Why Narcissists Usually Overreact

Narcissists commonly overreact, exaggerate and dramatize situations and statements. They do this because they are always in survival mode.

If you have a narcissist in your life you have probably had at least one of the following reactions or something similar to their behavior:

· Wow, that was not necessary.

· Is he/she really upset about this?

· It was an accident, not intentional.

· Why are you screaming?

· Whoa, that was a scary reaction.

· That was an extreme response.

If you have been in a long-term relationship with a narcissist — spouse, family member, BFF — you may have grown accustomed to that narcissist’s over the top reactions. But those reactions may still puzzle you and frighten you. You have also undoubtedly been emotionally drained by their reactions. If you watch your own response to the narcissist’s overreaction you may catch yourself having a flight response or wanting to duck and cover; at the least you likely feel yourself flinching. The continuous extreme reactions of a narcissist take an emotional toll on the people around them.

Narcissists are completely unaware that their extreme behavior has any effect on anyone else. It is true that other people and their…