2: Boundaries Are Non-Negotiable
Boundaries aren’t for them; they’re for you. And once you truly understand that, everything shifts. A narcissist will test you, push you, guilt you, charm you, and even threaten you to see how far they can go. And if you don’t have rock-solid boundaries in place, they’ll bulldoze through your life like a wrecking ball with a smile. They don’t respect lines in the sand.
They see them as invitations to cross, so you have to make it clear: this is where I end, and you do not get to step over. And here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear: you don’t need to explain or justify your boundaries to anyone, especially not a narcissist. Because the moment you start overexplaining, they’ve already found the crack they need to start manipulating.
A narcissist will pretend not to understand your boundaries. They’ll play confused. They’ll act hurt. That’s all part of the game. It’s all manipulation. But your job is to hold the line anyway. Not once, not twice, every single time. When you say “no,” say it without apology. When you walk away, do it without guilt.
When you go low contact or no contact, do it without second-guessing. That’s not cruelty. That’s survival. That’s self-respect. You are not being mean by protecting your peace. You are not selfish for saying, “This doesn’t work for me.” And when you stop negotiating with someone who’s never had your best interests in mind, you reclaim the power they never deserved in the first place.
Yes, it’s going to feel uncomfortable at first, especially if you’re conditioned to people-please, to overexplain, to keep the peace at your own expense. But discomfort is temporary, and freedom? That’s forever. The more consistently you hold your boundaries, the more you’ll see them squirm because control is slipping away. You’re no longer bending, shrinking, or explaining. And a narcissist can’t thrive in a space they don’t control.
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