“Money, It’s a Gas” ~ Pink Floyd

The Twisted World of Narcissism and Money

It’s all about secrets, lies, power, and control

Image by Allange from Pixabay

Narcissists are weird about money and assets. Almost anyone who’s been in a relationship with a narcissist very likely has a story (or several) to tell. The effects of narcissistic financial shenanigans on their partners can be devastating, ranging from unpaid debts to bankruptcy, even to PTSD surrounding finances, security, and survival.

#TrueStory on that last part (raises hand).

The narcissistic traits at play here include (but aren’t limited to):

• Entitlement — “what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is also mine.”
• Emptiness — a lack of personal fulfillment that drives them to fill the void with money, status, and material items.
• Insecurity — which can trigger a hoarding issue surrounding assets and money, in order to generate a sense of security.
• Grandiosity/Ego Inflation — they flaunt their money and their Stuff to impress others or feel superior to them.

These factors — and others — drive the narcissist to use money and assets as tools to control or abuse others, wield power over others, and prop themselves up on a status pedestal.