The intricate relationship between covert narcissism, malicious envy, and sadistic behavior, emphasizing how covert narcissists harbor a deep wish to destroy those they envy due to feelings of inferiority and rivalry. It highlighted findings from a recent Italian study linking grandiose narcissism, narcissistic rivalry, and malicious envy with sadism, illustrating how these traits drive the desire to inflict pain and regain control. The conversation underscored that sadism in narcissism is fundamentally about power and control, often masked by fantasies and pseudo-morality, with covert narcissists exhibiting particularly pronounced passive-aggressive sadistic tendencies.