The voracious greed of the narcissist
Greed has been with us since man walked the earth. Greed is a relentless, insatiable desire and drive to possess more than one needs, often at the expense of others.
Most narcissists are greedy. They are constantly planning and plotting (even in their sleep) how to expand their power base and increase their material bounty. There is no end to greed. The narcissist hungers for everything within and outside of their reach: money, property, power, adulation, fame, dominance over the lives of others. Narcissistic greed is ultimately driven by an unconscious bottomless pit of psychological emptiness.
In some narcissists, greed grows so strong that these individuals destroy the lives of others to get what they want. There is no end; there are no brakes, no laws or judgments that stop the impulse of narcissistic greed. When narcissists give (some are generous) they make sure they do it with great honors and public fanfare.
With a greedy narcissist, everyone else in your life is there to achieve your goal of acquiring and keeping more. Just like the fairy tales of yore, there are high level narcissists who have castles built on top of mountains so they can survey their territories and make sure there are no invading enemies lurking below. They build walls in the form of elaborate security systems and twenty-four-hour professional guards to protect them and their possessions.
While others think about their family, spouses, children, parents, paying the bills, academic studies, artistic and creative endeavors, the narcissist plays the role of the King in the classic English children’s song, Sing a Song of Sixpence: “Sing a Song of Sixpence.” sixpence, a pocket full of rye, four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie…the King was in his accounting house, counting his money…”
The other side of greed is giving, selflessly, without blinking an eye or looking back on what we will receive in return. Genuine giving comes from an open heart and a deep sense of psychological and spiritual abundance.