7 Weird things covert narcissists do at work

Have you ever experienced emotional exhaustion at work because of the actions of another person? Some of our colleagues may have peculiar personality traits that make it difficult to understand them and exhausting to work with them. They can’t possibly a narcissists since they are so reserved and shy, right? Have you heard about the term narcissists before? Narcissism takes many different forms. So how can one tell whether someone is a covert narcissist or not? In this article, we will explore a list of weird things covert narcissists do at work.

Narcissists are those people who overestimate their importance. They have a hunger for adoration, acclaim, and praise. When considering their actions, it may be challenging to comprehend how narcissists are restrained in their approach and behavior. Although covert narcissists may appear outwardly modest, their ultimate objectives remain constant.

Covert narcissists exhibit numerous behaviors that indicate who they are. The likelihood is that they covertly bully you around, annoy you, and cause you to act strangely. You have to keep an eye on the weird things covert narcissists do as they operate under the radar; by the time they are discovered, they have likely already caused harm. Here are some of the irritating things these kinds of people do at work.

1. They act in a passive-aggressive manner

Although covert narcissists are not usually hostile, they will use subtle passive aggression to achieve their goals. One could treat someone silently, provide unintentional compliments, or covertly assign blame to make oneself look nice.

These are some of the weird things covert narcissists do. For example, they might obliquely commend your eating habits, look, and weight. Passive-aggressive behavior can be handled by being composed but these people can overpower you if you react.

2. They obstinately refuse to comply with your requests

When you ask a covert narcissist to do something for you, they are ready to give many justifications. They offer a variety of plausible and impossible explanations for why they didn’t complete the task you gave them.

They claim not to be disturbed at all when you inquire as to what is upsetting them to disregard your demands. It is a step in their process of putting on a flawless front to conceal their flaws and concerns from you.

Covert narcissists are “takers” who constantly seek something they can take from others. They are adamantly against giving people large gifts because they always think about what they will get in return.

3. They will subtly gaslight you while patiently waiting so

Gas lighting is the practice of tricking someone into questioning their views and memories. If you are the victim of a covert narcissist, you will be perplexed and never sure what to do next when the narcissist is absent.

Perception distortion is one of the weird things covert narcissists do and they also skew how other people perceive you. They propagate false information about you behind your back, leading strangers to view you suspiciously.

4. They are self-centered even in close relationships

Always putting their interests first before others, they think about how something will help them. They placed first things in their self-interest. Except when they have a stomach ache, the covert narcissist always eats the more significant portion of the pizza.

Covert narcissists are so consumed with themselves that they are unable to show genuine interest in others. Most often, they are attracted to those who can feed their narcissism by appreciating and adoring them.

5. They purposefully forget what you said

Their continuous forgetfulness about your needs is one of the weird things covert narcissists do as they don’t genuinely want to help you since they are self-centered and only concerned about themselves. But they are aware that they cannot simply reject you. So, with their intentional forgetting, they passively disobey you.

6. They are fixated on their reputation

They are preoccupied with their appearance for two reasons:

• It enables them to conceal their true selves.
• It aids them in gaining the respect of others.

A narcissist is self-conscious about their appearance. They must be flawless in their eyes, with a spotless reputation. This may resemble donating to a charity while knowing that their names will be made public. They require the approval of others.

Moreover, they are drawn to occupations like medicine, teaching, etc., that will help them gain the respect as well as the admiration of others. They make a huge deal out of their significant charitable donations.

7. They have an intense rivalry

A secret narcissist needs to demonstrate that they are superior to everyone else. They enjoy a challenge, especially in public. Even if it makes them appear arrogant, they want to project the finest possible image because they like the adrenaline that comes with the attention.

Their refusal to participate in the game rather than lose is one of the weird things covert narcissists do. If they lose 100 games, they will play games solely to win, then stop playing after they have won. They revel in the sufferings of others because they are constantly in the competition. They are unable to set aside their rivalry even briefly to feel compassion for those in need.

Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, even while covert narcissists may appear calm, composed, and collected on the outside, being with them in a close relationship can be stressful. Therefore, you have to be careful about weird things covert narcissists do as they use frequent manipulation to win over others while maintaining a charming demeanor. This makes it simple for them to convince other people to believe the inaccurate and flawed impression they have painted for you.

If you want to know or study more about narcissistic people, then click here for more articles on covert narcissism.