Greed has been with us since man walked upright upon 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 scheming (even in their sleep) how to expand their power base and increase their material largesse. There is no end to greed. The narcissist hungers for everything in and out of 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 the greed grows so strongly that these individuals destroy others’ lives to get what they want. There is no end; there are no brakes, no laws or judgements that will stop the drive of narcissistic greed. When narcissists give (a few are generous) they make sure that this is done with high honors and public fanfare.
With a greedy narcissist, everyone else in his life is there to accomplish his goal to acquire and keep more. Like the fairytales of old there are high-level narcissists who have castles built on mountaintops so they can survey their territories to insure that no encroaching enemies lie in wait below. They build ramparts in the form of elaborate security systems and twenty four hour professional guards to protect them and their possessions.
While others are thinking about their family, spouses, children, parents, paying the bills, academic study, artistic and creative endeavors, the narcissist plays the role of the King in the classic English nursery rhyme, Sing a Song of Sixpence: “Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye, four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie…the King was in his counting house, counting out his money…”
The other side of greed is giving, selflessly, without a blink or backward glance about what we will receive in return. Genuine giving comes from an open heart and a deep sense of psychological and spiritual abundance.
Source by Linda Martinez-Lewi Ph.D.
