The Narcissistic Trap - Pride and Arrogance
Some people think they’re omnipotent and above others. These same types of people are often convinced they’re right. In addition, they’re so full of themselves that nothing is ever good enough. Also, nobody can teach or show them anything new because they already know e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Continue reading to find out more about how some people fall into the narcissistic trap.
Some people’s ears are closed and their eyes are blind to everything that doesn’t revolve around them. They’re so focused on themselves that they miss a lot. However, they aren’t aware of it. They’re seemingly confident but are quite insecure, in fact — just like most who believe only their perspective matters. What really happens to them is that they’re too proud. Continue reading to find out more!
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is .”
-C.S. Lewis-
Pride is a narcissistic trap
According to psychiatrist Enrique Rojas, pride is the unbridled passion for oneself. The narcissistic trap is a lack of humility and lucidity. It’s a feeling of appreciation in which a person focuses on themselves because they think they’re unique and way better than others.
Pride is one of the most serious transgressions in most religions. Furthermore, Ancient Greece described it as “hubris”. To this culture, it meant that a person who’s proud defies divine will by transgressing the limits of their mortality. Thus, the gods must punish them. It happened to Oedipus and Prometheus, for example.
A proud person worships themselves and also ignores that their pride is the source of many of their problems.
There’s a fuzzy distinction between pride and self-esteem in the fields of psychology and philosophy. The latter is positive; it’s the emotional sense from which a person values themselves and others. It’s easy to hide. However, pride is about considering oneself better than others merely for whom they are, which is why they often think others should pay them respect and admiration.
Pride
Others don’t matter to a proud person. Thus, anyone who allows their pride to take over can only acquire arrogant attitudes.
Thus, pride is a synonym of self-esteem but also of vanity, megalomania, narcissism, and self-centeredness. Everything is of little value to a proud person and there’s only room for their whims. They don’t value the opinions of others because they’re sort of blind. However, they need constant reassurance regarding the image they socially project. The strategies they use to receive it are very subtle, though.
The insecurity of pride that leads to a narcissistic trap
The main characteristic of pride is that, in addition to being illusory and bombastic, it’s a disguise for insecurity, lack of self-confidence, and a feeling of inferiority. Of course, they hide it most of the time.
This type of person remains blind to their mistakes due to their delusions of grandeur. A feeling of excellence that hides a deep fear of not being good enough and inferior to others. Thus, they use it for survival and acceptance.
As you can see, proud people are really afraid of not being capable, of not being good enough, of not being recognized. Thus, their inability to assume it and accept their wounds and fears prompts them to hide behind a mask. For this reason, pride balances said gaps as a defense mechanism. This is because they’d rather reject than be rejected.
Thus, someone who’s proud doesn’t usually admit their mistakes because doing so reminds them that they’re not as perfect as they thought they were. As a consequence, it’s hard for them to ask for forgiveness. How can they when they’re never wrong! Just as they also believe they’re right because they have the authority to be so.
Arrogance
Know that arrogant people care a lot about others’ opinions and want their attention even when they seem indifferent. Thus, they adopt certain behaviors to obtain it.
As you can see, an arrogant person has a deflated self-esteem; they’re quite insecure but hide it under a haughty disguise. For this reason, they become really angry when they feel someone’s attacking them. They often lose control, become defensive, disqualify others, and even stop talking for a while. This is because they have the emotional maturity of a child.
Pride is nothing more than a defense mechanism to keep others from guessing your fears, insecurities, weaknesses, and lack of assertiveness.
Humbleness is the way out of a narcissistic trap
Humility is a good value to practice when invaded by pride. Learn to lead a simpler life. One in which the value of what’s truly important prevails and you encourage love, simplicity, and generosity. However, you can’t be humble unless you recognize and accept that you’re full of yourself. Otherwise, it’s impossible to eradicate it.
Once you accept it, you must be honest with yourself. What are you afraid of? How does it hurt you? What makes you suffer? Why do you feel validated by other people’s recognition?
In addition, it’s also important to refocus. Try to see the world from other people’s perspectives. You must evaluate your own importance in the context of a world you must share with many, many other people.
You must work on your empathy to do so and put yourself in another person’s shoes. Also, learn to calmly listen to constructive feedback and accept your own mistakes and defects.
It’s about getting rid of that protective disguise you’ve worn for so many years and that’s so damaging. Lower your guard and recognize your own limitations. Also, stop trying to inflate your ego, after all, you aren’t insignificant.
