Law and Mind

Narcissistic abuse, a type of emotional abuse inflicted by someone with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) or narcissistic traits, can fundamentally change a victim’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. People with NPD or narcissistic tendencies often lack empathy and use manipulation or emotional blackmail tactics ranging from gaslighting to love bombing to boost their self-esteem and meet their needs. This manipulative and exploitative behavior can take a long-term toll o

Rationalization is a defence mechanism (ego defence) in which people justify difficult or unacceptable feelings with seemingly logical reasons and explanations. For example, a student who is rejected from her dream college may explain that she's happy to be attending a school that's less competitive and more welcoming. The same is with the tale of the Fox and the sour grapes too. A pparent logical reasons are given to justify behaviour that is motivated by unconscious insti

People tend to avoid change. Whether it’s deciding what to order at a restaurant or selecting a new approach towards a way of life, choosing something you are already familiar with is often the most tempting path. A status quo bias or default bias is a cognitive bias which results from a preference for the maintenance of one's existing state of affairs. The current baseline (or status quo) is taken as a reference point, and any change from that baseline is perceived as a lo

The sunk cost fallacy is most dangerous when we have invested a lot of time, money, energy or love into something. This investment becomes a reason to carry on, even if we are dealing with a lost cause. The more we invest, the greater the sunk costs are, and the greater the urge to continue becomes. Relationships are not immune to the sunk cost fallacy, especially when one believes that having invested a lot of time, money, energy or love into the relationship, it would not b

No uniform standard can ever be laid down for guidance, yet we deem it appropriate to enumerate some instances of human behaviour which may be relevant in dealing with the cases of ’mental cruelty’. The instances indicated in the succeeding paragraphs are only illustrative and not exhaustive. On consideration of complete matrimonial life of the parties, acute mental pain, agony and suffering as would not make possible for the parties to live with each other could come withi

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 allows either the husband or wife to seek divorce on the ground of cruelty. Cruelty is broadly defined as any conduct that would cause reasonable apprehension in the mind of the petitioner that it is harmful or injurious to live with the respondent. It can be physical or mental, intentional or unintentional, and is a subjective concept that varies in each case depending on the facts and circumstances. Concept of Cruelty: Cruelty is defined as co

In Indian culture, narcissistic behaviours are tolerated and rationalized by misinterpreting them as tradition, duty, or parental love. This occurs within a highly hierarchical social structure where power dynamics often enable abuse. Cultural enablers, such as joint family systems and societal pressure, normalize these behaviours, making it difficult for survivors to recognize or address the abuse. Normalizing abuse as tradition and duty Disguising abuse as love: Manipu

Ending an abusive relationship is never easy. Ending one with a narcissist can be especially difficult as they can be so charming and charismatic—at least at the start of the relationship or if you threaten to leave. It’s easy to become disoriented by the narcissist’s manipulative behaviour, caught up in the need to seek their approval, or even to feel “gaslighted” and doubt your own judgement. If you’re codependent, your desire to be loyal may trump even your need to preserv

Narcissism comes in several forms. Adaptive Narcissism: This occurs when a person with this disorder leans into positive traits—such as self-sufficiency and confidence—that can actually be healthy. They may help someone set high ambitions at work, for example, or enjoy satisfying relationships without being overdependent on a partner. Maladaptive Narcissism: On the other hand, this form of Narcissism is characterized by the toxic traits, such as a sense of entitlement and w