Narcissists can have a superficial charm to them. They are very good at creating an image that can be very misleading and far from the truth of who they really are. We might get attracted to the confidence and the love bombing in the early stages of a relationship with them. So after the later stages of de-valuing and discarding starts and some time has passed, we might become invested in the relationship and fall in love with the narcissist. Then we are faced with the question of can a narcissist ever change? It is an important question to answer if you are in a relationship with a narcissist.
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a complex condition that is characterized by an exaggerated sense of self- importance, inability to recognize the needs of others and empathize with them, and a sense of entitlement and manipulative behavior. However, similar to other mental health disorders, it’s important to remember that personality disorders lie on a spectrum. Some limited change might possible for those who have milder traits. But generally, narcissism is very resistant to change.
People with NPD have learned to suppress, deny and minimize their vulnerabilities to protect the perfect self- image. This process of denial and suppression makes it difficult for them to gain insight into their situation and attempt to change, because true change can only happen as a result of self- reflection and insight into our condition. With individuals who don’t have the ability to take accountability in regards to their mistakes, they tend to block their own path towards bettering themselves.
