Holy Heterodoxy

One thing I've never understood about narcissists is how they achieve anything at all, given their criticism avoidance and lack of self-reflection.  I've personally known narcissists who were doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, counselors, religious leaders, business owners—all of which require massive amounts of education. Which requires the ability to incorporate feedback—the key ability that narcissists lack.  In the face of this Achilles heel, how do narcissists end up living in anything besides a cardboard box? I have a couple of theories.  First, narcissists are used to faking it till they make it. And the traditional educational environment is less complex than people think. Being able to memorize and repeat what your professor wants to hear is a different skill set than critically thinking about information and retaining it for life.  Second, many narcissists' endeavors do end in failure, because there are only so many corners you can cut before they start...

As a young person raised in a small-town narc nest, who recently moved to a large city, I've been looking for ways to filter narcissists out of my life so my next relationships don't end up like my last. Through trial and error (which I'll detail in upcoming blog posts), I've learned that online reviews are a narcissist's worst nightmare besides prison, and one of your best defenses against getting screwed.  It's important to do your own research, and I don't mean that in a tinfoil-hat kind of way. Real conspiracies tend to be far less enthralling than those portrayed in the media, but they can cause catastrophic damage nonetheless. And in the age of the Internet, there's no excuse to walk into a place of business uninformed. I recommend Google Maps as a place to start.  First, look at the business's overall rating—is it high, low, or somewhere in between? How many ratings are there? The more ratings, and the more recent they are, the more reliable t...