I have suffered from low self esteem for a good part of my life. I blaim it on my upbringing. We were always the poor relatives. My parents always argued about money (not enough of it). When I was 8 my mother gave birth to my brother who was born severly mentally retarded and deformed. BUT, I think I pulled myself up "by my bootstraps" and now at the age of 62, I feel pretty good about myself. Married to the same woman who I met in college for 40 years, Two good and pretty sucessful kids. A house, 2 cars 2 dogs and a cat, Paying my taxes and mortgage (although it's getting to be a struggle).

But, having lived through my rocky beginnings, I can't stand narcessistic behavior in others. There are two people in particular I have a problem with. My son's wife. She is so freaken perky and happy and la-de-da, I want to kill her! Whenever I go on facebook she has 10 or 15 new posts making statements about how wonderful she is, how "amazing" she is etc. All of these accompanied by new profile pictures showing her in more and more "galmourous" poses. I don't know how my son lives with her?

Next is a "friend" we have had for about 38 years. A guy who is married to a great lady friend. If it weren't for her I wouldn't have anything to do with this guy. He is so narcissistic and self centered it's unbelievable. He hates to come to our house because he likes you to be at his house so he can be in control.
First there is Eating: When there, if we order food in, it has to be what he likes. He sits down at the table and serves himself first, usually hogging any special dishes. He has no qualms about telling you you shouldn't take too much of this or that. He gets up to get himself what he likes to drink, never asking if anybody else wants anything.
Then there is his belittleing behavior: over the years we have given this couple various gifts for various occasions. On his 50 th birthday we gave him an authentic, original framed 1969 Woodstock poster. It was a real one not a reproduction. Last year when they redid their den I aksed where they had put the poster (which when we gave it to him was worth about $500-$800, by now it would fetch over $1000 at auction) He said, "Oh that thing, it's down in the basement with all the other old crap." When I said it was not crap but a valuable poster, he INSISTED that I had told him it was a repro and not worth much.

His son, who is a lot like him was out of work for a few years. Knowing the kid was good with computers, my wife set him up for an interview with a software company president she knew. The son got the job...a very good, high paying job. A few years later when the tech bubble burst and the company went under, my wife mentioned how bad she felt because she had gotten him the job. Our "friend" jumpped up exclaiming, "YOU didn't get him the job, he got it on his own!!!"

And on and on little things like that that drive me crazy. As I've said, we've been friends with this couple for 38 years. I'd love to tell him off, but my wife would kill me if I did. but every time we're with them, my skin crawls.