How A Narcissist is Made

2026-07-15 · 38 min · episode 165 · 16 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

→ hosted by Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler
→ hosted by Brett Kistler person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Brett Kistler
→ discusses Business company

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business
→ discusses Education concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Education
→ discusses Health & Fitness concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Health & Fitness
→ discusses Self-Improvement concept

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Self-Improvement
→ discusses Mental Health person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Mental Health
→ discusses Management website

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Management

Entities found in this episode

persons 6

mentioned Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler person

0.70

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler
mentioned Brett Kistler person

0.70

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Brett Kistler
hosted by Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler
hosted by Brett Kistler person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: Brett Kistler
mentioned Mental Health person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Mental Health
discusses Mental Health person

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evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Mental Health

concepts 6

mentioned Education concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Education
mentioned Health & Fitness concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Health & Fitness
mentioned Self-Improvement concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Self-Improvement
discusses Education concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Education
discusses Health & Fitness concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Health & Fitness
discusses Self-Improvement concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Self-Improvement

companys 2

mentioned Business company

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business
discusses Business company

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Business

websites 2

mentioned Management website

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Management
discusses Management website

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Management

Episode description as stored

The word "narcissist" has been thrown around so casually that it has effectively replaced calling someone an "asshole." However, this reflexive labeling often prevents the very thing that could actually heal the dynamic. In this episode, Joe and Brett offer a different lens on narcissism: not as a category of "bad people," but as a spectrum we are all on, rooted in an inability to feel. Together, they explore what's actually happening underneath narcissistic behavior, why the person on the receiving end is often doing very similar internal work, and how genuine healing happens on both sides of the dynamic. They discuss: Why "narcissist" has become a defensive way to call someone an asshole Alexander Lowen's definition: narcissism as the inability to feel The spectrum from aggressive to passive narcissism (and how everyone lands somewhere on it) Why the "I'm more humble than you" move is still narcissism The role healthy narcissism plays in leadership, art, and building anything meaningful Containing vs. confronting: how to hold a loving boundary that doesn't trigger shame Why so many people who get called assholes actually want to be met with a boundary The symbiotic pull: why some people go through life looking for a narcissist to attach to Handing off your doubt as the seductive comfort of narcissistic relationships Why healed narcissism becomes the leadership we all actually want Working with your own anger to meet the attack without collapse or counter-attack Owning your own narcissism: the shadow work required on both sides Seeing the innocence: the child who was never cared for, built for war Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.