Alex’s perspective on the world shifted dramatically when a friend pointed out that his brother exhibited traits of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). The realization was a revelation—one that reshaped his understanding of relationships, manipulation, and control. But what truly changed his life was the moment he recognized an unsettling parallel: the fiat monetary system operated in much the same way as someone with NPD.

NPD is marked by manipulation, exploitation, and an unrelenting need for control, all while extracting value from others without remorse. Alex saw these same traits mirrored in the fiat system—a system that constantly drained people’s time, labor, and energy through inflation, taxation, and debt, all while convincing them that this endless extraction was both necessary and beneficial.

Much like a narcissist gaslights their victims into accepting abuse, the fiat system gaslights society into believing that perpetual money printing, economic instability, and mounting debt are inevitable parts of life. Both systems thrive on illusions: a narcissist builds a false persona to manipulate and dominate, while fiat currency, devoid of intrinsic value, is propped up solely by collective trust in the very institutions that exploit it.

Alex’s comparison wasn’t just a passing thought—it was a profound realization. Narcissists drain emotional and psychological energy from their victims, while fiat systems drain financial energy, robbing people of their time and efforts through mechanisms designed to keep them dependent. He understood that both forms of abuse relied on the same tactics: isolation, control, and cycles of dependence that make escape feel impossible.

But when Alex voiced this comparison, it wasn’t well-received. The friend who had opened his eyes to NPD was unsettled by the notion that the entire financial system mirrored the same abusive dynamics. It was a painful truth—just as confronting the reality of an abusive relationship is difficult, so too is confronting the idea that a global economic system might be built on exploitation.

For Alex, the solution was clear. Just as breaking free from narcissistic abuse requires boundaries and detachment, escaping the grip of fiat’s financial abuse requires seeking alternative systems that honor autonomy and transparency. Recognizing the abuse is always the hardest step, but once seen, it can’t be unseen.