Disclaimer: This video is not made to attack anyone who may display these signs or anyone diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder, but rather to understand them and bring more awareness to the topic!

Have you ever met someone who’s just so full of themselves? Or maybe someone whose intentions aren’t obvious at first, but they suddenly start to show their true colors as time passes?

They might have narcissistic personality disorder. While narcissists have shared similarities like wanting control, high levels of entitlement, and excessive manipulation, they can further be distinguished into seven different types. 

Here are seven types of narcissists and how they act.

Malignant Narcissist

Do you know a boss that finds members of their team as expendable?

Malignant types have the general traits of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) – but they also carry more damaging characteristics that they could mask on the first impression. For one, they are egocentric and have antisocial behavior, with a “my way or the highway” mentality. They’re also ruthless, calculating, and uncaring people with extremely low levels of empathy, even to the point of actively enjoying the hurt of others. They have a win-at-all-cost mentality, which can hurt anyone involved with their antics. (Very Well Mind)

Vanity Narcissist

Do you know anyone who constantly flashes their achievements on social media?

The vanity narcissist loves attention and praise. They have a compulsion to be associated with the right people, the right job, and the perfect life in general. They brag their accomplishments to the world, tooting their horn without even taking a second to read the room. This type of narcissist is snobbish and condescending to people who have it worse than them. They distance themselves from people they deem unworthy, even if they were kind and gentle to them.

Covert Narcissist

Did you know narcissists don’t have to be openly flashy and flamboyant to be considered as one?

That’s the covert narcissist; a type that seems shy and even unconfident at first, but in reality, they have a quiet and insidious aura about them. They are the opposites of the overt narcissist, who tends to be more extroverted. (Kandola, 2020) What classifies them as narcissists is their highly self-absorbed nature and passive-aggressive attitude. They are also very careful over what words they choose to say, making them secretive and manipulative. Other things they do are avoid social situations (out of envy, depression, or social anxiety), protect themselves from criticism, and have trouble connecting with people.

Fragile Victim Narcissist

Do you know someone who’s constantly pitying themselves, hoping that someone will save them from their struggles?

Similar to covert narcissism, these types have a helpless attitude They can be extremely manipulative, attaching themselves to a relationship by resorting to negative self-talk. They’d say things along the lines of, “The world is so cruel to me.”, waiting for the other party to comfort them. But no matter how much someone comforts the narcissist, their kind words will never be enough for them. These narcissists simply have a hard time helping themselves, causing friends to feel drained as they try and ultimately fail to comfort them, perpetuating the cycle.

Stubborn Know-it-All Narcissist

Do you know someone who’s terribly wrong – but they still feel they’re right?

That know-it-all narcissist feels as if they need no guidance. They want things done on their own terms, closing their ears on anyone else’s opinion on the matter. They have a big ego and hold a high opinion of themselves, with an attitude that’s ultra-competitive and driven to win. They don’t care about titles, expertise, or seniority; if they think they’re right, they’re dead-set in that belief.

Control Freak Narcissist

Have you ever met someone who’s constantly micro-managing your tasks, to the point that they’re worsening the quality of the work?

Similar to the know-it-alls, this type of narcissist demands things to be flawless. They are extremely perfectionist, bossy, and critical towards others. They also have a high opinion of themselves. When someone criticizes them, they’d take it as an accusatory attack and emotionally react to it in a defensive tone. They disregard other people’s perspectives while demanding so much from them to do things their own way.

Entitled Narcissist

Do you know anyone who acts superior to everyone else?

Entitled narcissists have an exaggerated sense of identity, always feeling the need to be indebted with favored treatment. They monopolize conversations and bring the topic back to them and their needs as often as they can. (Sapadin, 2012) They chase being number one in everything, repulsed at the thought of doing “menial” tasks. For these types, following social norms and rules are beneath them. Oftentimes, someone asking them to conform already feels like an insult.  

Closing Thoughts

Do you know anyone who has the signs listed above?

A narcissist can be incredibly challenging and exhausting to deal with. Their manipulation can prevent you from being yourself for their convenience instead.

We hope that you’ve learned about the 7 types of narcissists.

That’s all for now Psych2Goers!

References

Scott, E. Dec 17, 2020. How to Identify a Malignant Narcissist. VeryWellMind Retrieved at https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-recognize-a-narcissist-4164528

Kandola, A. June 12, 2020. Signs of covert narcissism. Retrieved at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covert-narcissist

Sapadin, L. December 22, 2012. Endlessly Entitled Narcissists: What to Look For. Retrieved at https://psychcentral.com/blog/endlessly-entitled-narcissists-what-to-look-for#1

Surviving Narcissism. June 5, 2019. Seven Types Of Narcissists. Youtube. Retrieved at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOKmQRmwvdo