5 Code Words Narcissists Use: What They Really Mean

The narcissist didn’t mean for their words to come across that way—at least, that’s what they claim. This phrase is a way to dodge taking responsibility, something narcissists are really good at. They’re like slippery eels, flipping the blame back onto you. If your narcissistic partner puts down your job and then says, “I didn’t mean it like that,” they’re basically saying your feelings don’t matter. It’s a way to make you feel like you’re overreacting. If a narcissistic coworker takes credit for your work and brushes it off with, “I didn’t mean it like that. I thought we were a team,” it’s another way of ignoring your feelings. They’re making you think you’re making a big deal out of nothing.

Number 3: “No one else thinks that way. It’s just you.”

Saying “Nobody else thinks that” is super narcissistic. When someone says, “Everyone else thinks this. Nobody else thinks that,” they’re trying to make you feel small and alone. They want you to think they’re the only one who could possibly care about you, making you depend on them in an unhealthy way. It’s also their way of brushing off your feelings and experiences to make it look like they don’t matter. When the narcissist says you’re the only one who thinks a certain way, they’re trying to invalidate your feelings. That’s called gaslighting. It’s a sneaky move to make you doubt your sanity, your thoughts, and your experiences.

For instance, if you’re worried about being bullied at work, the narcissist may say, “You’re the only one who feels that way.” But guess what? You’re definitely not alone in feeling that way. The narcissist is saying that to control you.