There is a word for setting someone up to trigger then sitting back and waiting for them to take the proverbial bait — it’s called PROVOKING… and it’s a common Narcissistic Abuse tactic used by people prone most often to aggression, bullying, and attention demanding.
Narcissistic people tend to specialize in provoking people so they will lose their cool in a wide variety of public and private social settings. A major social coup in an Abuser’s eyes is not simply making other people mad; their real power rush comes from making them break down and cry.
After being successfully baited to engage with a narcissistic predator playing their mind control games, the target is deliberately taunted or annoyed to the point that they crack. It’s a hook, line, and sinker scenario that leaves the Abuser in the position of satisfied predator when and if a target “takes the bait” (allowing themselves to be provoked into response the same way wild game or fish would fall victim to taking bait from a hunter or fisherman).
The Victim is typically left feeling both worked over psychologically and emotionally while being spiritually abused. Victims who come from toxic families tend to report that over the course of their lives, they were forced to tolerate gross levels of verbal, emotional, or psychological abuse. C-PTSD is greatly caused in part by toxic people baiting victim(s).
Targets for abuse by provocation report feeling any number of the following words to describe the pervasive core emotional feeling of being brutalized and subsequently shamed or ridiculed when and if they accidentally start to cry or get so frustrated that they finally say something:
- baited
- trapped
- tricked
- duped
- conned
- triggered
- set up
- taunted
- teased
- goaded
- picked on or that people in their personal life pick on them shamelessly and without mercy
- tormented
- persecuted
- plagued by
- harried
- bothered or that a sibling or needy parent (for instance) keeps bothering them incessantly
- harassed or suffer ongoing harassment
- hounded
- chased
- hunted
- antagonized
- needled
Can you think of another word choice that should or could be added to this list to help other Narcissistic Abuse victims find their way by keyword or key phrase back to this list? Be sure to share this comment on our Facebook page with a comment about it.
Keep the faith and educate. Learn to observe (rather than react).
Narcissistic people are compulsively attention seeking by nature and most have a streak of sadism. Understand that when they bait to provoke and you react, they are likely to play innocent in an attempt to undermine your social credibility and hurt you by gaslighting with malice at the same time.
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