Number two: status symbols, fake influence, and dirty money. For a narcissist, status is everything—not actual respect, not real legacy, just the illusion of power and control. That’s why they’re hooked on it. They do not care where the money comes from, as long as it buys them a seat at a table that looks important. They do not care if the influence is fake, as long as people are watching. They do not care if the luxury is rented, stolen, or paid for with someone else’s pain. As long as they look untouchable, they will risk it all for appearances—and I mean all.
They will take shady deals, lie on their resume, buy followers, engage in deceptive practices, and pay for PR articles that paint them as some kind of icon. They will manipulate people with real power to get featured, even if it is just in the background. What matters to them is association; they want to be linked to people who are already admired so they can bask in borrowed light.
They do not want to build credibility; they want to skip the line. And if that means breaking the law, backstabbing friends, or selling out their values, they won’t blink. You will see them in designer clothes while having unpaid bills. You will see them donate to causes they do not believe in just to get photographed. You will see them promoting healing, spirituality, and empowerment while secretly abusing the people closest to them. That’s who they are. The outside must be shiny, even if the inside is rotten.
And here is what most people miss: narcissists do not value money for security. They value money for control, for display, and for leverage. So they can walk into a room and make people feel smaller, silence critics, and bait the people they once discarded with, “Look what I have now.” Even if it’s all fake, they will risk their family’s safety, their kids’ mental health, their partners’ trust, and their entire business just to keep looking rich, famous, and superior. When the mask starts to slip, they panic. They will steal ideas, sabotage others, or copy someone who has actually earned their success. If that does not work, they will start destroying people behind the scenes, which is a cowardly move because if they cannot rise, they will make sure no one else does either.
It’s not just about being on top; it’s about making sure no one remembers what they really are underneath all that glass. Status isn’t just an obsession for a narcissist; it is their armor, and they will protect it at any cost.
The Perfect Family Image
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