Episode 170 | Is 2026 the Fall of the Narcissist?

Since the beginning of this year, I've been hearing that 2026 would be the year of the fall of the narcissist. And I'll admit, there was a part of me that thought — yes, bring it on.

But recently I've started noticing something else: people we've placed in positions of authority being publicly questioned, challenged and exposed. I'm not diagnosing any of these people as narcissists, but it made me question how we give people so much power in the first place — particularly when they're charismatic, convincing and appear to have the answers we're searching for.

In this episode, I talk about some of those stories and about binge-listening to investigative journalist Isla Traquair's The Narcissist's Playbook, which explores serious allegations surrounding Sam Vaknin. Listening to the women describe their experiences brought an unexpected recognition of my own — particularly the belief that I could see the wounded child underneath the behaviour and somehow save or teach a grown man how to behave.

What surprised me most was being able to recognise so much of my own past without the energetic pull that once came with it. The connection had gone.

So perhaps the fall of the narcissist isn't only about watching people being exposed. Perhaps it's also about what happens when we stop feeding the dynamic — when we protect our energy, stop supplying the attention and stop waiting for their downfall before allowing ourselves to be free.

Whether 2026 brings the downfall of the person who hurt you or not, perhaps the real power shift happens when you break those ties, reclaim your energy and no longer need to wait and see what happens to them. #narcissistsplaybook #Isla Traquair #samvaknin