Some people will spend tens — even hundreds — of thousands fighting nothing.
Not to resolve.
Not to protect themselves.
But to maintain dominance, punish independence, and avoid losing psychological power.
Here’s what psychology, neuroscience, and legal research all show about this:
Why Some People Spend Vast Sums Fighting Pointlessly
1. Control is more important than money
For these personalities:
Power > Peace
Dominance > Resolution
Control > Financial sense
Spending £10k, €50k, or €200k is worth it if it means:
- They still feel powerful
- They still feel in control
- They are not “losing”
They experience losing control as annihilation — so no price is too high.
2. They are not cost–benefit thinkers
Healthy people ask:
“Is this worth it?”
Controllers ask:
“Am I winning?”
So logic collapses.
3. Legal conflict gives emotional regulation
Litigation:
- Discharges rage
- Creates stimulation
- Restores dominance
- Reduces internal anxiety
So legal warfare becomes:
➡ Emotional self-medication
➡ Power addiction
➡ Nervous system regulation
4. Sunk cost fallacy locks them in
Once they spend:
- £5k → they can’t stop
- £20k → they escalate
- £50k → they must “win”
Stopping would mean:
Admitting they were wrong
Losing face
Losing dominance
Their ego cannot tolerate this.
5. They use money as intimidation
High spending signals:
“I can outspend you.”
“You cannot escape me.”
“I will exhaust you.”
This is financial coercion.
6. It’s often about humiliation, not outcome
Dragging someone through endless legal processes:
- Exhausts
- Frightens
- Destabilizes
- Degrades
Which gives them:
➡ Psychological gratification
Legal Psychology Term:
Vexatious Litigation / High Conflict Personality Litigation
Courts increasingly recognize:
Some litigants are driven by psychological need for conflict, not legal necessity.
Key Distinction
Normal people want:
Resolution → peace → closure
Controllers want:
Dominance → submission → exhaustion
Red Flag Pattern
- Refuses settlement
- Rejects fair solutions
- Escalates trivial disputes
- Files motion after motion
- Cannot disengage
- Needs the “upper hand”
This is pathological control behavior, not rational conflict.
Critical Insight (Very Important):
They are not fighting the case.
They are fighting loss of power.
Psychological Safety Reframe
If someone is spending insane amounts to fight:
- You are not dealing with logic
- You are dealing with power compulsion
- You cannot reason someone out of a trauma-driven control system
