Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

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Lin Ritter

Have survived 6 narcissists March 6, 2020

What is an example of a narcissists ‘magical thinking ‘?

“Magical thinking” is a relatively common thing and even the most logical and rational people engage in it without even realizing it. I will discuss how narcissists employ this after I attempt to clarify what it actually is.

First of all, magical thinking does not mean you are delusional, schizophrenic or just plain weird. Magical thinking is simply believing that your actions or thoughts will have an influence on events that you can't possibly control.

Have you ever started to leave the house on a cloudy day and wouldn't take your umbrella because “If I take it, it's sure to rain.” What about “If I wear this dress or shirt, I am going to get the job for sure.” Also, “If I buy a lottery ticket at exactly 3:19 with the numbers 319 on March 19, I will win.” What about a bride having something borrowed and something blue to bring good luck to her marriage? Here's some more:

“Unless I close my eyes when my favorite golfer putts, he will miss the shot.” “If I comment on how well traffic is flowing, it's sure to get congested.” “If I say it isn't going to rain, I will offend the weather gods and they will send a downpour.”

Even believing that breaking a mirror will cause you to have bad luck is magical thinking. Or believing that you don't have to work at a relationship, that if you just meet your soulmate, your life will be perfect. That is indulging in magical thinking.

These are things that many people think occasionally. Small things…not harmful to anyone and not symptomatic of a mental disorder. Mostly, they are just based in superstition and make people feel like they have control over their life.

As for narcissists and other Cluster B disordered people, they often engage in magical thinking. In people who are seriously disordered, magical thinking can be dangerous particularly if it progresses into delusions and paranoia. But for narcissists, it's fairly innocuous most of the time.

Narcissists have a habit of staring at people with a flat, reptilian gaze. One admitted to me that she believed she could draw people to her from across a room if she fixed her stare on them.

Another example of it is that narcissists actually believe they can lie so well they will never get caught cheating. There is unfortunately some truth in that but usually their magic runs out and they are busted.

My ex told me that he could tell what I was thinking by looking into my eyes. Lol, no. That was not magical, it was wishful thinking.

Narcissists also tend to think they are magically protected from catching STDs when they are promiscuous even though they refuse to use protection.

But the best example of a narcissist's magical thinking is their belief that there is a golden unicorn out there and if they can find him/her, they will live happily ever after.

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