{"id":63410,"date":"2019-03-04T19:37:53","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T03:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=63410"},"modified":"2019-03-04T19:37:53","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T03:37:53","slug":"self-preservation-how-to-work-with-a-narcissist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/self-preservation-how-to-work-with-a-narcissist\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Preservation: How to Work with a Narcissist"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Working with a narcissist is very difficult and given that we are living through a narcissistic epidemic<\/a>, you probably work alongside one. If you let the behaviour of a full-blown narcissist get to you, it can wear you down, ruin your working life and impact on your mental well-being, both in and outside of work!<\/p>\n

Self-preservation is key when you are spending long periods of time with someone who is so self-centred, they couldn\u2019t give two hoots about you.<\/p>\n

The first thing you need to do is understand how a narcissist operates<\/a>. Then you can work on keeping the behaviours of your narcissistic colleague at arms\u2019 length. You\u2019ll be pleased to learn that while it\u2019s unlikely you will change your colleague\u2019s narcissistic tendencies, there are some things you can do to prevent his or her actions doing you psychological harm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One thing is for sure. If you are working with a narcissist, you are probably working for a business with a toxic culture<\/a>. Let\u2019s take a look at the behaviours of a narcissist and how they impact on people in the workplace. If you feel powerless to change a toxic culture, looking for a new job might be your only option.<\/p>\n

What exactly is a narcissistic personality?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Firstly, there are varying degrees of narcissism, but you can usually spot a narcissist a mile off. Full-bodied narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is actually rarely diagnosed<\/a> by trained psychologists or psychiatrists. However, narcissistic personality traits are common and some can be found in many people to a greater or lesser degree.<\/p>\n

Some narcissists are actually quite fun to hang out with, albeit occasionally. You probably know someone who likes to hold court and tell funny stories. They probably have a few narcissistic tendencies. But when narcissistic tendencies become unhealthy, such a person can become obnoxious to work with.<\/p>\n

There are lots of tell-tale signs<\/a> of a narcissistic personality. Here are some of them:<\/p>\n