If we can avoid massive collective issues that would be appreciated as there is very little agency the individual has to address those and that helpless ess can often extend to the more solvable individual matters we all grapple with but also occasionally rise to conquer.
Narcissists at work. Seriously. Manipulative fucks who are ladder climbing and have little interest in the field. They make my life harder. I currently have to deal with one at work and I know many more are up ahead. How do you handle someone who basically shows classic signs of narcissism, and controlling and toxic behavior, especially when the person themselves are not in the slightest open to the idea of changing or being wrong or seeking help.
I’ve tried setting boundaries, being nice, being sneaky, being absent/avoidant and nothing seems to work. This person has chosen me for some reason to be their pet or something and they get angry when I sway from the script (which is the case on a daily basis).
Malignant compliance maybe? I had a boss who kept nagging me about stuff she didn’t even know how to do so I decided to give her my undivided absolute attention calling her every time I was going to do somehing, every time while I was doing it, every time after completing the task and so on.
I did this for a while and only as a last resort because I was fed up with her attitude. It worked like a charm! Lol
I think that could be a helpful trick. I noticed someone else in our office did that to that person and this person got quite uncomfortable. :)
Cool! Just remember to use it sparingly and not let it become part of your personality.
“Either they leave or I leave” would be setting a boundary. Get some other people on your side in it.