How to Make a Narcissist Fear You? 12 Greatest Fears of the Narcissist

Last Updated on September 9, 2022 by Alexander Burgemeester

If there is one underestimated character trait of the narcissist, it is that they are exceptional actors.

Their acting skills are so superior, they are able to fool everyone around them.

They are the most confident, self-assured, courageous, and fearless people on the planet. But is that real? Or what are the Narcissist’s greatest fears?

Reality is they are driven by underlying feelings of shame and vulnerability, which is masked with a self-aggrandizing persona.

Narcissists are not born this way, it is not a natural aspect of their personality. Narcissism evolves as a result of a childhood where important developmental milestones are neglected.

A secure sense of self-identity was never established. During adulthood, they build sky scrapper walls around their authentic selves and depend on a carefully crafted image as a form of psycho-emotional survival. 

Whether you are in a relationship with a Narcissist, have a friend or family member, or a boss or co-worker who is a narcissist, being connected to a person with such character traits is draining.

As you may well have experienced, they have a powerful ability to strip you of your self-esteem and make you feel unworthy.

When you understand what makes a narcissist tick, you can reclaim your power, and if you so desire, have them running full speed in the opposite direction when they see you coming.

But what do Narcissists fear and more importantly, How to make a narcissist fear you? Here are twelve things that will scare a narcissist away.

#1 They Fear Rejection

What makes a narcissist panic? What makes them feel miserable? Rejection is your number 1 answer.

Narcissists despise rejection, it destabilizes and invalidates them. They work exceptionally hard to keep up appearances; inwardly, they feel unlovable and inferior.

Any form of rejection, whether professional, personal, or social, sends them on a warpath.

The narcissist’s life is built around them playing the role of rejector. When they feel that control has been relinquished, they will do everything in their power to regain it.

A narcissist will never say they feel rejected by something you have said or done.

Instead, they will wield every tactic in the book from revenge to threats, and guilt trips. They are also known to resort to public humiliation as a form of revenge.

#2 They Fear Humiliation and Embarrassment

Due to their grandiose and hypersensitive nature, narcissists are incapable of thinking logically.

Their expectations are highly unrealistic, and the most meaningless slights threaten them.

No one invites humiliation or embarrassment into their lives; however, the emotional instability of the narcissist makes them exceptionally vulnerable to such emotions.

To protect themselves against these feelings, the narcissist will put themselves in a position of dominance by humiliating and embarrassing the people around them.

#3 They Fear Failure

Narcissists thrive on perfectionism; they have deceived themselves into believing they are perfect human beings and can’t do anything wrong.

The slightest hint at failure is an indication that they are less than perfect in some way.

Inward failure they can deal with because narcissists lie to themselves so much, they believe in their own lies.

But when they have built an entire image around a perceived perfect nature and cannot hide or disguise failure, the narcissist feels as if their sense of self has been destroyed.

It is natural to dislike failure, but it is also a powerful tool for growth when a person is capable of learning from their mistakes.

But to turn failure into something positive, an individual is required to self-evaluate, and that is something most narcissists will never do unless they have got to a point in life where they are willing to change. 

#4 They Hate To Be Exposed

Emotionally healthy individuals are aware and proud of who they are.

They take pride in revealing the true nature of their character to others. In most cases, they are on a constant journey to self-improvement which involves self-reflection and personal accountability.

Emotionally sound individuals enjoy being intimate with their friends, family and loved ones; and a part of that intimacy involves having the freedom to be their authentic selves around them. 

On the other hand, narcissists fear exposure; therefore, they avoid self-evaluation and see intimacy as a threat.

Ironically, the dominant image of a narcissist is one of a person admiring themselves in a mirror when the reality is they are constantly running from who they truly are. They are strangers to themselves.

Narcissists always try to deny and avoid their weaknesses by surrounding themselves with delusions of superiority.

The one thing they value the most outside of convincing themselves of their pretentious sense of self-worth is convincing others of it.

Reading Suggestion: 11 Typical Examples of Narcissist text Messages

Due to their deep insecurities, they are highly dependent on how others perceive them.

They need constant praise and admiration, if not, they find it difficult to function.

Therefore narcissists have become experts at convincing everyone around them to support and believe the person they portray to be and the narrative surrounding it. 

#5 They Hate Expressing Gratitude

The process of gratitude involves connecting with your feelings and recognizing that you are thankful for something.

Expressing gratitude for the beauty of nature would mean they are thankful to the entity who created it.

Expressing gratitude to a person for something they have helped them with would mean they are thankful to that individual for what they have done.

Whether dealing with a higher power or a person, to a narcissist, gratitude makes them feel indebted to whatever they are thankful for. 

Additionally, since the condition is rooted in a sense of entitlement, they believe they deserve special treatment and attention. They should be acknowledged and valued for their superiority, not the other way around.

For example, when a narcissist goes on vacation and leaves their cat with a friend or a family member.

Upon their return, instead of expressing gratitude for that person taking the time out to look after their cat, the narcissist will expect him/her to thank them for giving them the privilege of doing them a favor.

To the average person, this behavior is unacceptable. But this form of manipulation is embedded in the narcissist’s personality. 

#6 They Fear Not Being Admired

Narcissists can’t live without supply, its like a drug to them. If you take heroin away from a heroin addict, expect a negative reaction.

The same is true when narcissists do not get their daily dose of praise and admiration.

If you want to know how to frustrate a narcissist; withdraw your admiration.

Their partners must put them on a pedestal at all times. They become anxious and fearful their significant other is losing interest unless the narcissist has reached the discard stage.

At this point, they will revert back to love bombing in a desperate attempt to win back your affection. 

#7 They Fear Death

The average person fears death because they don’t know where they’ll go at the end of their life, or they are afraid of the pain they’ll endure beforehand.

The reality is that most people do not want to die, and it is never a topic that is discussed with joy.

On the other hand, the narcissist fears death because it reminds them that they are not invincible and their high sense of self-worth was merely a delusion.

When they die, everything they lived for dies with them. This means all their efforts while alive were pointless.

If there was a magic potion for immortality, most people would drink it just to stay alive.

However, the narcissist would do so for the sole purpose of maintaining their superiority.

Remind them that they are not immortal if you want to know how to make a narcissist suffer. 

#8 They Dislike Feeling Remorse

Again, remorse is a feeling, and narcissists fear being connected to their emotions.

Furthermore, they hate to admit they are wrong in any way and feeling remorse would mean they are forced to admit they have made a mistake.

Everyone finds it difficult to apologize, even when we know we are in the wrong.

Nevertheless, the narcissist is so committed to their self-importance and perfectionist nature that they can’t make a mistake.

Even when concrete evidence is presented to the narcissist about their wrongdoing, they will find a way to twist and manipulate the situation, so they are not forced into a position of vulnerability. 

#9 They Fear Being Insulted and Offended

No one likes being insulted; however, the average person can take negative criticism with a pinch of salt and keep it moving, because they feel secure about themselves.

When you know who you are and what you stand for, there isn’t much anyone can say to uproot your confidence.

This is not the case with narcissists. Deep down they are terribly insecure and if what you say about them doesn’t line up with their imaginary self, it is deeply painful.

It is also important to mention that narcissists tend to take things out of context because they are always looking for information to confirm how they really feel.

For example, if you tell your narcissist partner you think the white shirt looks better than the black shirt.

They will respond with something like, “So you’re saying I look fat in this?” Because, deep down, they think they are overweight.

When a narcissist feels they have been insulted, they will sulk and brood over it for days on end.

If they really took offense, they may never get over it and look for ways to seek revenge against the person who insulted them. 

#10 They Fear Taking Responsibility

A common trait amongst narcissists is their inability to take responsibility for their actions.

You can guarantee someone else will shoulder the blame when something goes wrong. They are adept at twisting the truth, everyone is crazy but them.

Accusations often lead to narcissistic rage, this involves them lashing out at their victim, it’s one of their many power moves used to scare people into submission.

In most cases, you will never get a narcissist to accept responsibility; however, when you refuse to take the blame for their mistakes, they don’t like it at all.

If you caught your partner red-handed with their hands inside the cookie jar, they will vehemently argue that what you are seeing is false evidence appearing real.

A mentally sound person feels relief when they take ownership, narcissists find this difficult because they don’t like feeling vulnerable.

If you want to know how to make a narcissist fear you, hold them personally accountable for their actions. 

#11 They Fear Losing Control

Narcissists like being in control, there is an ulterior motive behind everything they say and do, If they verbally abuse you and you don’t react, it terrifies them.

One of the most effective ways to disarm a narcissist is to respond instead of reacting.

Narcissists keep their victims in a state of heightened alert. They are unpredictable, and you don’t know what they will do from one moment to the next.

They are the puppet masters, and you the victim are their puppet. When the narcissist says jump, and you respond with something other than, “how high,” they panic. 

#12 They Fear Not Being the Centre of Attention

Do you want to know what makes a narcissist panic? Give your undivided attention to someone else. This is one of the many things a narcissist hates.

Narcissists need to be the center of attention at all times. If they are not, it shatters their false sense of self-worth.

A prime example is being at a social event with your narcissistic partner; a guest casually mentions a personal achievement.

You are impressed and begin focusing your attention on them.

Saying things like, “wow, that’s awesome,” or, “you’ve done really well for yourself; your parents must be so proud.”

Will destroy a narcissist because they are not the focus of the conversation. You can compare it to dousing them in a bucket of cold water – it’s a complete shock to the system.

How To Make a Narcissist Fear You? Final Thoughts

So how to make a narcissist fear you? It is important to note that getting a narcissist to fear you is not about devaluing them or trying to get even.

It’s about taking power away from the narcissist. In many cases, narcissists are friends, family members, and co-workers, and walking away from them is not a simple task.

However, you can get them to release you from their clutches by tapping into their insecurities.

In this way, you can love them from a distance without having to deal with the mental anguish that comes from having a close relationship with a narcissist.