Short read.
The “Narcissists Are Clever” Narrative.
No, being stuck in toddler mode isn’t clever.
Have you heard the narrative that narcissistic manipulation is clever? Maybe you’ve heard the term master manipulator, or maybe you’d rather believe they were masters at their craft than accept you were fooled by a toddler in an adult body.
If narcissists were clever, they would not be ruining their own lives and the lives of those around them. Manipulative tactics are simply defensive strategies that are used in place of healthy coping mechanisms.
Why? Because they chose not to grow out of their childhood traumas, they chose to take the easy road and rely on others to make themselves feel wanted, needed, and validated, and they chose to take advantage of you.
Yes, there is a genetic component to narcissistic personality disorder, there are complex and multiple environmental challenges, co-morbidities, and childhood traumas that can lead to the disorder, but none of it is of any use to anyone moving forward.
