Jada Pinkett Smith says narcissism 'can be very painful and dangerous' on 'Red Table Talk'
Jada Pinkett Smith understands what it’s like to be hurt by a narcissist.
“In this industry, you come across all kinds of narcissists,” the actress said on Monday’s episode of “Red Table Talk.” The entire show was dedicated to examining narcissists, and the guest was Ramani Durvasula, PhD, the author of the new book, Don’t You Know Who I Am?: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility.
When the clinical psychologist asked Pinkett Smith if she’d ever been hurt by a narcissist, she gave an emphatic yes.
“Definitely. Big time. Big time. Devastated,” Pinkett Smith said. “Because you bring people into your inner sanctum. They make you believe that they’re one thing, and then something happens, and you realize that they are something completely and utterly different. It can be very painful and dangerous.”
Durvasula discussed the actual portrait of a narcissist, and she’s seeing more of them before than in the past. The entertainment industry is rife with them, she noted.
“A lot of people think it’s somebody who’s just into themselves, but it’s actually almost the opposite of self-love,” Durvasula said. “I’d almost call it self-hate.”
She described it further as someone who has no empathy but lots of entitlement. It’s a person who never wants to accept any of the blame for anything and when frustrated, he or she becomes enraged. The narcissist is also super-sensitive and deeply insecure, to the point where he or she constantly needs outside validation.
When Durvasula said that people-pleasers are one personality type that’s susceptible to narcissists, co-host Willow Smith said, “Low key, I might have a little bit of that.”
The clinical psychologist told her that “a lot of women do.”
The full episode of “Red Table Talk” is available on Facebook Watch.
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