How Can You Tell If You Have A Covert Narcissist In Your Life?

Self-worth is an important and healthy quality to have. However, narcissists will often take this to the extreme and view themselves as overly important. They are the center of their own universe, which leads to manipulative behavior. While overt actions are quite obvious in their presentation, covert narcissists are harder to observe because they might appear humble on the outside but still have similar desires internally.

Covert narcissism is further complicated because the contributing factors are a combination of the way someone was raised, any abuse or trauma they had to endure as a child, their genetics, and the unique characteristics of their demeanor. While studies suggest that being overly criticized while growing up can lead to narcissistic tendencies in adulthood, being praised excessively can be just as problematic since it establishes a sense of superiority early on.

Being raised by parents who are deeply invested in being successful and having a high social standing can also contribute to children becoming narcissistic adults. Of course, if you are questioning if someone in your life is a covert narcissist, you may not be aware of the details of their past. Therefore, monitoring what causes certain reactions will be essential when figuring out how to proceed.