The Scapegoat And The Golden Child: Why Do Narcissistic Parents Assign Roles To Their Children?
The truth behind narcissistic family roles.
If you grew up in a narcissistic family, you know very well that every family member plays a specific role.
More often than not, there’s the enabler parent, the golden child, and the scapegoat (when there’s more than one child). Sometimes, these roles are permanent. Other times, they rotate according to the preferences of the narcissistic parent.
Regardless of the role you occupied in your family structure, growing up in such a dysfunctional family is deeply traumatic.
The question is, why does this happen? Why do narcissistic parents assign roles to their children? And, do they do it consciously or unconsciously?
Let’s dive in.
They Can’t Deal With Themselves, So They Project Everything Onto Others
Narcissistic people carry a huge narcissistic wound. They’re so insecure and fragile that they overcompensate by appearing to be strong, superior, and in control of everything.
We all have narcissistic tendencies within us. The difference is that when we’re emotionally mature, turning inward is…
