cognitive dissonance
narcissistic abuse

Five Ways Narcissists Use Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance occurs when we hold conflicting beliefs at the same time. The results of trying to balance two competing beliefs in one’s mind are often confusion, shame, guilt, and second-guessing one’s self. Cognitive dissonance can cause physical damage as well as it is stressful both mentally and physically. A lowered immune system, raised blood pressure, as well as a host of other symptoms can afflict the sufferer.

Life and circumstances often cause some cognitive dissonance. For instance, we know that a particular purchase is not within our budget. We really want this purchase and so we argue with ourselves, employing a lot of rationalization. If we give in, we try to convince ourselves it really was necessary. If we resist, we tell ourselves we didn’t really want it in the first place or that it wasn’t that great. Either way, we try to silence one of the two voices arguing in our minds.

In the hands of a sociopathic manipulator, cognitive dissonance is a weapon of choice. Employed correctly, it can keep a victim hovering in a no man’s land of emotional chaos indefinitely. The goal of keeping a victim in a constant state of uncertainty is to maintain power and control. I am frequently grieved by how often the victims of abuse tell me that they are still not sure if the abuse they suffered is real. A sense of unreality is most certainly a symptom of cognitive dissonance and that an abuser has done his or her job well.

Here are some of the most common instances of how an abuser might use cognitive dissonance against a victim:

  1. Blowing Hot and Cold

Narcissists are notorious for wooing with an incredible intensity only to turn cold as ice for no reason. Their victims are left wondering if all the passionate declarations, gifts, and affection were imagined. Often the abuser will find the resulting bewilderment amusing or claim that it was all a misunderstanding. Not all narcissists are after commitment. Some just love playing the game, causing vulnerable victims to fall in love as a way of reinforcing their egos.  Meanwhile, the person they played is left devastated.

The cognitive dissonance can cause a tremendous amount of self-doubt, as it is meant to. Some end up picking the petals of an endless mental daisy. He loves me. He loves me not.  Both feel true which leads to emotional disorder. If you find yourself suddenly dropped by a once ardent lover, let them go. The only way out of the mental merry go round is to face the bitter truth.

  1. The Great Reversal

I have a dear friend whose significant other would often say things like I thought other people would act like this, but not you…This shaming usually cognitive dissonance pincame after she disagreed with him or tried to call him on some unwelcome behavior. Ironically, a narcissist cannot tolerate any level of cognitive dissonance and so if someone presents to them an unflattering picture of themselves, they turn it around onto their victim. All resistance must be crushed.

Some narcissists are so skilled at creating cognitive dissonance that they convince their victims that the abuse is the fault of the victim. I have worked with a number of young people who, though sexually assaulted by their abuser, struggle with believing the abuse occurred. On the one hand, they know it happened. They remember the bruises. On the other hand, they also can’t believe that such a thing happened to them and their abuser denies it vehemently. Inner turmoil ensues.

  1. The Great Compromise

One of the strategies of an emotionally abusive partner is the gradual destruction of the value system of the victim. In a Christian marriage, this can look like a dogmatic insistence on submission. For instance, a husband might insist on blind obedience in all matters. This is more common than many women wish to admit. That blind obedience begins with small issues but gradually moves into areas of greater moral compromise.

Control is always the goal of the abuser, and so the slow separation of what a victim believes creates a constant moral muddle that can be difficult to sort out. The victim knows that he or she has drifted from his or her core values, but surviving a narcissist becomes paramount. I remember how relieved I was at knowing I didn’t have to hide anything once I left my ex. It took me a long time to forgive myself for having crossed my own moral boundaries, though understanding the effect of fourteen years of narcissistic brainwashing helped.

  1. Rewriting History

Narcissistic abusers ‘remember’ shared history quite differently from their victims. In fact, their version of history always seems to recall how they were cheated somehow. Narcissists also reframe family relationships. My ex spent years lecturing me about how my parents loved my younger brother far more than they did me. No actual evidence exists to prove this. But even if doubt is created, the narcissist has won.

He referred to his sister as dead which is another trait of narcissists. They ‘kill’ off relatives frequently. For the victim, however, this constant revision creates cognitive dissonance. Normal people are prone to believe their spouses. In fact, normal amounts of cognitive dissonance can enhance a marriage. We overlook flaws in our mates and dwell on their qualities all the time. But when what we hear on a regular basis differs significantly from our memories, our minds and bodies suffer from the tension.

  1. Competing Selves

cognitive dissonance pinOne of the most difficult perceptions of narcissistic abuse to cope with is the misconception regarding who become victims of abuse. Often people do not immediately believe me. Even family members have been incredulous. Writing this blog has created some stir in my family. I am educated, articulate, and seem emotionally healthy. Aren’t abuse victims mousy women who can’t say boo to a mouse?

But cognitive dissonance can take a normal person and tear them in half. I never believed I would become a victim of domestic violence. To see who I was when I was married to my ex and who I believed myself to be was the ultimate in cognitive dissonance. I could not reconcile the two and the pain of facing the truth was intense. But many evils have been perpetuated because people are dedicated to the idea that they are ‘not that kind of person’. This can’t be happening is a belief that keeps many people in a constant state of mental upheaval.

When I think of Jesus praying that we would be one, as He and His Father were one, I hear the answer to cognitive dissonance. Being one with oneself and with God means facing those competing beliefs. Having the mind of Christ, I believe, is allowing Him into our belief systems to give us relief. His truth realigns our lies and heals the broken areas in our identity and emotions. I could not have healed without knowing He hears my story and is helping me to write a better one.

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9 Comments

  • Diane@worthbeyondrubies

    Wow..this all sounds far too familiar!! Especially rewriting history! Thank you so much for sharing this! It makes so many things clear now!

  • Melissa McLaughlin

    Your descriptive and clear examples of abusive tactics make this whole situation much easier to understand and spot. And it is easier to understand why a victim remains caught in this type of relationship for so long. Thank you for your ministry. May many be set free by your words.

  • Taunya Mendenhall

    Beautiful! As an Advocate for abuse victims, I believe you nailed it! It’s a common thread in Domestic Abuse. Thank you for writing this….

  • Elizabeth

    I deal with the same incredulity with my family so I feel your pain. I’m a fiction writer and I have opted to use a pen name simply to avoid escalating matters with certain family members. My abuse began in childhood, and I’ve spent my whole life trying to understand what caused my mother to treat me the way she did. If blogs like yours had existed back then, it would’ve saved me years of emptiness and misery. Narcissistic abuse led me into unhealthy romantic relationships as well as situations where I got taken advantage of by colleagues. Your blog is a beacon of light for people like me, so excuse my vulgarity but kindly tell your family to suck it. The abuse of another human being by a personality-disordered fully grown adult who should and could seek help if the army of enablers would wake up and step aside is inexcusable. So… Thank you for bravely speaking truth!

    • Rachel

      This is very good. I never knew what narcassism truly was until I realized I had married one. The first thing God brought to mind was the spirit of Jezebel. I still feel confused on what to do. We are separated,and I want to believe there is hope .Please pray God will make it all very clear. Thank you,Rachel

  • Jennifer Mounsey

    Absolutely spot on, especially the part about “Christian” husbands using submission as control. Still so incredibly painful and wounding for women, thank you for breaking another chain.

  • anna hutton

    David Demars life coaching saved me, he was involved with a narcissist and took years to study and is amazing, he gets right to the problem, he also had videos on you tube, This is not soliciting, I was really helped by this guy

  • Brian

    Thank you all for sharing! It’s tough to recognize, come to terms with then share the undoing of oneself. I keep thinking in my mind how many years it took for me to become genuinely me. Then how in such a short methodical time frame it was stripped away.
    I am 42, a college graduate, a successful athlete in my day and a hard worker. I am open, honest, empathic and I know God. I have been in 4 adult relationships and thought I had been thru the difficult times and survived. I was mistaken. I went from engaged after a good 3 year loving relationship to the next day finding out I had a gps tracker on my truck. Then later that day my windows were busted out of my truck in the broad daylight. The next day my narcissist called police. I have forced to leave our condo. The next day she filed a “no contact order”. The rest is worse than the 3 day summary I just gave.
    This isn’t the life entered in to or want any part of but the grip she has on heart is real.
    Talk about your text book definition of cognitive dissonance…..I am in a constant battle justifying her behavior and my irrational way of letting it be ok.

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