone is compatible with you is to gauge their emotional intelligence. Are they a kind and sensitive person? Will they be respectful towards your sensitivities? Or, are they emotionally stunted? Remember, we tend to attract narcissistic types who lack empathy.” ―Aletheia Luna

80. “Narcissistic personality disorder is named for Narcissus, from Greek mythology, who fell in love with his own reflection. Freud used the term to describe persons who were self absorbed, and psychoanalysts have focused on the narcissist’s need to bolster his or her self esteem through grandiose fantasy, exaggerated ambition, exhibitionism, and feelings of entitlement.” ― Donald W. Blac

81. “The narcissist enjoys being looked at and not looking back.” ― Mason Cooley

82. “The popular misconception is that narcissists love themselves. In reality, they direct their love at other people’s impressions of them. He who loves only impressions is incapable of loving people, himself included.” ―Sam Vaknin

83. “So, the narcissist abjures all adult skills and chores: he never takes out a driver’s license; he does not have children; he rarely has sex; he never settles down in one place; he rejects intimacy. In short, he renounces adulthood. Absent adult skills he assumes no adult responsibilities. He expects indulgence from others.” ―Sam Vaknin

84. “Narcissists look for new victims for the same reason that tigers look for new prey: they are hungry, constantly starved for adoration, admiration, acceptance, approval.” ―Sam Vaknin

85. “Once you are no longer a source of supply a narcissist will discard you cruelly with horrifically unimaginable devastation. This is when they show the ‘no empathy’ part. They do not care about you and learning that puts victims into a tailspin of confusion and depression.” ―Tracy Malone

86. “Behind closed doors Narcissists are different people.” ―Tracy Malone

87. “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. They promise change, but can’t deliver if it interferes with their addiction. That is why they secure back up supply.” ―Shannon L. Alder

88. “A wolf in sheep’s clothing really does exist. There are people that will charm you. Trust with boundaries, determine what you will do if someone does not honor your boundary.” ―Tracy Malone

89. “Narcissists withhold affection to punish you. Withhold attention to get revenge. And withhold an emotional empathetic response to make you feel insecure.” ―Alice Little

90. “Even though friends say they are interested in your life, they never really want to talk about you as much as you want them to. (68)” ―Charise Mericle Harper

91. “Narcissism is very much a “disorder of superficiality.” Given that the entire world is trending towards greater superficiality in all endeavors—work, school, parenting, and love—the narcissists’ propensity toward superficiality no longer seems that unusual.” ―Ramani Durvasula

92. “Narcissistic abuse is not just that someone dumped you or who you had a little tiff with them. NA is psychological abuse and brainwashing using intermittent reward and punishment, coercive control and withholding normal empathetic, emotional reactions to lower your self esteem.” ―Alice Little

93. “Narcissists are consumed with maintaining a shallow false self to others. They’re emotionally crippled souls that are addicted to attention. Because of this they use a multitude of games, in order to receive adoration. Sadly, they are the most ungodly of God’s creations because they don’t show remorse for their actions, take steps to make amends or have empathy for others. They are morally bankrupt.” ―Shannon L. Alder

94. “Love is intermittent reinforcement with spouses and children alike. The child is love bombed when the narcissist feels the child reflects their false self. The moment the child fails to do so, the narcissistic parent blithely discards them.” ―M. Wakefield

95. “In order to polish and perfect the part he has devised for himself, the new Narcissus gazes at his own reflection, not so much in admiration as in unremitting search of flaws, signs of fatigue, decay. Life becomes a work of art, while “the first art work in an artist,” in Norman Mailer’s pronouncement, “is the shaping of his own personality.” ―Christopher Lasch

96. “Beware of narcissistic people. They’ll tell everyone you’re crazy, only to cover up their trickery. ” ―Mitta Xinindlu

97. “One of the main effects of social media is our confusing of someone’s obsession with their appearance with self-love or confidence.” ―Mokokoma Mokhonoana

98. “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

99. “For all his inner suffering, the narcissist has many traits that make for success in bureaucratic institutions, which put premium on the manipulation of interpersonal relations, discourage the formation of deep personal attachments, and at the same time provide the narcissist with the approval he needs in order to validate his self-esteem.” ―Christopher Lasch

100. “It is already hard enough to understand what someone is saying. Discussion is just an exercise in narcissism where everyone takes turns showing off. Very quickly, you no longer have any idea what is being discussed.” ―Gilles Deleuze0

101. “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

102. “We have to take a stand against deception, take action against all lying, and together, as a society, using awareness, discernment, and understanding, empower ourselves to call bullshit against bullshit!” ―Elevia DeNobelia

103. “Narcissists do show a lack of concern for others, but they are equally insensitive to their own true needs. Often their behavior is self-destructive. Moreover, when we speak of narcissists’ “self” love, we need to make a distinction. Narcissism denotes an investment in one’s image as opposed to one’s self. Narcissists love their image, not their real self. They have a poor sense of self; they are not self-directed. Instead, their activities are directed toward the enhancement of their image, often at the expense of the self.” ―Alexander Lowen

104. “By now you can see a lot more “tough-guys” than “do-gooders” around. The cynical, crafty and egocentric poses, possibly with narcissistic shades, are considered more popular, brilliant, intelligent and telegenic. I find tough-guys just as, if not more, banal than do-gooders, and if being a do-gooder is almost always a poor reason, being the tough guy is, most of the time, a bad alibi.” ―Luigina Sgarro

105. “Just think about this: how long can you hold your arms outwards in an attempt to block another person? Creating cloaks, walls, and energy “bubbles” works on the exact same premise. Resisting other’s energy gets very exhausting, very quickly! Not only that but because we can’t choose what energy we block out, we also tend to block out positive energy. When we block out the good, we tend to block many wonderful opportunities and people who enter our lives.” ― Mateo Sol

106. “A false image is, of course, a work of art, an idol. And a lie. A narcissist identifies with this image, not his true inner self. So, all he cares about is his image, not what kind of person he really is. Indeed, the latter has no real existence in his world.” ―Kathy Krajco

107. “Who wouldn’t choose to be the best version of themselves possible? People, by nature, are narcissistic.” He straightened his tie and jacket as if to support his argument.” ―J.M. Sullivan

108. “Some people think that the world revolves around them but even the Sun is not the center of the Universe.” ―Halle Teart

109. “Smooth and smiling faces everywhere, but ruin in their eyes.” ―Jean-Paul Sartre

110. “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. It‟s psychological abuse (messing with your thoughts) and emotional abuse (messing with your feelings).” ―Danu Morrigan

111. “Ingratitude’ is the name which avatars of Narcissus give to the success of others.” ― Jean Lorrain

112. “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. Since they must deny their own badness, they must perceive others as bad. They project their own evil onto the world. They never think of themselves as evil, on the other hand, they consequently see much evil in others.” ―M. Scott Peck

113. “Please repair your narcissism before you start loving your neighbor as yourself.” ―Charles F Glassman

114. “When it comes to narcissism, though, nurture holds the trump card.” ―Craig Malkin

115. “What narcissists and sociopaths will do is construct a false apology, in order to pacify dissent and further evade detection. This is usually delivered snidely, with a subtext of blaming the victim for their own actions, whatever they are.” ―William Lockhart

116. “Stay away from lazy parasites, who perch on you just to satisfy their needs, they do not come to alleviate your burdens, hence, their mission is to distract, detract and extract, and make you live in abject poverty.” ―Michael Bassey Johnson

117. “The ability to love depends on one’s capacity to emerge from narcissism,” ―Erich Fromm

118. “For someone as amazing as you, attention is like food, and you’re always hungry.” ― Seth McDonough

119. “He was happy enough to stay in this jumbled, lively place where the drinks were cheap and the band was loud and he could feel the inner peace that comes from knowing that all your clothes are new and perfectly fitted.” ―Richard Yates

120. “The silent killer of all great men and women of achievement – particularly men, I don’t know why, maybe it’s the testosterone – I think it’s narcissism. Even more than hubris. And for women, too. Narcissism is the killer.” ―James Woods

121. “A Narcissist will never admit they have a problem, if confronted with their own bad behaviour they will do their very best to make people believe they are the victim.” ―Harvey Stuarts

122. “I am a recovering narcissist. I thought narcissism was about self-love till someone told me there is a flip side to it. It is actually drearier than self-love; it is unrequited self-love.” ―Emily Levine

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

124. “I mean, if a narcissist can’t recognize he’s a narcissist, how on earth do you treat his narcissism?” ―Elle Kennedy

125. “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

126. “That’s what modern narcissism really is—a pernicious mix of qualities defined by three words that start with self: selfishness, self-absorption, and self-importance.” ―David Sirota

127. “Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak , pawned a part of their narcissism.” ―Sigmund Freud

128. It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love.” ― Voltaire

129. “When dealing with a narcissist, don’t defend yourself against attacks. Instead say, ‘Your attempt to portray me in a negative light is noted.’” ―Tina Swithin

130. “Narcissus weeps to find that his Image does not return his love.” ―Mason Cooley

131. “Withhold admiration from a narcissist and be disliked. Give it and be treated with indifference.” ―Mason Cooley

132. “Narcissism falls along the axis of what psychologists call personality disorders, one of a group that includes antisocial, dependent, histrionic, avoidant and borderline personalities. But by most measures, narcissism is one of the worst, if only because the narcissists themselves are so clueless.” ―Jeffrey Kluger

133. “Narcissists are said to be in love with themselves. But this is a fallacy. Narcissus is not in love with himself. He is in love with his reflection. There is a major difference between one’s True Self and reflected-self.” ―Sam Vaknin

134. “(The envious narcissist’s existence is) a constant hiss, a tangible malice, the piercing of a thousand eyes, the imminence and immanence of violence, the poisoned joy of depriving the other of that which you don’t or cannot have.” ―Sam Vaknin

135. “The narcissist cannot afford to seriously alienate his “constituency”, those people who reflect his False Self back to him. The very functioning of the narcissist’s ego depends on the goodwill and the collaboration of his human environment.” ―Sam Vaknin

136. “The narcissist has to defend himself against his own premonitions, his internal sempiternal trial, his guilt, shame, and anxiety. One of the more efficacious defense mechanisms at his disposal is false modesty.” ―Sam Vaknin

137. “When narcissism fails as a defense mechanism, the narcissist develops paranoid narratives; self-directed confabulations which place him at the center of others’ allegedly malign attention.” —Sam Vaknin

138. “When confronted by a narcissist’s lies – do not engage simply say ‘that is one way to look at it’ and walk away.” ―Tracy Malone

139. “Narcissists are sexual vampires. Just like a vampire needs blood and cares NOT where he gets it. A narcissist thinks he is not being unfaithful because he really didn’t commit to you. If it’s an act it doesn’t count.” ―Tracy Malone

140. “Looking for someone to tell me how great I am, do everything for me and don’t dare want anything from me. Skills… Fooled easily, kind, loving, smart with low self love. Willing to keep quiet while I abuse you. People with boundaries need not apply. Call Narcissist 555-123- 4567.” ―Tracy Malone

141. “In a relationship with a narcissist you will do 90% of everything in the relationship. The 10% they give is only when they want something.” ―Tracy Malone

142. “When you don’t want to do something, and you are guilted into doing it. Perhaps the eggshells under your feet keep you in fear so you end up doing what you didn’t want to do. This is abuse!” ―Tracy Malone

143. “Babies cry to get their needs met. Narcissists are great actors and often use tears as a tool of manipulations, this is an abuse tactic! Do not allow them to let this work as guilt, they are acting!” ―Tracy Malone

144. “When you are with a Narcissist, The charm you saw only comes out when they need something.” ―Tracy Malone

145. “Most say setting boundaries with a narcissist rarely works. I suggest that the act of trying to set a boundary (despite its most likely results) is far better than never trying at all. For when you surrender and stop trying to set boundaries they get their way and they win. Never stop fighting for your rights.” ―Tracy A. Malone

146. “In the early stages of narcissist abuse you will be angry enough to think crazy things. Be strong. They are not worth your anger. Get help and heal that is the way to peace.” ―Tracy Malone

147. “Anger is a byproduct of betrayal. A narcissist betrays our trust, leaving us brain-fucked then we experience anger and guilt. Anger towards them as we question: how could he? Guilt is an inward emotion as victims often question their own behavior. What did I do wrong?” ―Tracy Malone

148. “I have a very simple question to people … who seem to suffer from excessive narcissism: please name three other persons who are smarter and more capable than you, in the field you work in.” ―Ingo Molnar

149. “You will never get the truth out of a Narcissist. The closest you will ever come is a story that either makes them the victim or the hero, but never the villain.” ―Shannon L. Alder

150. “Maybe, the lesson we can all learn from the inner sadness of a Narcissist is to see through our own fabrications, our own illusions so that we can be set free to be real once more.” ―Shannon L. Alder

151. “Only a demon would prevent a person from saving lives or fulfilling their life mission. There is no reasoning with the devil. Stand with pride because your heart is filled with the goodness of helping others, while theirs is filled with helping themselves.” ―Shannon L. Alder

152. “During the discard phase the ignoring and silences that the narcissist uses and the cold hateful stares send coldness to your very spirit. Fire turns to ice, love to hate, attention to abandonment. It stays with you that malignant cruelty.” ―Alice Little

153. “I think writers are the most narcissistic people. Well, I musn’t say this, I like many of them, a great many of my friends are writers.” ―Sylvia Plath

154. “There was nothing more unattractive than narcissism, she thought: nothing could transform beauty into a cloying, unattractive quality than that self-conscious appreciation of self.” ―Alexander McCall Smith

155. “those who get upset for being treated the way that they treat others, will never understand why others treat them the way that they treat others.” ―David J Martinez

156. “But that’s the thing about narcissists. They can try to fool you, with all their heart, but in the end, they’re just fooling themselves.” ―Ellie Fox

157. “Relationships with narcissists are held in place by hope of a “someday better,” with little evidence to support it will ever arrive.” ―Ramani Durvasula

158. “You can teach a narcissist to show up on time, … but you can’t train them to listen once they get there.” ―Dr. Ramani Durvasula

159. “They provoke you but when you defend yourself, they cry victim.” ― Mitta Xinindlu

160. “Narcissistic abuse is a form of psycho-emotional abuse that takes place when a pathological narcissist targets another individual and exposes them to trauma. It can also manifest as physical, financial, spiritual and sexual abuse.” ―M. Wakefield

161. “The ‘I’ is the ego that we must avoid at any cost, if we truly wish to be different from narcissists. Instead of using ‘I’ repeatedly, it would be wise to replace it with ‘we’.” ― Mwanandeke Kindembo

162. “If any of the great avatars – Buddha, Jesus, Khrishna, Mohammed – were present in human form on this planet today, what would they be doing? I doubt they would be posting selfies.” ―Anthon St. Maarten

163. “Narcissists commonly cut people off and out of their lives due to their shallow emotional style of seeing others as either good or bad.” ―Karyl McBride

164. “All narcissists are self-obsessed, but malignant narcissists are at the top of the scale. They have a pathological self-belief—a sense of grandiosity, even—which demands attention and admiration. They’re convinced they’re special in some way and want other people to acknowledge it as well. Crucially, they’re also sadists who lack any conscience. They don’t necessarily get fulfilment from inflicting pain, but they enjoy the sense of power it gives them. And they’re indifferent to any suffering they might cause.” ―Simon Beckett

165. “Americans are experiencing an epidemic in narcissistic behavior in a culture that is intrinsically self-conscious and selfish, and citizens are encouraged to pursue happiness and instant gratification of their personal desires.” ―Kilroy J. Oldster

166. “When you choose to look down on something, you render yourself incapable of understanding it.” ―Stewart Stafford

167. “The thing about a mirror is this: the one who stares into it is condemned to consider the world from her own perspective.” ―Gregory McGuire

168. “Understanding what the narcissist finds threatening, entertaining and complimentary can be extremely helpful when deciding how best to “repackage” yourself- if this is what you want to do.” ― Theresa Jackson

169. “The constant, obvious flattery, contrary to all evidence, of the people around him [Tsar Nicholas I] had brought him to the point that he no longer saw his contradictions, no longer conformed his actions and words to reality, logic, or even simple common sense, but was fully convinced that all his orders, however senseless, unjust, and inconsistent with each other, became sensible, just, and consistent with each other only because he gave them.” ―Leo Tolstoy

170. “This praise of his strategic abilities was especially pleasing to [Tsar] Nicholas, because, though he was proud of his strategic abilities, at the bottom of his heart he was aware that he had none. And now he wanted to hear more detailed praise of himself.” ―Leo Tolstoy

171. “Every narcissist is a hero and a legend in his own mind.” ―Oscar Auliq-Ice

172. “Everyone thinks they’re entitled to their 15 minutes of fame. And it’s that narcissism that makes people, who have no business writing a book, think they can write a book.” ―Oliver Markus Malloy

173. “Ten short years ago, nobody had ever heard of a selfie. But today every decent cell phone has not one but two cameras, so you can take idiotic duck face pictures. And don’t forget the billion dollar selfie-stick industry. Capitalism has found a whole new way to turn our vanity into profit.” ―Oliver Markus Malloy

174. “I think future generations are going to look back at our time period and call this the Age of Narcissism.” ―Oliver Markus Malloy

175. “You want to see me happy at the cost of my happiness? That’s not love my dear, it’s cruelty, it’s selfishness, it’s narcissism, it’s anything but love.” ―Mehnaz Ansari

176. “One of the ways in which our culture fosters the narcissistic personality is by its exaggerated emphasis upon the importance of winning. There is a popular slogan that says winning is the only thing that counts. Such an attitude minimizes human values and subordinates the feelings of others to this one overriding goal to win, to be on top, to be number one.” ―Alexander Lowen

177. “What do narcissists look for in the end? Only a person at their own level to whom they can feel superior.” ―Luigina Sgarro

178. “If you are lonely when you’re alone, you are in bad company.” ―Jean-Paul Sartre

179. “And in fact, the desire to control others is one of the biggest sources of your anger and anxiety.” ―Mateo Sol

180. “It is not accidental that the most unsympathetic characters in Austen’s novels are those who are incapable of genuine dialogue with others. They rant. They lecture. They scold. This incapacity for true dialogue implies an incapacity for tolerance, self-reflection and empathy.” ―Azar Nafisi

181. “Half the pain in human life comes from gazing in mirrors.” ―Marty Rubin

182. “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

183. “Nothing amuses people more than a cocky guy who starts losing.” ―Criss Jami

184. “We are to give (and take) true love without falling into the narcissistic habit of only trying to take it in.” ―Criss Jami

185. “He is such a child underneath all his alpha male bravado. A selfish child who thinks everything in the whole world is meant for him.” ―Amy Engel

186. “Grandiosity is when we are wrapped up in winning life’s false contest. This happens only when we live to impress the abusive parents in our heads, not when we are soberly and philosophically working to advance civilization.” ―Steven Franssen

187. “This Narcissus of ours Can’t see his face in the mirror Because he has become the mirror.” ― Antonio Machado

188. “All we need to release our inner God is a pulpit and an audience, both of which the Internet supplies in great abundance. Too bad that the corollaly to being in God mode in cyberspace is an explosion of narcissism and self-centeredness.” ―Elias Aboujaoude Md

189. “Hypocrissist: A narcissist who has their head so far up their ass they can’t hear the hypocrisy coming out of their mouth.” ―Joel McDonald

190. “Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially on their children than the unlived life of the parent.” ―Carl Jung

191. “Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don’t mean to do harm; but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.” ―T.S. Eliot

192. “When I look at narcissism through the vulnerability lens, I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose.” —Brené Brown

193. “I define narcissism as the shame-based fear of being ordinary.” ―Brené Brown

194. “Nobody can be kinder than the narcissist while you react to life in his own terms.” —Elizabeth Bowen

195. “He was like the cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow.” —George Eliot

196. “Narcissists are very retaliative if they believe another has achieved what they desire, exposed their insecurities, or refused to be under their control.” ―Lorraine Nilon

197. “Narcissists have difficulty connecting with their observing self and their self-as-context. They are continually running from “bad” conceptualized selves and continually chasing “good” ones. They try to get rid of the bad ones by projecting them onto others. ―Mark Ettensohn

198. “A victim of narcissism? Angela frowned. “Did you say Katelyn?” Willow nodded. “That surprises you?” “Very much. Katelyn seems so rock solid. So together.” “She is now. But her ex had really done a number on her—that’s what narcissists do. In the end, the victims need help as much or more than the abusers. Donna spent time talking with Katelyn, helping her understand. She gave her hope.” ―Heather Burch

199. “At their core, they fear rejection, so they seek to control their reality in order to prevent it.” ―Chuck DeGroat

200. “Maybe it’s easier to tell yourself you’re the problem than to accept the possibility he won’t change.” ―Craig Malkin

201. “You consider yourself, your most fascinating subject.” ―Britt Bennett

202. “Gape long enough into a looking glass and you’ll eventually see beauty. The same can be said of self-analysis, and as soon as one apes oneself, a second monkey is born.” ―Anthony Marais

Did any of these quotes touch a chord with you? Dealing with narcissism can be demanding. Whether it is you or your partner who shows signs of narcissism, you need to look after yourself and make sure it does not permeate your relationship.

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