Narcissism is a psychological disorder in which sufferers have an overly inflated sense of self and importance. Someone suffering from narcissistic personality disorder is truly self-centered and does not consider the feelings of others. This self-centeredness is one of the main connections between narcissism and divorce. The narcissistic personality is always thinking about how to please the self without any regard or consideration for how his or her actions might affect the spouse.
This disregard for the feeling of others is carried over to the divorce. Narcissism and divorce often result in a raw deal for the partner divorcing the narcissist. The narcissist often behaves with extreme hostility toward his or her spouse because he or she sees the spouse as an opposition to a goal. It does not matter if the narcissist was the cause of the divorce through his or her insensitivity and other actions. The narcissist will still try to manipulate his or her spouse by resorting to self-serving tactics.
The situation is further compounded if the person who initiated the divorce is the one not suffering from narcissism. This is like a blow to the ego of the narcissist, who believes the world revolves around him or her. Narcissism and divorce are also connected because marriage to a narcissist is one of daily sacrifice on the part of the other partner who has to keep giving up more and more expectations and needs to satisfy the narcissist. Some of the things the partner may have to sacrifice include acceptance, love, understanding and the feeling that someone is there for him or her. A narcissist is often not willing to compromise, so the partner must be willing to do things his or her way in order for the marriage to work.
Such a person might even be threatened by the success of his or her partner and will not hesitate to belittle the partner's achievements. Another aspect that makes it difficult to live with a narcissist is the fact that he or she does not have the ability to empathize with others. This makes it difficult for that person to understand what other people are going through and to show consideration for others' feelings. For instance, a narcissist who is used to having his wife having dinner on the table may not care that that she has a headache. He would still expect her to prepare his meal, regardless. Narcissism and divorce are also related since the spouses who do not want to continue living that way will eventually seek for a divorce.
