THE FUSE

The most dangerous weapon of a covert narcissist is not loud devaluation, but their perceived helpfulness. People high in covert narcissistic traits are masters of strategic and calculated manipulation, where they hide their agenda behind a mask of feigned altruism and kindness. When they enter a person’s life, they begin slowly and systematically offering unsolicited advice or guidance on finances, career, tech support, family matters, or health and wellness planning. What looks like support and empathy on the surface is actually much more destabilizing. By engaging in coercive control, the goal is to get you to stop trusting your own instincts and to abandon your own personal agency.