6 Professions Narcissists Choose and WHY they Choose it
If you have been a victim of narcissistic abuse, you may go through a stage questioning everyone around you, that is, if they are a narcissist, or not. The road to recovering from narcissistic abuse, is fun, isn’t it?
In this article, we are going to take a look at professions that commonly have narcissists – and why a narcissist is attracted to that particular profession.
Disclaimer: You may know me by now, in that I am not stating that everyone in X profession is a narcissist, but felt this disclaimer is helpful for new readers. Not everyone in X profession is a narcissist.
Another Disclaimer: Narcissists can be found in every profession. They are not all found “in one place”. We cannot detect if someone is a narcissist merely by profession.
If you are trying to avoid running into a narcissist, you may just want to have an awareness that the following professions have a high likelihood to have a greater than average number of those with Narcissistic Personality Disorder in it.
Of course, who’s really knows… since narcissists typically do not get diagnosed – which is discussed in Master Manipulators: Discover Covert Tactics Narcissists Devise to Manipulate, Deceive and Control, get your copy here.
So, let’s take a look at our list of professions that narcissists are drawn toward and the motivation on why it’s a good match for them.
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Teachers and Professors
Narcissists love to be center of attention.
What can be more enticing to a narcissist, than a group of students to impart wisdom and knowledge to fawning over your every word? The teaching or professor profession offers a continual supply of narcissistic supply from students, day in and day out.
Why it works for the Narcissist: Students often reminisce of times in the classroom with favorable views of their teacher/professor for years afterward. Professors will garner the student’s attention for 50 minutes, 3 times a week or more – every week.
A narcissist sees this profession with a different set of eyes, than your normal human who may enter this profession for other reasons, like the desire to teach. A narcissist enjoys the attention, the control element, along with even having super-hero status on campus, to list a few.
Law Enforcement/Police Force to Include Military
Narcissists are drawn to law enforcement due to the power and control this position affords them.
Entertainment/Social Media Influencers
I don’t believe this one will come to surprise many. The draw to this occupation is the ability to influence a broad range of people and to be “known.” The narcissists love the attention, and the ongoing attention – even if from complete strangers.
Corporate Management
It is not uncommon for a narcissist to be in corporate management. In fact, if we look a little broader, we may see many corporations are run narcissistically. The Mental Health News Radio discusses the topic of corporate narcissism in further detail, see the article here.
Reclaim Your Power
According to a 2012 survey by Career Builder, “35% of workers said they have felt bullied at work.”
“Nearly half of workers don’t confront their bullies, and the majority of incidents go unreported.”
“The most common way workers reported being bullied was getting blamed for mistakes they didn’t make followed by not being acknowledged and the use of double standards.”
The Ministry / Priesthood
The Priesthood and the Ministry including the evangelical ministry has been in the spotlight in recent years on other topics, but it’s a profession that attracts narcissists due to the power, control, and authority the ministry can have over people and their lives.
Need a Life Saving Divorce?
by Gretchen Baskerville
Check out Life-Saving Divorce: Hope for People Leaving Destructive Relationships by Gretchen Baskerville
This book is geared toward those who are in the Christian Communities, and Gretchen does a fantastic job of surfacing the issues within the church realm.
Is it Me: Making sense of your confusing marriage
by Natalie Hoffmann
One out of three married women sitting in an average conservative Christian church is in a confusing and painful marriage relationship. These women believe they are alone. I want them to know they aren’t. They believe they can’t find peace. I want them to know they can. They believe they don’t have choices. I want them to know they do.
Politicians
Another career choice for many narcissists is to be in the political spotlight. Being in politics garners not only attention and supply on a regular basis, but also has its fair share of control on a large scale. Do you think lack of empathy draws many to politics? Leave a comment below!
Resources
If you are looking for a resources to assist in overcoming a relationship with a narcissist within the Christian community, there are two resources linked below. Moving Forward with Hope is not an affiliate of these services.
Resource: Directory of Christian Counseling for Narcissists and Victims
Resource: Overcoming Damage Due to Narcissistic Christian Counseling
Additional Resources
Please visit our Recommended Books Page and for additional books by recommended authors, HERE.
Final Thoughts
Narcissists can be in any profession, but there are several that they seem to be drawn to on a regular basis due to the similarities in what they can receive from it – such as the power, control, authority, and attention which provides for a constant level of supply for the narcissist.
What has been your experience?