The Oxford Learners Dictionary defines narcissism as a personality disorder characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. A person who displays this behavior is referred to as a narcissist.
This personality disorder affects both males and females, but female narcissists exhibit certain traits and patterns that set them apart from their male counterparts.
This article is for females who are wondering if they show signs of narcissism, maybe someone has called them a narcissist and they are protesting.
This article is also for you if you want to verify if a female you know is a narcissist. In this article, you will identify the signs of a female narcissist. This knowledge will guide you on how to relate to them going forward.
1. A Female Narcissist is Emotionally Manipulative
As the first of our 7 signs of a female narcissist, we consider their ability to emotionally manipulate people. Female narcissists often use emotional manipulation as an attempt to control people around them.
This shows up in their being angry or bursting into tears when things don’t go their way, in order to get sympathy, or get people to give in to their demands. They use guilt, blame, and gaslighting to achieve their goals.
If this female is in a relationship, she will guilt her partner until his self-esteem is nonexistent, refuse to respect his boundaries, blame him when things go wrong, and refuse to allow him express himself. She would paint him as a bad person and may sometimes deliberately sabotage him to achieve what she wants.
She doesn’t care if other people get hurt in the process or if it isn’t convenient for others. These narcissistic females have to do things their own way and get other people to do the same, or else there will be problems.
2. A Narcissistic Female Has a Sense of Entitlement
One of the 7 signs of a narcissistic female is their sense of entitlement. They believe they are better than every other person and deserve special treatment. Nothing can be done well except if they do it or are in charge. They expect the sun to rise and set with them.
Their partners cannot function without them, their children won’t be raised right without them, the deal won’t go through if they are not there to negotiate it; the choir won’t sing well if they don’t lead it; the athletes won’t win the competition if they don’t coach them; and the world will end if they don’t save it.
Did that make you laugh? But it’s true. In recognition of their “good work”, they expect lavish praise and admiration and expect people to wait on them hand-and-foot without reciprocation.
3. A Narcissistic Female Lacks Empathy
The second on our list of 7 signs of a female narcissist is that she lacks empathy.
Empathy refers to understanding or identifying with another person’s thoughts or emotions.
Females are naturally empathetic, but narcissistic females are in a class of their own. They lack empathy. They don’t believe other people have feelings, not to even talk about trying to understand their feelings or being considerate to them.
Narcissistic females are usually insensitive or dismissive of people’s feelings, prioritizing their own needs and emotions over those of others.
They only think about themselves. It’s their needs and desires first before any other person is considered. This causes them to display the first sign mentioned in this article.
A staff member, colleague, friend, or family member might be overworked or unwell, and she will still expect them to do their portion of the work. She expects and makes a new mom return to work days after giving birth or refuses workers leave to bury a loved one. She can’t understand when they feel hurt over something so “little”.
4. A Narcissistic Female Displays Grandiose Behavior
The fourth of our 7 signs of a female narcissist is that they display grandiosity.
They do this by bragging about themselves and their accomplishments in order to gain the attention and admiration of others. They may even exaggerate what they did and belittle their counterparts so that they look superior to them.
Sometimes they might even claim they did all the strenuous portions of a group task. They always want to sideline and erode other people’s contributions to the work they participate in.
These kinds of people will not acknowledge those who gave them the connection they needed to get work done or those who worked with them on a project. They will be the first to announce the work they have done in the presence of new colleagues, supervisors, or their boss, or dominate a conversation.
5. A Female Narcissist Exhibits Excessive Jealousy
Women are naturally jealous, we agree, but narcissistic females take it up another notch. Female narcissists tend to be extremely jealous of anyone who has something they don’t have. It could be material possessions, attention from others, success, a position, rich husband, or a college degree. Whatever you have that they don’t have, they want it.
This trait is tied to covetousness. They would do whatever it takes to have what others have in order to feel better about themselves, even if it meant resorting to blackmail, defamation of character, spying on them, invading their privacy, or sabotaging their work to get it.
6. A Female Narcissist is Self-Centered
This sign is closely related to lack of empathy. Narcissistic females are self-centered and tend to think only of their own wants and needs.
If taking credit for someone’s work would give them the advantage they need over a colleague or make them look good, they would do it.
If other people’s suggestions or opinions are different from what they think or believe, they will refuse or reject them.
Don’t understand? Here’s this simple illustration; your boss praises you at work in the presence of your colleagues for a task you did with a partner. He didn’t realize it was a dual project, and your partner was absent at that moment. If you basked in the praise or received the reward presented without acknowledging you weren’t the only one involved in the project, you, my dear, are a narcissist.
7. A Female Narcissist Is Vindictive
A female narcissist is prone to seeking revenge when she is wronged. This is what vindictive behavior means.
When this woman feels threatened or challenged, she lashes out.
If, for example, someone is seeking a promotion to the position she is occupying, or she feels a new employee is doing better than her, or finds herself on the probation list, she may respond vindictively, as if someone deliberately attacked her.
She may seek revenge on the innocent person or try to discredit them, as she feels threatened. This narcissistic female does this by lying against the person, smearing the person’s image, sabotaging their work, or shutting down the person’s suggestions and ideas in group meetings.
Once such person is at fault, either mistakenly or deliberately, she could unleash fury on them.
A female narcissist holds a grudge for a long time, and when you think she’s forgotten, she waits for an opportune time to uncoil and strike. She may even create the opportune time herself and not hold back on the level of retaliation.
When you first started reading this article, I bet you swore this was not you. The word “narcissist” looked too serious for the petty things you were doing, but as you read through, you discovered you often displayed one or more of the 7 signs of a female narcissist described here. Two things happened as you read this article – you discovered to your amazement that you showed the signs or you confirmed what you already knew about yourself.
Perhaps it’s not you but a female you know, and if we asked you a few minutes ago, you would beat your hand on your chest and exclaim, “Not her, never! She is an absolute angel with just a few excesses,” and as you read through your speech, it lost its swagger and the confidence you had in her started to dwindle.
Now that you’ve discovered or confirmed what you know, what can you do about it?
Should you ignore it and ask us to take you as you are? No dear! We won’t take you as you are. Work on your behavior because it makes interaction with you very difficult.
Your behavior makes your friends, family, and colleagues feel used, drained, unappreciated, and upset. These people shouldn’t feel that way.
We would advise them that if such behavior continues, it may be best to discontinue the relationship until you have solved your dilemma in order to protect them from further emotional damage.
