You may have heard the term narcissism before. You might even know someone in your life who fits that description. Narcissism is relatively common, so the chances are high that you know someone who qualifies.
You can get narcissistic personality disorder treatment, though not everyone with this diagnosis will willingly submit to it. Those who do can get better with their behavior, and they should be able to connect with those around them more meaningfully because of it.
You should also understand, though, that there is what is called overt narcissism, and there is another variety that a doctor would refer to as covert. We’ll take a moment right now to discuss the difference between them.
What is Overt Narcissism?
If someone is an overt narcissist, you’ll seldom hear them talk about anything that’s not directly about them. Narcissism means self-love, and that means if you’re not talking about the person who has it, they will always want to change the subject so that the focus is back on them.
They will also display behavior where the spotlight ends up on them, regardless of the situation. They might enter a room and immediately dominate the conversation. They won’t give anyone else a chance to shine because, in their mind, they are the most important person anywhere, and it makes sense that they should be the focal point of anything happening.
What About Covert Narcissism?
Covert narcissism is a little different. If narcissism, in general, can be described as a form of power-seeking, the covert version might not be as obvious, but it has the same goal.
Someone who is a covert narcissist wants to be the center of attention, but they understand that it’s not very socially acceptable to steer the conversation back to them forcefully. They might use subtler tactics, but they still want to end up dominating any room or situation in which they find themselves.
How Can You Tell Which Kind Someone Has?
Self-serving behavior are always a sign of narcissism, but you might not be able to tell immediately which kind someone has. Look for these telltale differences, though.
Overt narcissists might seem insufferable because they unfailingly turn the conversation back to themselves. They’re smug and egocentric, but strangely, they may also seem more emotionally stable than their covert narcissist counterparts. That’s because they accept it as a matter of course that everyone else will want to talk about them, just as they themselves do.
A covert narcissist is more prone to what is sometimes referred to as narcissistic rage. This occurs when someone wants to be the center of attention and be recognized for their superiority, but their subtler means of bringing that about aren’t being successful. That can frustrate them and cause them to show violent displays of temper.
Research indicates that the covert narcissist is more neurotic than the overt kind. Though neither one is much fun to be around, you’re much more inclined to see aggression or anger from the covert narcissist.
