4 Things You Don’t Realize They’re Doing Because They’re A Covert Narcissist
Appearing vulnerable, innocent, humble, and preying on your sympathy early on.
By Shahida Arabi
Covert or more vulnerable narcissists betray the traditional depiction of what we assume narcissists look like. They can appear more hypersensitive, shy, and even innocent. This is ultimately what makes them so dangerous — you rarely ever see them coming.
Appearing vulnerable, innocent, humble, and preying on your sympathy early on.
As psychologist Dr. Martha Stout notes, “The most reliable sign, the most universal behavior of unscrupulous people is not directed, as one might imagine, at our fearfulness. It is, perversely, an appeal to our sympathy.” She goes on to say that if the devil did exist, he would likely want us to feel sorry for him. There’s no bigger “victim” than a covert narcissist — even if the people they target have complex trauma histories that could easily “surpass” theirs. What lures their potential victims in so effectively is the façade covert narcissists put on. At the beginning of the relationship, they may express that they are insecure, fragile, depressed, anxious, struggling, and searching for true love. They might…
