The portrayal of a narcissist is everywhere in movies, books and even crime documentaries. Some of these archetypes are compelling. If you try to poll people on the streets on how they define a narcissist, they may come up with a string of flowery names such as self-centered, egotistic, vain, cocky and so on.
In psychology, the term narcissism describes someone who has “an excessive love or admiration of oneself, often to the detriment of others,” says licensed psychotherapist Annie Wright — a notion that goes back to the Greek myth of Narcissus. And she adds, “that actions and behaviors resulting from narcissistic tendencies encompass an extensive spectrum — from overt, grandiose expressions to more covert, unobtrusive forms.”
Meaning, you may have dealt with a narcissist and didn’t even know. A person doesn't need to be loud, or overt, to be a narcissist. Instead, they can be shy or quiet like a covert narcissist. But since a covert narcissist isn’t easy to recognize, how do you know you are dealing with one?
What Is a Covert Narcissist?
A covert narcissist is a person with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) who, at some point, did not develop self-esteem. As a result, they exhibit a high level of self-importance and lack empathy toward others. Covert narcissists differ from overt narcissists in that they are subtle in their approach. Also, overt narcissists are loud and extravagant.
