Characteristics of Narcissistic Women

Women who are narcissistic think about themselves before others and act as if the world revolves around them. Women who have narcissistic personality disorder also always put themselves first; however, the personality disorder affects their lives occupationally and socially. Other people are turned off by women with narcissistic personality disorder due to their lack of empathy, inability to relate to others, sense of grandiosity and arrogant behaviors and attitude.

Self-Centered

Many people prioritize themselves and sometimes act self-centered. Women who are narcissistic almost always act self-centered and have a hard time understanding why they can't maintain long-term relationships with girlfriends or maintain romantic relationships. They will blame relationship problems on others instead of taking any responsibility. For instance, if a woman who has a narcissistic personality disorder gets married and has children, she'll put her wishes and needs above those of her husband and children. She might spend money to buy herself designer clothes while her husband shops at consignment stores. She may get her nails and hair done instead of taking her daughter to ballet lessons.

Attention-Seeking Behavior

Women who are narcissistic need all eyes to be on them and they will do almost anything to make sure the attention is on them. A woman who's narcissistic will interrupt people in the middle of a conversation to turn the subject to herself. She might make her stories seem more dramatic. For instance, she might tell a group of people that her sister is in the hospital due to an almost fatal accident to gain sympathy, when her sister really went to the hospital for a broken arm.

A narcissistic woman might dress provocatively to get the attention of men and talk herself up when meeting a potential date. She might tell him that she runs her entire company or donates her extra time on the weekend to charity when she really doesn't. As long as she's getting undivided attention, she's happy.

Lack of Empathy

Lack of empathy leads to many social problems. When women can't relate to others, it impacts their ability to have meaningful relationships and can also cause problems in the workplace. For instance, a woman with a narcissistic personality disorder has a hard time reading social cues and responding to them. She might be flippant with someone who is sad or antagonize someone who is already angry.

Criticism

A woman who is narcissistic does not respond well to criticism, even if the criticism is thoughtful and constructive, but she's quick to criticize others. This can significantly impact her occupationally. A woman with this issue probably becomes angry and possible defiant when criticized by peers, supervisors, family and friends. She may respond with anger even though she feels deep embarrassment or shame.