The Mask of Cooperation: When “Working Together” Isn’t Real

Weekday 3 — Seeing Through the Mask

Narcissists know how to fake cooperation. They’ll smile, nod, and make it look like you’re on the same team. But here’s the truth: their “yes” usually hides a silent “no.” Cooperation is just a mask to buy time, keep you calm, or shift blame later.

Think about the moments when you finally felt like progress was being made—only to realize later nothing actually changed. That’s the cooperation mask at work. It’s not about solving problems. It’s about control, delay, and keeping you hooked with false hope.

“They agreed in the moment, but when it came time to act, it was excuses, silence, or flipping the script to make me look unreasonable.” — Survivor story, shared in community healing groups

Why the cooperation mask cuts deep

• False progress: It feels like forward motion, but it’s just stalling.
• Gaslighting setup: Later, they’ll say, “We never agreed,” twisting your reality.
• Hope manipulation: By dangling cooperation, they keep you tied to the cycle.

How to break free from false cooperation

Watch what people do, not what they say. If promises don’t become actions, you’re dealing with a mask. Real cooperation is consistent. It shows up over time, not just in one convenient conversation.

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