SOME INSULTS YOU COMMONLY HEAR IN A NARCISSISTIC FAMILY

By: Khalif Barkhadle,
Digital Journalist

Published On:18th March 2025

Let’s talk about the kind of insults you’ll commonly hear in a narcissistic family. To begin with, not all insults are created equal, nor do all insults have the same intended impact or desired effect. In narcissistic families, you’ll often hear passive-aggressive insults and not-so-subtle digs that are simply meant to keep you and your self-esteem in line. Although these may seem relatively harmless in the moment, the truth is they absolutely undermine and erode your self-worth over time.
You’ll also hear insults that are intended to guilt and shame you, as well as insults that are more direct and obvious in their contempt. Then there are the insults that are flat-out emotional violence. These insults are deliberately intended to attack who you are at a core fundamental level and completely annihilate any sense of self-worth you might otherwise have. The insult’s power lies in the tone with which it’s delivered, the knowing look—we all know that look—and the inference being made by the derogatory comment or question being asked. No matter what the comment or question is, the inference is always the same: you are the issue, the problem. You are not okay, and something is clearly very wrong with you. That’s the message they want to send.

The thing to know about this is that narcissistic family members use words as weapons to manipulate, dominate, and control you—controlling what you…