**The Narcissist’s Insults, Translated**

When a narcissist tries to insult, belittle, or tear you down, it often feels cruel, personal, and intentionally damaging. But if you look closely—beneath the venom and projection—what they’re really doing is revealing their own fears and insecurities. Their “insults” are often disguised acknowledgments of everything they envy about you. Their words are not a reflection of your shortcomings, but of your strength.

So let’s translate their behavior:

When they mock your confidence, what they’re really saying is, **“I’m intimidated by how sure of yourself you are.”**

When they try to humiliate you in front of others, they’re really thinking, **“You command attention that I wish I had.”**

When they belittle your accomplishments, deep down they’re whispering, **“I’m jealous of what you’ve achieved and the potential you hold.”**

When they call you “too sensitive,” what they truly mean is, **“Your emotional depth and empathy are beyond me, and it scares me.”**

When they try to gaslight you, they’re saying, **“Your clarity and intuition threaten my ability to control the narrative.”**

When they try to isolate you, it’s because they know, **“You are loved, respected, and supported, and I can’t stand that I’m not the center of your world.”**

And when they say you’re “too much,” they really mean, **“You are everything I am not, and that infuriates me.”**

So take heart: the next time a narcissist tries to cut you down, remember they’re really just handing you a mirror reflecting your own light—one that they’re desperately trying to dim. Don’t let them. Keep shining.