Social Elevation
Narcissistic Supply Cycle
Attention is the fuel — you're the gas station.
Grounded in the research on narcissistic supply
the gist
'Narcissistic supply' is the attention, admiration — or even drama — a narcissist needs to prop up their self-image. The relationship runs on a loop designed to keep that supply flowing.
the science
The term comes from psychoanalyst Otto Fenichel. The cycle is usually described in stages: idealize (love-bomb), devalue (criticize and withdraw), discard (drop you), then hoover (vacuum you back in when supply runs low).