An expert has revealed five nonverbal signs that might suggest someone could be a narcissist.
While the term might be thrown around a lot these days to refer to anyone who might think a bit too much of themselves, there are very few people in the world who can claim to have an official Narcissistic Personality Disorder diagnosis.
Although having a distorted view of your own self-importance can be difficult to deal with, there are many other traits including arrogance, entitlement and exploitative behaviour which might suggest that you’re actually dealing with a narcissist.
Fortunately, human behaviour expert Liz Rose has now explained to the New York Post some of the non-verbal signs which might suggest that your partner, parent, friend or foe might actually be a narcissist.
“Clinically, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a pattern of grandiosity, lack of empathy and a deep need for admiration. What most people call a ‘narcissist’ is someone whose sense of self depends on being seen as superior, special, or entitled,” Rose said.
She explains that there are around five different things you can notice which might give the game away, even without actually starting a conversation with the other person.
While we can’t confirm anything from a brief interaction, since ‘real narcissism shows up as a pattern’ rather than a ‘single moment’, she suggests that consistent ‘eye scanning’ is a strong signal that you might be dealing with a narcissist.
She said: “They’re always looking around the room searching for better attention, even while you’re speaking. That is called status scanning.”
Another key sign, according to Rose, is smirking rather than smiling, since it can potentially suggest evaluation and superiority rather than simply being used to signal happiness or joy.
Regularly smirking instead of smiling might just be a sign (Getty Stock)
She added: “One corner of the mouth lifts slightly, almost like a half-smile, while the other side stays neutral. It’s subtle and often very quick. Unlike genuine smiles, the eyes usually don’t soften or crinkle.
“Even when someone is trying to appear sympathetic or caring, a brief flash of that expression can leak out if they internally feel above the other person. It’s like a crack in the mask, very quick, but very telling.”
Facial expressions are seemingly key when it comes to identifying a narcissist, as the behaviour expert also suggests that exaggerated or performative expressions can be used to manipulate others.
She said: “Narcissistic individuals often amplify signals of status, upright posture, controlled movements, strong eye contact and exaggerated confidence.”
However, it isn’t just looking at someone’s face that can give the game away, as narcissists are also likely to be invasive in the way they stand or touch other people, often in a way to try and demonstrate dominance.
Rose said: “Standing slightly too close, touching someone early, or leaning in quickly can create psychological pressure. It forces the other person to either accept the intrusion or push back.
“From a behavioural perspective, it’s a subtle dominance move, testing how easily someone’s boundaries can be crossed.
“People with healthy social awareness usually calibrate distance based on comfort cues. Someone who repeatedly ignores those signals may be revealing something important about how they relate to others.”
Lacking emotional intimacy is another indicator (Getty Stock)
While most people would want to avoid confrontation and ignore this invasion into their personal space, that could be interpreted as compliance by the potential narcissist.
Finally, the expert suggests that a lack of emotional intimacy is another hint that you might want to revaluate the person you’re speaking with because even if they’re not a narcissist, you probably don’t want someone who stares blankly at you when you’re upset.
She concludes: “If you’re being emotional and they just stare at you, no head tilt, no softening, no warmth, that’s emotional detachment happening in real time.
“Healthy people show curiosity. They ask questions and listen, whereas narcissistic personalities often steer the conversation back to themselves. That moment can tell you a lot about someone’s emotional orientation.”
Of course, you can give people some slack if they show these sorts of behaviours once or twice, but once it becomes a more regular pattern, you might need to call them out.