01/11/2026
HERE ARE 5 THINGS TO NEVER EXPECT FROM A NARCISSIST:
1. NEVER EXPECT EMPATHY AND COMPASSION.
Unless you are going to be giving them something in return, don’t expect sympathy. The narcissist is incapable of compassion because it would require them to get out of their own needs. It’s all about “what can I get from you?” If something doesn’t concern them, they have little interest. Your mother could be in the hospital and if you ask them for help, they will avoid you unless they can get something for helping. And, if they are empathetic, it will be for showing others what they did. They are missing an empathy and compassion gene. Most narcissists lack self-insight. In their own lack of worth, they dispose their destructive behavior onto others.
2. NEVER EXPECT THEM TO LISTEN.
Narcissists are not great at listening to anyone’s problems. They will listen when they need something from you, utilizing your weaknesses or traumas to get what they want. These folks are not the ones you go to in order to vent. They will hear you but never pay attention. If the conversation is not about them, then they have no use for your words. And even then, they will only hear what pertains to their greatness. Dr. Leon F. Seltzer writes in Psychology Today:
“It’s been said about narcissists that they can’t tell where they end and the other person begins. Unconsciously viewing others as “extensions” of themselves, they regard them as existing primarily to serve their own needs—just as they routinely put their needs before everyone else’s (frequently, even their own children). Since others are regarded (if they’re regarded at all!) as what in the literature is often called “narcissistic supplies”—that is, existing chiefly to cater to their personal desires—they generally don’t think about others independently of how they might “use” them to their own advantage. Whatever narcissists seek to give themselves, they generally expect to get from others, too (which is yet another dimension of their famous—or infamous —sense of entitlement).”
3. NEVER EXPECT ANYTHING FOR FREE.
When a narcissist does you a favor, he/she will reclaim it quickly. They keep tally on all that they do for others. Unless they can get something out of you, don’t expect them to do it out of the kindness of their hearts. If it doesn’t benefit them, there is no point in doing anything for you. Don’t expect generosity without signing your soul to the devil. The narcissist will lie and cheat to get what they desire for their own benefit. So, if they are doing something for you, expect that it’s all about them.
4. NEVER EXPECT AN APOLOGY.
A narcissist does no wrong. If something goes wrong, it wasn’t their fault. They have no problem turning that against you. You can’t expect them to feel sorry for anything because they are perfect. Any misunderstandings are all on you. They couldn’t possibly have done anything to upset you. Narcissistic people are bullies, and they have no problem turning things around to hurt others rather than take responsibility for their actions. The narcissist is self-righteous. They are entitled and deserving of anything, therefore, they are never in the wrong.
5. NEVER EXPECT GRATITUDE.
The egotistical person will never share the things you have done for them, only those things that you haven’t done. They focus on the negative and the things that are missing at the moment. Do not expect gratitude…ever. They are incapable of taking attention off of themselves. However, they will claim and retell all that they have done for you without a problem and expect gratitude. Dr. Pavel G. Somov writes that, “As a narcissist, perhaps the only way for you to feel special is to command special treatment, to insist on unquestioning compliance with your wishes from others, to demand nothing less than perfection from others.”
