How Narcissists Hijack Your Brain - Dr Peter Salerno

What this episode covers

Dr Peter Salerno is a social psychologist, professor, and researcher. Why are narcissists so manipulative? At some point in your life, you’ve probably encountered a narcissist. They can take control of a situation so subtly that before you realize it, you’re caught under their influence. So how can you spot a narcissist early, and what can you do to protect yourself from their manipulation? Expect to learn why people repeatedly tend to hurt others deliberately, which parts of the brain are actually involved in empathy and self-control, why the idea that “hurt people hurt people” is so attractive, why narcissists often pull someone close and then suddenly push them away, how to spot when flirting or drama turn into manipulation, if someone can be genuinely in emotional pain and still choose to hurt others and much more… Timestamps: (0:00) How Peter Discovered His Niche in Psychology (3:31) Which Personality Types Cause the Most Conflict? (10:05) What Causes Cluster B Personality Disorders? (12:54) Is Antagonistic Behaviour Genetic? (17:42) How Cluster B Traits Evolved Over Time (21:54) The Neuroscience Behind Personality Disorders (31:06) Do Narcissists Devalue Everything? (39:48) Are Personality Disorders a Choice? (43:48) What Are The Other Cluster Disorders? (46:50) Why “Hurt People Hurt People” Is So Compelling (53:30) What Narcissism Really Is (01:02:00) Narcissists vs Psychopaths: Who Is More Dangerous? (01:04:55) Which Personality Disorders Commonly Occur Together? (01:09:21) The Hardest Personality Disorder to Treat (01:12:38) How Real Change Happens in Personality Disorders (01:18:58) Who Get Stuck in Toxic Relationships? (01:24:11) How Sexuality is Utilised in Personality Disorders (01:28:26) Things Cluster B Personalities Rarely Do (01:32:43) How Cluster B Personality Traits Develop (01:38:15) How Likely Are We to Be Histrionic? (01:40:16) The Biggest Sex Differences in Personality Disorders (01:44:53) Where to Find Peter Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠ Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get 15% off your first order of my favourite Non-Alcoholic Brew at https://athleticbrewing.com/modernwisdom New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠ Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠ #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠ #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠ - Get In Touch: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠ Email: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/contact⁠ - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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How long is this episode of Modern Wisdom?

This episode is 1 hour and 45 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 7, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Dr Peter Salerno is a social psychologist, professor, and researcher. Why are narcissists so manipulative? At some point in your life, you’ve probably encountered a narcissist. They can take control of a situation so subtly that before you realize...

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