What Is An Exhibitionist Narcissist? Breaking Down The Anatomy Of The Attention-Seeking Narcissist
What is an exhibitionist narcissist? An exhibitionist narcissist is a person with narcissistic personality disorder who craves attention, admiration, and validation from others. They have an inflated ego, a grandiose self-image, a strong sense of entitlement, and lack empathy. They are often unaware that their words, reactions, actions, and behaviors are toxic and abusive. They have a superiority complex, dominate conversations, and tend to criticize and devalue others. They are desperate for attention and may violate social norms or behave inappropriately to get the attention they need.
Exhibitionist narcissists have several defining traits, such as attention-seeking behavior, grandiosity, lack of empathy, manipulation, lack of accountability, poor self-esteem, difficulty accepting criticism, a disregard for the needs and feelings of others, and a distorted sense of self. They may engage in risky or impulsive behaviors to impress others, exaggerate their achievements to gain admiration, believe they are entitled to special treatment and privileges, and prioritize meeting their own needs, desires, and interests. They may use manipulation tactics to control others, lie or deceive others to avoid responsibility for their actions, and exploit others to achieve their goals.
To protect oneself from an exhibitionist narcissist, it is crucial to recognize their behavior patterns and set boundaries. One should also learn to say no and communicate their needs assertively. Seeking support from friends, family, or a therapist can also be helpful. Avoiding engaging in arguments, avoiding criticism, and not trying to change them are some other strategies that can help. Ultimately, it is essential to prioritize one’s well-being and not let the exhibitionist narcissist’s toxic behavior affect one’s mental and emotional health.
Exhibitionist narcissists are the classic stereotype
What do you think of when you hear the word “narcissist”? Someone who is obsessed with themselves? Someone who doesn’t care about others? Someone who is constantly posting new photos on social media to get more of those “Likes”? Well, that’s your typical exhibitionist narcissist.
So what is an exhibitionist narcissist? Well, they fit the bill when it comes to the description of Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) as stated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Exhibitionist narcissism is the classical form of this personality disorder.
They are like a toxic version of children who are constantly thinking about how to get someone’s attention as they have a strong “please look at me” attitude. Similar to children, these narcissists don’t consider or care about what the other person may be experiencing. They only care about the attention they are not receiving at the moment.
However, as children grow and mature, they become empathetic, kind and compassionate. But exhibitionist narcissists don’t. They are never satisfied with the attention they get.
Being the stereotypical version of a narcissist, they think they are special and believe they deserve love, admiration, attention and success without the need to put any actual effort into it. They believe they are awesome, more powerful, smarter and more attractive than others. In fact, they believe they are even better than their own loved ones, spouse/partner, friends and family members.
While they may emotionally struggle with insecurities, they never express it before others. Instead, they humiliate, devalue and put others down to hide their fears and insecurities which can make them seem uncaring, cruel and rude.
