Can a narcissist be faithful? Yes, they can, but only if they receive preferential treatment and top priority. This is because narcissists place their needs over their partner’s and strive for a sense of control in their relationship. In this article, you will learn more about the motives of narcissists and their cheating patterns. Are you interested? Read on!
When Can a Narcissist Be Faithful?
The psychology of attraction is different for narcissists than for the rest of humanity. They are focused on themselves, their own needs and feeding their ego. This is why they can only be faithful when it is in their best interest.
A narcissistic partner will not sleep with other singles if they see it as something that they benefit from. In this sense, a narcissist can be faithful. However, as Nancy Ryan pointed out in an interview with us, they will not be faithful emotionally.
A narcissist will always put their needs over yours. They will strongly believe that if they win, you do, too, and it is not always like that. They can go as far as trying to gaslight you and will always deny their fault if you point out any of their flaws. Thus, while a narcissist can be faithful sexually, they will never be faithful to your feelings and needs.
Why Do Narcissists Cheat?
Why do narcissists cheat more often than other partners? In general, there are several reasons behind that:
- Lack of empathy – Narcissists cannot be empathetic. They do not understand how you feel when they cheat.
- Low self-esteem – The second reason why a narcissist cheats is because they have low self-esteem. By cheating, they feed their ego, feeling wanted and validating their self-worth. What is more, this way, they can devalue you as their partner, which they also do to feel better about themselves.
- Putting their needs first – A narcissist always puts themselves first. If they feel that you do not give them something they need (even if it is reasonable), they will start looking for other ways to get it. Therefore, they might cheat, for instance, to fulfill their sexual fantasies.
- They feel superior – While in reality, narcissists have low self-esteem, in practice, they believe that they are superior to others. This leads to them thinking that the rules do not apply to them. After all, in their mind, you should be happy that they even want to be with you, even if it means that they are cheating.
Narcissist Cheating Patterns
What are the patterns of cheating narcissists? In this case, we can highlight these 4 behaviors:
- Having many partners at the same time – Due to their distorted perception of themselves, narcissists often involve themselves in cheating with numerous sexual partners at the same time. They also get bored quickly and change partners frequently.
- Tale-telling – When cheating, narcissists are likely to come up with far-fetched stories about their sexual encounters.
- Staying away – While the fact that a narcissist spends a lot of time without you doesn’t have to indicate cheating, it often does. However, if a narcissistic partner boasts about how much fun they have with other people, this might suggest that they are cheating, and it is all a part of boosting the narcissist’s self-esteem by making you feel inferior.
- Cruelty – If a narcissist is cheating, this means that you stopped meeting their needs. This, on the other hand, results in them being more cruel, abusive, and violent towards you.
The Takeaway
As you can see, narcissists can be faithful sexually, but they will always put their emotional needs first. Patterns like tale-telling, cruelty, staying away, or meeting multiple new people might indicate that a narcissistic partner is cheating. Therefore, watch out for them, but above all – avoid such partners, as they will never be fully committed emotionally.
You might also read: Dating in Your 30s – Challenges and Opportunities
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Frequently Asked Questions
Having multiple partners, creating elaborate stories, becoming distant, boasting about attention from others, and becoming increasingly cruel toward their partner are patterns discussed in this article.
They can choose to stop cheating, but lasting commitment depends on consistent behavior, honesty, accountability, and respect for their partner, not simply promises or temporary changes.
Not necessarily. Spending more time away is not proof of cheating, but it may become concerning when combined with secrecy, inconsistent explanations, or other changes in behavior.
Yes, a narcissist can be sexually faithful when they believe staying faithful benefits them or fulfills their needs within the relationship.
Yes. A narcissist may avoid physical cheating while still dismissing their partner’s feelings, prioritizing their own needs, or using manipulation within the relationship.
Narcissists may cheat to seek validation, boost their self-esteem, satisfy their desires, or find attention they feel they are not receiving from their partner.
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