Narcissists use a manipulative tactic known as **“future faking”** — and it’s one of their most deceptive and emotionally damaging strategies. Future faking is when they make big, sweeping promises about your shared future together, all to create a powerful illusion of commitment, intimacy, and stability — without ever intending to follow through.

They might talk about **marriage**, **buying a house together**, **starting a family**, **going on extravagant trips**, or **growing old side-by-side** — painting vivid, emotional pictures of a life that you begin to believe in. They don’t just mention these things casually; they speak with such conviction and certainty that you begin to plan your life around them. This isn’t done to build a future with you — it’s done to manipulate your present.

Narcissists often use future faking as a way to **control your emotions and behaviors**. When you begin to notice red flags, feel hurt, or start pulling away, they will dangle the promised future in front of you to pull you back in. It becomes a form of emotional currency — if you stay, if you give more, if you tolerate just a little longer, then *maybe* those promises will finally become reality.

This tactic often follows the initial **love bombing phase**, where they overwhelm you with affection, attention, and intensity to gain your trust and loyalty. Once they have you emotionally invested, future faking is used to keep you hooked — stringing you along with empty words and broken promises, while giving you just enough hope to stop you from walking away.

What’s cruel about future faking is that it’s deeply personal. You’re not falling for generic lies — you’re falling for the dream they tailored specifically to your heart. They listen to your hopes, values, and dreams, and then weaponize those very things against you. It’s betrayal wrapped in fantasy.

Over time, you may begin to feel foolish, questioning your judgment and wondering how you could have believed them. But remember: **you weren’t naïve — you were manipulated.** You believed in the future because they made it sound real. And that is exactly what future faking is designed to do.

True love is built on consistency and action, not just promises. If someone’s words rarely align with their behavior, no matter how beautiful those words sound, take a step back. You deserve a future that is lived — not just one that’s endlessly promised and never delivered.