It is not uncommon for narcissists to have many fragmented relationships. These will more than likely be with the people who know them the best, like siblings or parents. If family and friends don’t understand narcissists, they may feel overwhelmed, criticized, confused by the narcissist’s behavior, which may include lying, manipulation, or theft.

Generally, people who have known the narcissist the longest tend to cut off contact because they are tired of The narcissist often projects their own behavior onto other people. What this means is, if the narcissist is a liar or a cheater, more than likely these will be the descriptions they use to explain their estranged friend or family member.

The narcissist’s friendships are generally superficial, insincere work friends or people that can help them in some way. The deep real friendships of having friends from high school and camp are unlikely to be in the narcissist’s life.

Often these things happen

Many narcissists come to you with few if any friends or family and love the fact that you have so many friends. Now they adapt to your life, your parties, your peeps. Often when they initially meet your friends they begin scanning them to see how loyal they are to you. They test them by making little jokes about you, adding that little touch of truth so they believe it. If the friend does not speak up in your defense but laughs at the little joke, the narcissist will be interested in getting closer to this person. They have found themselves a possible flying monkey or a person that they can disrupt or ruin your friendship/relationship with.

All of this is a data-collection game to learn how to control you or hurt you later. Once the mission is achieved and they now follow all your friends and family on Facebook, injecting themselves into your life. Later, this will be a way to get between your friends and spread lies about you. Over time, the narcissist isolates you and eventually, you have lost all your friends and support. This is the goal of them hanging with your peeps.