Ep 22: The Mirror Has Two Faces: Unmasking Vulnerable and Grandiose Narcissism

In this episode of the Personality Couch Podcast, we (licensed clinical psychologists Doc Bok and Doc Fish) delve into the complexities of pathological narcissism, exploring its various expressions, including covert, overt, grandiose, and vulnerable narcissism. We discuss how these themes of overt and covert narcissism appear in all narcissistic individuals, as do grandiose and vulnerable themes. We articulate how covert narcissism is under the surface in thoughts and fantasies, whereas overt narcissism is behavioral. We also highlight the shiny, extroverted themes of grandiose narcissism, while discussing the underlying emotional issues associated with vulnerable narcissism, including shame, anger, and moodiness. We overall emphasize the overlap between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, detailing that both can coexist within a single individual, leading to a range of ways pathological narcissism can present.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Pathological Narcissism
• 03:26 Distinguishing Between Covert and Overt Narcissism
• 09:39 Exploring Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissistic Themes
• 12:37 The Psyche of Grandiose Narcissism
• 19:54 The Psyche of Vulnerable Narcissism
• 30:10 Similarities Between Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism
• 33:19 Summary and Closing

References

• Akhtar, S. (2000). The shy narcissist. In J. Sandler, R. Michels, & P. Fonagy (Eds.), Changing ideas in a changing world: The revolution in psychoanalysis: Essays in honour of Arnold Cooper, (pp. 111-119).
• Blaney, P. H., Krueger, R. F., Millon, T. (Eds.). (2014). Oxford textbook of psychopathology (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
• Kernberg, O. F. (2009). Narcissistic personality disorders: Part 1[Editorial]. Psychiatric Annals, 39(3), 105–107, 110, 164–166.
• Horowitz, M. (2009). Clinical phenomenology of narcissistic pathology. Psychiatric Annals, 39(3), 124–128.
• Pincus, A. L., & Roche, M. J. (2011). Narcissistic grandiosity and narcissistic vulnerability. In W. K. Campbell & J. D. Miller (Eds.), The handbook of narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder: Theoretical approaches, empirical findings, and treatments (pp. 31–40). John Wiley & Sons.
• Wink, P. (1991). Two faces of narcissism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61(4), 590–597