Signs you're dating a narcissist?

There are varying degrees of narcissism and narcissistic personalities. In general, a narcissist, especially someone who has been diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), is known to have the following characteristics: an inability to completely and unequivocally attach; a haughty or arrogant personality; an inability to convey sincere empathy and compassion; frequently incapable of accepting another’s successes, but more than willing to remind them of their failures; an excessive need for admiration, validation and praise; a sense of entitlement and unreasonable expectations; often volatile and likely to display rapid changes in emotions; they are often prone to fits of rage and vengeance; they are guaranteed to be hypercritical and hypersensitive; they may even voice hyperbolic or exaggerated statements of success, talents, and abilities; they are masters of manipulation, capable of seamlessly developing friendships without great effort, but often incapable of maintaining these relationships; finally, they commonly have a command of communication, relying on excessive flattery, charm, and complimentary language, but they will relinquish such efforts if its proving costly or without personal merit. At the end of the day, it is all about the narcissist and their personal ego.

It’s very challenging to feel icky after arguments and if arguments aren’t being repaired in a way that honors both of your experiences, that’s definitely a red flag in it of itself. Regarding narcissistic behaviors to watch out for, I’d say be mindful of if your partner never takes accountability or if they do, it isn’t met with “I did X because you did Y.” Is he objective and compassionate to your feelings or does he always get defensive if you tell him you’re feeling upset by something he did? Narcissistic behaviors tend to focus solely on their own experience and are very limited in how they see your’s or how they have affected you. You shouldn’t feel guilty or question your own sanity or feelings after you have expressed yourself vulnerably.