When anxiety boils over into rage. A collapsing narcissist is an anxious mess, but don’t expect them to admit it. That constant knowing, that creeping panic—it’s there, eating away at them. And because they can’t process emotions like a normal person, it doesn’t come out as fear; it explodes as rage. Tiny inconveniences turn into full-blown outbursts. A spilled drink, a forgotten text, a harmless joke at their expense—boom, instant fury. But don’t mistake it for regular anger; this isn’t just irritation. This is panic in disguise. Their world is cracking, and they can feel it, but they have no clue how to stop it. It’s like trying to hold on to water with bare hands; the more they squeeze, the more it slips away. Instead of dealing with that, they lash out. They snap at people, throw insults like daggers, and criticize everything around them because it’s easier than facing the real problem: themselves. But not all of them explode outwardly; some let the rage simmer beneath the surface: passive-aggressive jabs, backhanded compliments, cold stares. They withdraw affection, act like you don’t exist, and punish you in ways that leave you questioning what you did wrong. Either way, the message is the same: “I’m losing control, and I hate it.”
That “oh, I’ve been exposed” look. Ever seen someone caught red-handed? That frozen deer-in-the-headlights moment when they realize the game is up? That’s the face of a narcissist unraveling. Their eyes dart around like they’re calculating an escape route, their smile forced, tight, and plastic—it never reaches their eyes. You can see the strain in their face, like their whole world is hanging by a thread and in their mind, they’re running damage control. They’re thinking, “Who’s figured me out? How much do they know? What’s my next move?” I’ve seen that look firsthand, and let me tell you, it’s not just guilt—it’s fear. Not the kind that makes you feel bad for them; no, this is the fear of losing power, of having their true self exposed, of watching the empire they built on lies start to crumble. They’ll try to fake their way through it, of course, but once you’ve seen that look, you know. And trust me, they know you know too.
The face says it all. Narcissists can fool a lot of people, but the one thing they can’t control is their own face. Look closely enough, and the truth starts leaking out. The clenched jaw, the overly stiff smile, that flicker of panic when they think no one’s watching. They used to ooze confidence, but now their expressions don’t match their words. Their reactions don’t fit the situation; everything about them seems off. It’s like watching a glitch in the system: forced emotions, exaggerated expressions, movements that don’t match the moment. Too big of a grin, too dramatic of a frown—they’re trying to keep up the act, but their own body is betraying them.
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