What Are Some Common Phrases Used by Covert Narcissists?

Narcissist is the term used to describe a person with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) or commonly referred to as narcissism.

A narcissist has narcissistic traits, such as:

• Grandiose delusions (unusual high belief in self or give extreme self-importance)
• Arrogance
• Thoughtlessness
• Selfishness
• Low empathy, which makes their relationships difficult
• Constant need of attention and admiration from others

A covert narcissist is a person with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and has all the narcissistic traits. Covert narcissism is the vulnerable type of narcissism, also referred to as closet narcissism or introverted narcissism.

These people are socially withdrawn, shy, and hypersensitive to criticism and consider themselves better than others. They do not tend to show grandiosity openly, but they are self-absorbed, do not care about others’ emotions, and tend to blame others for all the consequences.

The symptoms of a covert narcissist are often confused with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders.

The 7 signs of covert narcissism include:

1. Even though they have a vast social circle and a great number of friends, they cannot sustain deep personal, romantic, or professional ties due to their self-absorbed nature.
2. They possess attention-seeking behavior and always ask for more from others without contributing anything toward the relationship. This makes others uncomfortable and difficult to maintain a relationship.
3. They tend to hurt others’ feelings or cause issues within a group, but they blame others for their intentions and actions.
4. They worry so much about themselves to a point that they do not care about others’ emotions and frequently rely on others to ease their own negative emotions.
5. They indulge in friendship or a relationship for their benefit and eliminate any relationship if it is no longer feeding their self-esteem and beneficial. They pursue someone who can provide the attention they seek.
6. If they do not get an ego boost, they tend to criticize others in such a manner that it causes severe emotions of disgrace.
7. Despite being introverted, they do not apply the same standards to themselves as they do to others.