Carolyn Hax: You’re about to marry a narcissist

Hi, Carolyn: I’ve got a problem with my fiance and partner of 4 1/2 years.

The good: He’s brilliant, creatively resourceful, outgoing, easy to talk to, wonderful at supporting me with my health issues, and aligns with me on so many of the big-picture goals that really matter.

The bad: He’s stubborn, opinionated yet strongly influenced by the opinions of others, and sometimes unable to empathize. I’m no doctor, but we both believe he may have a touch of narcissism.

The problem we’re having is about my name. I’m just not sure I’m comfortable assuming his name, I don’t like hyphenation, and I don’t want to lose my middle name (which holds a ton of family history) by putting my maiden name there. I’m also a feminist and don’t think I like the tradition I’d be supporting by doing this.

My understanding after several unsuccessful talks is that it matters to him because it matters to his family and society as a whole. I want to value what matters to him, but admittedly I struggle to not see that as a really stupid motivator.

Last week we had our biggest fight yet about this. He told me that I WOULD take his name one way or another, and that he wouldn’t discuss it further.

He had a real chance of talking me into it if he’d come to me thoughtfully and lovingly and stated his case. But he went as far as to imply that he would not marry me unless I caved on this.

His whole handling of this argument is making me think maybe this is a mistake. I mean, this is MARRIAGE we’re heading for. We’re planning a WEDDING. I’m feeling bullied and totally misunderstood and disrespected. We’ve been through some major trials, but we’ve never been so unable to communicate. Meanwhile we have appointments with caterers and photographers coming up and I don’t know if we should cancel this whole thing or what. What are your thoughts? – What’s in a Name?

A “touch of narcissism” = only somewhat impressed with oneself?

I keep starting answers that break this issue down to its component parts, like this false start: “His good traits seem to make him entertaining to know while the bad ones make him hell to live with.”

Or, “This issue alone has foiled you because it’s one on which you’re both emotional and deeply invested, so you can’t fall back on having one of you (as in, you?) just care less about it than the other.”

Or, “Your equivocation – ‘I’m just not sure,’ I ‘don’t think I like,’ ‘I struggle to not see that as … really stupid’ – leaves you particularly vulnerable to someone stubborn and/or narcissistic.”

Or just, “Cancel or postpone every distraction – caterers, photographers, even the name argument – so you can bring a clear mind to the question of whether you’re making a mistake.”

But every time I start one of these answers, this thought overtakes it: You’ve got your hand on the doorknob, poised to exit a relationship with someone who behaves badly enough for the word “narcissist” to be in play. Can I in good conscience suggest anything, even a schedule adjustment, that might keep you inside?

You don’t need a medical degree or diagnosis here. If you’ve been fair in your depiction of what you’ve witnessed over the past five-ish years – that, for whatever reason, your fiance is either unwilling or unable to put anyone’s interests above his own – then you know exactly what you’re signing up for with this marriage.