Reply to I want to get away from friend groups/communities with this specific type of woman: where to go?

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Reply to "I want to get away from friend groups/communities with this specific type of woman: where to go?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I've lived in DC for over a decade now and I keep winding up in situations where I am in close proximity to a very specific type of woman: type A, overachiever, from a doting family (think super involved grandparents, parents who always told her she was smarter and better than other kids), married to a high earning man (usually a somewhat bro-y guy who is easy going but kind of dense and boring). Very smart to the point of being manipulative in social settings. Can gossip/talk $hit about other women in a way that never comes off as gossipy but accomplishes the same goal. Forceful (which I might say is a euphemism for pushy, but she and others would describe her as forceful or "a force of nature"). Maneuvers into positions of authority in every setting -- work, volunteer orgs, PTA, neighborhood, her regular barre studio, a wedding party, the dog park. Has two kinds of friends: (1) frenemies, who are women who are just like her against whom she competes for control of things, but they are surface friends and they secretly do not like each other, and (2) minions, women who look up to her and sing her praises at every turn and whom she is often "helping" in ways that some people (me) would find condescending and over-involved.

Not here to discuss whether this type of person is good or bad. It's a type. There are many in DC, and I would like to minimize my exposure to them. I have found that once I am in a community with this sort of person, it is hard to get her to ignore me or leave me alone, and she either tries to adopt me as a minion (most common, I really hate this, I don't want to be someone's acolyte and I really, really hate being told how to handle my life so it just doesn't work) or she will target me as a threat and start talking negatively about me behind my back. Directness doesn't work because they will either just steamroll over your direct request ("please stop suggesting jobs for me, I am not job hunting" and then they keep doing it because they are convinced you don't know what is best for you) or will attempt to manipulate and maneuver around it.

So I give up. I just want one place where I can be social and have friends in DC where there isn't a woman like this. If this is you, where do you NOT go. Or have any of you found a secret place where these women aren't? I just want to be free. I am tired. Would moving away from DC help? If so, where?[/quote]

Why someone speaking about even anodyne aspects of your life in even a very casual, conversational fashion irritate you to the bone so much:

Narcissists strongly dislike being questioned because it threatens their fragile ego, exposes their insecurities, challenges their sense of superiority, and forces accountability they want to avoid, leading them to deflect, lie, gaslight, or attack the questioner instead of answering truthfully. Questions feel like personal attacks, forcing them to confront flaws or lies, which they cannot tolerate, as it contradicts their inflated self-image.

Why questioning triggers them:
Fear of exposure: Questions can reveal lies, mistakes, or weaknesses, making them feel vulnerable and exposed. 
No accountability: They avoid responsibility, and answering requires admitting fault, which they resist. 
Control & Power: Evasion maintains control and frustrates you, reinforcing their sense of dominance. 
Insecurity: Their inflated self-image is a defense mechanism; questions chip away at it, triggering defensiveness or rage. 
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