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Word Salad
Ever tried having a conversation or an argument about a drunk tree in pink shoes, before school and not in summer? Make no sense whatsoever? That is EXACTLY what word salad is. Random words, sentences, concepts, phrases and contradictions tossed together in a bowl
Ever tried having a conversation or an argument about a drunk tree in pink shoes, before school and not in summer? Make no sense whatsoever? That is EXACTLY what word salad is. Random words, sentences, concepts, phrases and contradictions tossed together in a bowl
and then strung together in an order that makes literally no sense!
Again, this is a psychological manipulation tactic.
Again, this is a psychological manipulation tactic.
A logical person would argue trees don’t drink. Trees don’t wear shoes. Trees don’t go to school. And that it doesn’t matter if it was in summer or not. A narcissistic person would argue everything BUT!
No amount of logic, reasoning, evidence, laughter or insults will make them back down. They will argue for the sake of arguing to rile you up and make you LOOK like the crazy person they are trying to convince you (and others!) that you are.
These word salad conversations go round and round and round. By behaving in this way narcissists aim to exhaust you into submission, thus avoiding all accountability for their behaviour.
Word salad is a tactic very often used when a narcissistic person has been cornered or confronted with the reality of their behaviour. They are a deer in headlights and their defence is to create more drama and deflect the issues they’ve been presented with
If you’ve ever had a heated argument with a narcissist you WILL understand this!
(Note: Word salad is also a genuine symptom of other psychological disorders. In the context of Narcissism however, this is a deliberately used manipulation tactic.)
(Note: Word salad is also a genuine symptom of other psychological disorders. In the context of Narcissism however, this is a deliberately used manipulation tactic.)
Projection
Toxic people such as narcissists are masterful blame shifters. They will literally stop at nothing to avoid accountability. They will often blame the other party for all the things they themselves are doing, or have done. Think the cheating spouse.
Toxic people such as narcissists are masterful blame shifters. They will literally stop at nothing to avoid accountability. They will often blame the other party for all the things they themselves are doing, or have done. Think the cheating spouse.
Or the wife in the ‘Gas Light’ play referenced earlier. He blamed her for the stealing he was doing.
This defence mechanism plays out in many ways but ultimately aims to distract the other party and make them carry the emotional burden. By shifting the blame the argument then becomes about the other party proving their innocence, thus allowing the narcissists behaviour to slip
past.
Projection is avoidance.
Again, the frustration this behaviour evokes in the other party often results in them being labelled the ‘crazy’ one. In fact the frustration is actually a normal response to an abnormal situation!
Projection is avoidance.
Again, the frustration this behaviour evokes in the other party often results in them being labelled the ‘crazy’ one. In fact the frustration is actually a normal response to an abnormal situation!
The great thing about projection though is that whilst the confrontation may start with one topic the projection will often reveal many other things the narc has been up to. They effectively dob themselves in!
You confront them for lying, for example. Which in turn leads to them blaming you for lying. Or cheating. Or stealing. If you can look past the emotion and into the reality, the narc is in fact laying out exactly who they are!
