What Is Narcissistic Conditioning? Have You Been a Victim Of It?
Narcissists do more than just abuse us. They condition us to abuse ourselves.
by E.B. Johnson
Our experiences shape us and help us become who we are. This includes the good experiences and the bad. As humans, we shape our beliefs, our values, and the way we see the world in the experiences we have with ourselves and with others. It all comes together to form our perception of the world, and when that perception is damaged, we struggle.
That’s especially true for survivors of narcissistic abuse. Being subjected to constant mental and emotional turmoil changes the way you see the world and the way you relate to yourself.
You are conditioned by this behavior to change yourself in every conceivable way, to deny yourself in every conceivable way. It becomes a pattern of your life. You can learn to turn yourself inside out for others, but never yourself.
What is narcissistic conditioning?
You can think of conditioning a lot like you can think of dog training. As you raise a dog, you reward them for good behavior in order to encourage more of it. For toxic owners, though, negative reinforcement allows them to instill fear that prohibits…
