Overt behaviors are those that can be easily observed by others, such as those of the traditional narcissist You ever have a conversation with someone and it feels like they’re trying to pressure you into telling them how nice, or important or accomplished they are? Passive Self-Importance - in a more subtle way, buy not over the top they constantly want you to give them validation and they will make comments to lead you into praising them at something they know they’re already good at.  You’ll notice too that The reality for both the overt and covert narcissist is that they have a fragile sense of self. The covert narcissist certainly craves importance and thirsts for admiration but it can look different An overt narcissist will display all kinds of attention seeking behaviors, compared to a covert but in a sly under the table approach.  both the overt and covert narcissist is that they have a fragile sense of self. The covert narcissist will be much more likely to constantly seek reassurance about their talents, skills, and accomplishments, looking for others to feed that same need for self-importance. A covert narcissist explain why something is your fault and they are not to blame. They might even pretend to be a victim of your behavior to put themselves in a position to receive reassurance and praise from you.the goal of the narcissist is to make the other person feel less than superior to their victim People with covert narcissism might make dismissive or sarcastic remarks and act as if they’re above the criticism. But internally, they might feel empty, humiliated, or enraged.