Concept: Praise is the attribution of positive qualities or successful behavior. Narcissists crave praise to defend against their internal shame and self-loathing because only good people get praise.
How this counteracts a narcissist’s insecurities: Praise is a means of providing relief from self-doubt. For the narcissist, self-doubt is so persistent that praise feeds an addiction to counteract a craving. Yet, the more praise offered, the greater the tolerance for it becomes, thus requiring increasing strength and frequency to achieve the same high.
Examples:
Advice: Praise boosts the narcissist and diminishes their self-loathing, but only temporarily, thus making praise a type of addictive fix. If you get the sense that a person in your life constantly needs praise, this is a telling sign of narcissism. Start looking for other signs as well. Most people like praise, but there’s a difference between liking it and an addiction to it.
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