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Whether you have experienced workplace bullying or not, the chances are that you have witnessed it.
There will always be narcissistic people in the workplace. These are people who have no empathy for others. I typed in the word narcissism in my search engine and saw that over 49,000,000 results came back in seconds. Do you think that there is a concern about narcissism? I believe there is a valid interest in this subject.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a narcissist as, “an individual showing symptoms of or suffering from narcissism such as an extremely self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance.” If only these type of people could be avoided. They are everywhere! However, you can not only survive being around them; you may be able to thrive around narcissistic people who could care less about your feelings or your well-being.
In 14 Signs Someone Is A Narcissist by Dr. Margalis Fjelstad, she states that as far as superiority and entitlement goes,
The world of the narcissist is all about good/bad, superior/inferior, and right/wrong. There is a definite hierarchy, with the narcissist at the top—which is the only place he feels safe. Narcissists have to be the best, the most right, and the most competent; do everything their way; own everything, and control everyone.
It’s important to get to know people well before sharing personal information about yourself. You may have had someone act like they are your best friend, only to share personal information about yourself with others, and later they shame you or to belittle you. When you start seeing a person’s true nature, check in with yourself—notice how you feel about this person. Do you feel uncomfortable being around this person or do you think they have power over you?
A narcissistic person will try to gain your trust only to have mastery over you.
One of the ways you claim your power is to keep your composure and avoid this type of person if you can. You will never change this person. If this means asking to move to a different department in your job or leaving a job—this takes courage and self-love. There is nothing weak about protecting yourself. Men get harassed too—it’s not just a female problem. It takes a lot of backbone to stand up for yourself or others.
You can certainly stand up to the narcissistic bully, but be prepared to deal with someone who is unlikely to see your point of view or change because you presented them with evidence that they are misbehaving. By all means, document your problem by emailing your supervisor, HR department with your concerns. This action may solve the problem, or it may be time to look for another option. If your management or HR department does not support you, then it’s time to decide if it’s worth the emotional impact of staying in a job where you are not treated with respect and dignity.
Consider all the options for retraining, becoming an entrepreneur or moving to a more suitable job. You may even come up with more options—you may experience considerable growth when faced with decisions about what actions you need to take with your career.
Life is full of lessons. Some of them are easy to master, and some of them repeat themselves until you become skillful and learn from every experience. You deserve to be happy and treated well.
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Photo credit: Pixabay
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