I'm grateful and blessed to have a career in the medical field but unfortunately one of the many toxic features of the field is: it's extremely common to find very covert narcassists. I was in something of a situationship with one for about a year and a half which left me confused and very scarred. It's such a strange ineffable experience that I'm trying to grapple with. Usually literature helps me cope, if anyone has any good suggestions do let me know.
I wrote a poem that sums up my experience, if anyone is interested:
The most dangerous people I've ever met would have to be narcissists. They have a charismatic air and charm that makes the whole room shift in atmosphere. They have power, they cast a spell like no other across the room. Not a single person would suspect a thing, even after query incidents, not acquaintances, colleagues, friends, it's only when they pull you in, you're deep in the trenches of a serious and somewhat deep relationship, it messes with you, because the narcassist even fools and believes himself. It's only when they've ruined your life, turned it upside down, and left you, maybe years later that you realise they had a diagnosable pathology. Their danger is they prey on people. And the institution has to be so weak that it, let's these people thrive without notice. When you have a school, or an institute that praises people for their arbitrary and material successes, these people especially harness this as their shield and superpower. Lack of accountability, authenticity, and responsibility. They feed off of praise from authority, as well as the community. Don't be fooled, they mislabel themselves as 'extroverts' but this is a far different set of ingredients. People with narcissistic personality disorder need to be made aware if not already. They can change, if they themselves are committed. With therapy.
Their charm is overpowering, but they prey, and their effects are just as devastating as their charm is deep.
by rooroo1111