How Narcissists Hijack Your Brain - Dr Peter Salerno - #1068
March 7, 2026
1 hr 45 min
1068
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1,066 of 1,112
Episode 1068 · March 7, 2026
How Narcissists Hijack Your Brain - Dr Peter Salerno - #1068
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Chris Williamson Episodes Around March 7, 2026
Episode 1,066 of 1,112 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
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How Narcissists Hijack Your Brain - Dr Peter Salerno - #1068
Summary
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
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