Key Points you will learn from this article:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Narcissists don’t react well to being ignored and often try to punish the person ignoring them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ignoring a narcissist may result in them trying to get your attention through various means, including apologizing and begging for forgiveness or smearing you to others.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want a narcissist to go away, you must ignore them consistently and permanently, or they will likely try to hoover you back into their life.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n First things first- a narcissist doesn\u2019t react well to being ignored. In fact, they absolutely hate it. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Narcissists thrive on validation and attention from others<\/a>. It\u2019s how they feel powerful. Being ignored has the opposite effect. When someone isn\u2019t stroking their ego or fulfilling their narcissistic supply<\/a><\/strong>, they tend to feel threatened and insecure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ignoring, in many ways, represents a serious personal attack. To a narcissist, this represents a form of punishment, and they will often try to punish you back in the following ways:<\/p>\n\n\n Some narcissists just react to being ignored by pretending it isn\u2019t happening. They will keep talking or texting you as if everything is exactly the same. <\/p>\n\n\n This is, of course, an incredibly frustrating form of gaslighting. For example, you\u2019re actively trying to not <\/em>be on speaking terms, and they\u2019re acting like everything is going just well! <\/p>\n\n\n\n This might feel confusing, but don\u2019t delude yourself into thinking that the narcissist is just being naive. Acting oblivious is just another way narcissists try to manipulate others into believing they are the true victims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve never ignored the narcissist before, don\u2019t be surprised if they suddenly begin groveling for your forgiveness once they realize you really aren\u2019t talking to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the time a narcissist is most likely to try to win you over with grandiose promises. They\u2019ll offer to go to therapy. They\u2019ll tell you they\u2019re finally ready for marriage or children. They\u2019ll promise to never <\/em>act this way again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind these types of apologies or promises<\/strong><\/a> aren\u2019t made out of genuine guilt. While it\u2019s true that some narcissists feel some <\/em>remorse, they\u2019re far more interested in self-preservation and maintaining their usual status quo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Narcissists don\u2019t change overnight, and they know how to manipulate people to get what they want. And what they want is power and control<\/strong><\/a>. If they need to apologize and beg for that, that\u2019s exactly what they will do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Negative attention<\/a> beats no attention at all, so some narcissists will react to being ignored by doubling down on their petty behavior. They want <\/em>to give you something to complain about.<\/p>\n\n\n If you\u2019re upset about a certain action of theirs, they\u2019ll increase how often they do it. For example, if you felt mad that they carelessly spent so much money at the bar last weekend, they\u2019ll double the amount next weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Suddenly their mom is in the hospital. Or they suspect their dog has cancer. Or their boss has called them in for a last-minute meeting and they\u2019re probably getting fired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emergencies absolutely happen, but pay attention to the timing. Narcissists play close attention to other people\u2019s vulnerabilities. In addition, most of them tend to attract people with heightened empathy levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, if they sense you\u2019ve pulled away, they might pull this seemingly innocent response, <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey, I know you\u2019re not speaking to me right now, and I totally get that, but I just wanted to let you know I\u2019m in the hospital. I was having chest pains all last night, and they don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going on. Getting some tests now.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Generally speaking, these messages will sound just vague enough to pique your attention. However, they won\u2019t contain excessive details because a real emergency probably isn\u2019t happening!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a similar vein to trying to make you angry, some narcissists will also try to make you jealous<\/strong><\/a> when you ignore them. <\/p>\n\n\n For example, they might pretend to be unfazed by your actions. Then, they will go out that night, get very drunk and post a bunch of suspicious pictures of them having fun with strangers. The hope is that you\u2019ll see what they\u2019re doing and feel jealous about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many narcissists engage in smearing<\/strong><\/a> to reassign blame and even make themselves look like the victims. They want to protect their own narrative about what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, they\u2019ll try to convince your friends, family members, neighbors (basically anyone who will give them the time of day) how terrible you were to them. They may use some version of the truth, but they might also lie outright. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Smearing, of course, can be devastating, and some of the ramifications can be permanent. You can\u2019t prevent the narcissist from doing it, so it\u2019s very important to reassess who you trust in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re involved with a narcissist, it\u2019s always a good idea to be careful of what you share with mutual friends. You never know how the narcissist might try to influence them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If a narcissist senses that you\u2019re really pulling away, they might try to exploit your weaknesses. They\u2019ll threaten to hurt you in some way, whether that\u2019s threatening to drag you down in court (if you\u2019re married) or take your kids away from you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In more serious cases, they may also threaten to hurt themselves or end their lives. The goal here is all about making you feel guilty. They want you to come back to them, and they don\u2019t want you to have anything \u201cover\u201d them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Narcissists often respond to being ignored by approaching the other people in your life. They may call your friends and family members to express their concern about your well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When this happens, they\u2019ll either downplay or avoid sharing about their malicious part in the dynamic and solely focus on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, they might call your mom and say something like, <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m just so worried about her. She\u2019s not talking to me right now, but I think it\u2019s because her drinking has gotten so bad again. I just want to help, but I can\u2019t help her if she won\u2019t let me in. It truly breaks my heart.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n They\u2019re hoping that your loved ones will reach out to you, which will make you feel guilty or compelled to respond to them again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many narcissists respond to ignoring by ignoring back. They don\u2019t want to be seen as needy or emotional, so they\u2019ll focus their efforts elsewhere in the meantime. <\/p>\n\n\n It\u2019s very common for narcissists to cheat on their partners during periods of ignoring. It\u2019s a way they can seemingly prove to you (and to themselves) that they don\u2019t need the relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to read more about this, I suggest you read my article about why Narcissists ignore you<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ignoring a narcissist\u2019s text can be just as effective as ignoring them in real life. Texting provides narcissists with even more opportunities to be conniving or abusive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, they can deny their intention by simply claiming you\u2019re \u201creading too much into things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some ways a narcissist might react to being ignored over text:<\/p>\n\n\n I know what you\u2019re doing. You\u2019re acting like such a ____.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n How dare you ignore me!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What do you think your problem is? <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n If a narcissist senses their texts are being ignored, they might react in a <\/a>fit of narcissistic rage<\/strong>.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that narcissists like to control the narrative at all times. If someone else has the power (even if it\u2019s very brief), they can\u2019t tolerate the discomfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ignoring a Narcissist can really Piss them off<\/a><\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey, are you ok? Haven\u2019t heard from you?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s going on?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s me. Can you call me?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n Narcissists can also respond anxiously when they notice you\u2019re ignoring their texts. This may be more common in cases of vulnerable narcissism<\/strong><\/a>, a type of narcissism that\u2019s far more covert in nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These types of narcissists often present as shy or insecure, but underneath that demeanor is a high-level of self-absorption, smugness, passive-aggressive behavior, and an inability to accept feedback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The anxiety emerges due to fear. The narcissist fundamentally knows something is wrong, and they want to quickly smooth things over to avoid you being \u201con\u201d to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obsessiveness is an even more dramatic form of anxiety. This can look like sending you dozens of text messages in a row. It can also look like showing up at your front door because they were \u201cso worried\u201d they hadn\u2019t heard from you in a few days.<\/p>\n\n\n Obsessiveness can quickly spiral into stalking behavior, and narcissists will rationalize it under the guise that they care so much about you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you sense that a narcissist might be stalking you, it\u2019s very important to seek support. Stand your ground and do not <\/em>talk to them again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re trying to end the relationship altogether, block and delete them from your email and all social media accounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Look, I\u2019m really sorry for what I said last night!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Babe, please text me back. I love you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s just talk about this, ok? We can work this out.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n Desperation is a more subtle form of anxiety. The narcissist tries to use guilt-induced tactics to convince you that they made a mistake and they feel remorseful about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if they know the desperation might come across as pathetic, they\u2019re willing to pull this angle if they have the slightest <\/em>belief that it will work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you recognize a text from a Narcissist? See my article about 11 typical examples of Narcissist text messages<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It depends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, they probably won\u2019t take you ignoring them very seriously. This is especially true if you\u2019re in the early stages of a relationship. It\u2019s also true if you\u2019ve tried ignoring them in the past, only to go back to talking very quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n Keep in mind that narcissists often change their tactics in response to being ignored. They always want to keep other people on their toes. Mixing things up makes them unpredictable, and they thrive on others feeling nervous around them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you really want the narcissist to go away, you have to ignore them indefinitely. <\/em>You have to end all contact with them- or go as low-contact<\/strong> <\/a>as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can consistently and permanently take that approach, they can and will move on. Once they can\u2019t get anything from you, they\u2019ll look for a new person to fulfill their narcissistic supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That doesn\u2019t mean they won\u2019t still try to hoover you back into their life, but the intensity of their actions will likely die down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to know more? <\/strong>15 Hoovering Examples used by the Narcissist<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Silent treatment<\/a><\/strong> is an intentional form of ignoring. You\u2019re literally not talking <\/em>to them, even if they\u2019re talking directly to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Silent treatment enrages a narcissist. They have no problem ignoring others, but when someone gives them a taste of their own medicine, they become infuriated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can expect any combination of narcissistic rage, false apologies, dramatic gestures, and smearing campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Narcissists often view basic interactions as transactional, so even their closest relationships are all about what they can \u201cget\u201d from the other person. <\/p>\n\n\n Although a narcissist might think they truly love someone, their love is disillusioned by their own false self and ego. They fall in love with the projected fantasy of who someone else can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, reality can never quite match this fantasy. Even though you may have felt incredibly loved at the beginning of your relationship, narcissists move through predictable stages in their relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They start with love bombing, but once they realize that someone else isn\u2019t perfect, <\/em>the devaluing phase begins. Soon, you\u2019ll find yourself caught in the vicious narcissistic cycle of abuse<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to completely remove yourself from this heartache, letting go of the relationship altogether is probably your best bet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do You Want To Know More?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Theoretically, a true narcissist can\u2019t tolerate being ignored\u2026.by anyone. Usually, they will act out or do anything to focus on that person\u2019s attention back to themselves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324"}],"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=324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}9 Things That Happen When You Ignore a Narcissist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"9](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/9-Things-That-Happen-When-You-Ignore-a-Narcissist-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"what](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/what-do-narcissists-do-when-you-ignore-them_.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n#1 They Will Keep Trying to Get Your Attention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"They](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/They-Will-Keep-Trying-to-Get-Your-Attention-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n#2 They Will Apologize and Beg For Forgiveness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#3 They Will Try to Make You Even More Angry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"They](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/They-Will-Try-to-Make-You-Even-More-Angry-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n#4 They Will Feign a Crisis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#5 They Will Try to Make You Jealous<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"They](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/They-Will-Try-to-Make-You-Jealous-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n#6 They Will Smear You <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#7 They Will Threaten You<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"They](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/They-Will-Threaten-You-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n#8 They Will Reach Out to Others<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#9 They Will Ignore You Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"They](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/They-Will-Ignore-You-Back-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhat Happens When You Ignore a Narcissist Text?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"what](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/what-happens-when-you-ignore-their-text-messages_.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nRage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Rage\"](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Rage-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAnxiety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Anxiety\"](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Anxiety-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nObsessiveness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Obsessiveness\"](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Obsessiveness-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nDesperation <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Desperate\"](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Things-Guys-Say-Common-Ways-Guys-Hint-They-Like-a-Girl-2-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Will a Narcissist Go Away if You Ignore Them?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Will](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Will-a-Narcissist-Go-Away-if-You-Ignore-Them-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"if](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/if-you-ignore-a-narcissist-will-they-leave-you-alone.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhat Does the Silent Treatment Do to a Narcissist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Is It Better to Not Respond to a Narcissist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Why](\"https:\/\/thenarcissisticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Why-Is-It-Better-to-Not-Respond-to-a-Narcissist-1024x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n