![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/the-worst-apologies-made-by-narcissists-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n#1 An Apology That Comes with Conditions <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe narcissist is unlikely to just offer an apology without strings attached. That would be too kind of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, they\u2019ll state that they\u2019ll apologize, as long as you apologize to them first. This allows them to share some of the blame with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apologizing without asking for anything from you in return would mean admitting defeat. The narcissist would view this as a sign of weakness, so they need to feel like they\u2019re getting something from you as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This tactic also allows them to maintain a sense of power and control. Rather than relinquishing control, they\u2019re still making you play by their rules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a narcissist apologizes this way, it doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re genuinely remorseful. Instead, they\u2019re telling you they\u2019ll take a little accountability if you do it first. In their mind, you\u2019re in the wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#2 The Blame-Shifting Apology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAnother classic narcissist apology involves blame shifting. They will say that they\u2019re sorry for what they did, but they\u2019ll be sure to point out that they\u2019d never have done it had you not set them off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, they may yell, scream, and rage at you over a minor inconvenience and then insist that they never would have acted that way had you not been so selfish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The apology sounds like, \u201cI\u2019m sorry I screamed at you, but you should know better than to set me off like that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This apology communicates that the narcissist blames you for their behavior. They take no accountability and remain in control of the narrative by convincing you that you\u2019re to blame. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#3 The Dismissive Apology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlso among the narcissist\u2019s worst apologies is the dismissive apology. This one is easy to identify, and you\u2019ve probably heard it before. It sounds like, \u201cI\u2019m sorry you feel that way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, they\u2019re shifting the blame onto you. The problem isn\u2019t that they hurt you; the problem is that you dare to be upset about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The narcissist entirely dismisses your feelings and takes no responsibility for the fact that they\u2019ve been hurtful. This sort of apology means that they think you\u2019re too sensitive. If only you could be tougher, they wouldn\u2019t have to apologize! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#4 The Minimization Apology <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf the narcissist does apologize, they\u2019ll be sure to minimize their behavior. They will say they\u2019re sorry for what they did, and then quickly shift to explaining why what they did wasn\u2019t that bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019ll have a million excuses for their behavior, all minimizing the severity of their wrongdoing. Maybe you caught them cheating, and they try to tell you, \u201cIt was just sex; we never went on a date\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This apology means the narcissist cannot face the reality of what they\u2019ve done. Their fragile egos won\u2019t allow them to look honestly at their misbehavior. To protect themselves from enormous shame, they minimize the situation, which allows them to maintain their self-esteem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#5 The Apology That\u2019s Actually Manipulation <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn some instances, a narcissist may give what seems like the most sincere, heartfelt apology you\u2019ve ever heard. When this happens, there\u2019s always an ulterior motive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sort of apology occurs when the narcissist is afraid they\u2019ve pushed you too far. Maybe you\u2019ve been emotionally distant from them or even threatened to end the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the narcissist thinks you\u2019ve had it, they will try to flatter you with a seemingly genuine apology. They\u2019ll make promises to change, which might seem like they own up to their behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rest assured that this is an act of manipulation. The narcissist is fooling you so you\u2019ll give them another chance, and they can continue to maintain control over you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you get this sort of apology, it means the narcissist wants to con you into believing they\u2019ll change, so they don\u2019t lose you as a source of narcissistic supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#6 An Apology Where They Play The Victim<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNarcissists are experts at playing the victim when it suits them. If they know they\u2019re wrong, they can take back their control by playing the role of the victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this scenario, they\u2019ll offer a wimpy apology and then tell you a sob story about why they had to act the way they did. Of course, they\u2019ll blame someone else for backing them into a corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They may even shed a few tears to make you feel sorry for them. In the end, they avoid taking accountability, and they can maintain their sense of superiority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sort of apology means the narcissist knows they can pull one over on you. They realize you\u2019re kind, and because they view you as weak, they think they can guilt you into feeling sorry for them. Once this happens, you\u2019ll forget the narcissist was the one who was supposed to be sorry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Protecting Yourself From Fake Apologies <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe sad truth is that the worst apologies you get from a narcissist are always fake. They may offer a half-hearted apology or make you share some of the blame before they express any degree of remorse. Sometimes, they seem genuinely sorry but only try to manipulate you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bottom line is that you can rarely rely upon an apology from a narcissist. You only set yourself up for disappointment if you think they will change their behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To protect yourself, it\u2019s important to be aware of red flags. An apology in which the narcissist plays the victim makes excuses, or demands that you share the blame isn\u2019t genuine. Don\u2019t accept anything but a genuine apology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the narcissist appears to be genuine, hold them to it. If they don\u2019t follow through with changing whatever behavior led to the need for an apology, you can be certain they\u2019re just manipulating you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a narcissist repeatedly hurts you, your best option is usually walking away from the relationship because they\u2019re unlikely to change, no matter what type of apology they offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you must stay in a relationship with this person, it\u2019s important to remember to set healthy boundaries, keep your expectations realistic, and take time for self-care. You may not be able to change a narcissist\u2019s behavior, but you can change the way you respond to and cope with it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Narcissists aren\u2019t particularly skilled at apologizing. In fact, offering a genuine apology runs counter to their instincts. After all, narcissists convince themselves that they are superior to others. They do so to cover up their underlying insecurities, which would erode their self-esteem if they brought them to the forefront. Offering an apology generally means admitting … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20613"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20638,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613\/revisions\/20638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Another classic narcissist apology involves blame shifting. They will say that they\u2019re sorry for what they did, but they\u2019ll be sure to point out that they\u2019d never have done it had you not set them off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, they may yell, scream, and rage at you over a minor inconvenience and then insist that they never would have acted that way had you not been so selfish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The apology sounds like, \u201cI\u2019m sorry I screamed at you, but you should know better than to set me off like that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This apology communicates that the narcissist blames you for their behavior. They take no accountability and remain in control of the narrative by convincing you that you\u2019re to blame. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#3 The Dismissive Apology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlso among the narcissist\u2019s worst apologies is the dismissive apology. This one is easy to identify, and you\u2019ve probably heard it before. It sounds like, \u201cI\u2019m sorry you feel that way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, they\u2019re shifting the blame onto you. The problem isn\u2019t that they hurt you; the problem is that you dare to be upset about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The narcissist entirely dismisses your feelings and takes no responsibility for the fact that they\u2019ve been hurtful. This sort of apology means that they think you\u2019re too sensitive. If only you could be tougher, they wouldn\u2019t have to apologize! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#4 The Minimization Apology <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf the narcissist does apologize, they\u2019ll be sure to minimize their behavior. They will say they\u2019re sorry for what they did, and then quickly shift to explaining why what they did wasn\u2019t that bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019ll have a million excuses for their behavior, all minimizing the severity of their wrongdoing. Maybe you caught them cheating, and they try to tell you, \u201cIt was just sex; we never went on a date\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This apology means the narcissist cannot face the reality of what they\u2019ve done. Their fragile egos won\u2019t allow them to look honestly at their misbehavior. To protect themselves from enormous shame, they minimize the situation, which allows them to maintain their self-esteem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#5 The Apology That\u2019s Actually Manipulation <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn some instances, a narcissist may give what seems like the most sincere, heartfelt apology you\u2019ve ever heard. When this happens, there\u2019s always an ulterior motive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sort of apology occurs when the narcissist is afraid they\u2019ve pushed you too far. Maybe you\u2019ve been emotionally distant from them or even threatened to end the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the narcissist thinks you\u2019ve had it, they will try to flatter you with a seemingly genuine apology. They\u2019ll make promises to change, which might seem like they own up to their behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rest assured that this is an act of manipulation. The narcissist is fooling you so you\u2019ll give them another chance, and they can continue to maintain control over you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you get this sort of apology, it means the narcissist wants to con you into believing they\u2019ll change, so they don\u2019t lose you as a source of narcissistic supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#6 An Apology Where They Play The Victim<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNarcissists are experts at playing the victim when it suits them. If they know they\u2019re wrong, they can take back their control by playing the role of the victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this scenario, they\u2019ll offer a wimpy apology and then tell you a sob story about why they had to act the way they did. Of course, they\u2019ll blame someone else for backing them into a corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They may even shed a few tears to make you feel sorry for them. In the end, they avoid taking accountability, and they can maintain their sense of superiority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sort of apology means the narcissist knows they can pull one over on you. They realize you\u2019re kind, and because they view you as weak, they think they can guilt you into feeling sorry for them. Once this happens, you\u2019ll forget the narcissist was the one who was supposed to be sorry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Protecting Yourself From Fake Apologies <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe sad truth is that the worst apologies you get from a narcissist are always fake. They may offer a half-hearted apology or make you share some of the blame before they express any degree of remorse. Sometimes, they seem genuinely sorry but only try to manipulate you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bottom line is that you can rarely rely upon an apology from a narcissist. You only set yourself up for disappointment if you think they will change their behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To protect yourself, it\u2019s important to be aware of red flags. An apology in which the narcissist plays the victim makes excuses, or demands that you share the blame isn\u2019t genuine. Don\u2019t accept anything but a genuine apology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the narcissist appears to be genuine, hold them to it. If they don\u2019t follow through with changing whatever behavior led to the need for an apology, you can be certain they\u2019re just manipulating you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a narcissist repeatedly hurts you, your best option is usually walking away from the relationship because they\u2019re unlikely to change, no matter what type of apology they offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you must stay in a relationship with this person, it\u2019s important to remember to set healthy boundaries, keep your expectations realistic, and take time for self-care. You may not be able to change a narcissist\u2019s behavior, but you can change the way you respond to and cope with it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Narcissists aren\u2019t particularly skilled at apologizing. In fact, offering a genuine apology runs counter to their instincts. After all, narcissists convince themselves that they are superior to others. They do so to cover up their underlying insecurities, which would erode their self-esteem if they brought them to the forefront. Offering an apology generally means admitting … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20613"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20638,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613\/revisions\/20638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
If the narcissist does apologize, they\u2019ll be sure to minimize their behavior. They will say they\u2019re sorry for what they did, and then quickly shift to explaining why what they did wasn\u2019t that bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They\u2019ll have a million excuses for their behavior, all minimizing the severity of their wrongdoing. Maybe you caught them cheating, and they try to tell you, \u201cIt was just sex; we never went on a date\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This apology means the narcissist cannot face the reality of what they\u2019ve done. Their fragile egos won\u2019t allow them to look honestly at their misbehavior. To protect themselves from enormous shame, they minimize the situation, which allows them to maintain their self-esteem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#5 The Apology That\u2019s Actually Manipulation <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn some instances, a narcissist may give what seems like the most sincere, heartfelt apology you\u2019ve ever heard. When this happens, there\u2019s always an ulterior motive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sort of apology occurs when the narcissist is afraid they\u2019ve pushed you too far. Maybe you\u2019ve been emotionally distant from them or even threatened to end the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the narcissist thinks you\u2019ve had it, they will try to flatter you with a seemingly genuine apology. They\u2019ll make promises to change, which might seem like they own up to their behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rest assured that this is an act of manipulation. The narcissist is fooling you so you\u2019ll give them another chance, and they can continue to maintain control over you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you get this sort of apology, it means the narcissist wants to con you into believing they\u2019ll change, so they don\u2019t lose you as a source of narcissistic supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#6 An Apology Where They Play The Victim<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNarcissists are experts at playing the victim when it suits them. If they know they\u2019re wrong, they can take back their control by playing the role of the victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this scenario, they\u2019ll offer a wimpy apology and then tell you a sob story about why they had to act the way they did. Of course, they\u2019ll blame someone else for backing them into a corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They may even shed a few tears to make you feel sorry for them. In the end, they avoid taking accountability, and they can maintain their sense of superiority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sort of apology means the narcissist knows they can pull one over on you. They realize you\u2019re kind, and because they view you as weak, they think they can guilt you into feeling sorry for them. Once this happens, you\u2019ll forget the narcissist was the one who was supposed to be sorry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Protecting Yourself From Fake Apologies <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe sad truth is that the worst apologies you get from a narcissist are always fake. They may offer a half-hearted apology or make you share some of the blame before they express any degree of remorse. Sometimes, they seem genuinely sorry but only try to manipulate you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bottom line is that you can rarely rely upon an apology from a narcissist. You only set yourself up for disappointment if you think they will change their behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To protect yourself, it\u2019s important to be aware of red flags. An apology in which the narcissist plays the victim makes excuses, or demands that you share the blame isn\u2019t genuine. Don\u2019t accept anything but a genuine apology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the narcissist appears to be genuine, hold them to it. If they don\u2019t follow through with changing whatever behavior led to the need for an apology, you can be certain they\u2019re just manipulating you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When a narcissist repeatedly hurts you, your best option is usually walking away from the relationship because they\u2019re unlikely to change, no matter what type of apology they offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you must stay in a relationship with this person, it\u2019s important to remember to set healthy boundaries, keep your expectations realistic, and take time for self-care. You may not be able to change a narcissist\u2019s behavior, but you can change the way you respond to and cope with it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Narcissists aren\u2019t particularly skilled at apologizing. In fact, offering a genuine apology runs counter to their instincts. After all, narcissists convince themselves that they are superior to others. They do so to cover up their underlying insecurities, which would erode their self-esteem if they brought them to the forefront. Offering an apology generally means admitting … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20613"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20638,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20613\/revisions\/20638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Narcissists are experts at playing the victim when it suits them. If they know they\u2019re wrong, they can take back their control by playing the role of the victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this scenario, they\u2019ll offer a wimpy apology and then tell you a sob story about why they had to act the way they did. Of course, they\u2019ll blame someone else for backing them into a corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They may even shed a few tears to make you feel sorry for them. In the end, they avoid taking accountability, and they can maintain their sense of superiority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This sort of apology means the narcissist knows they can pull one over on you. They realize you\u2019re kind, and because they view you as weak, they think they can guilt you into feeling sorry for them. Once this happens, you\u2019ll forget the narcissist was the one who was supposed to be sorry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n