House? “Into the pot.”

Car? “Into the pot.”

Inheritance? “Into the pot.”

Pension? “Into the pot.”

Thirty years of hard work? “Excellent, we’ll take that too.”

Then, when there’s nothing left to extract, they suddenly discover they’re “unhappy” and start shopping for the next generous human being with a pulse and a savings account.

From a psychology perspective, chronic exploitative behaviour is often driven by entitlement, reward-seeking and a lack of empathy. The brain’s dopamine system reinforces behaviours that produce a payoff, and if manipulation repeatedly results in money, status or security without consequences, the pattern can become deeply ingrained.

The irony is that genuine attachment activates networks associated with trust, reciprocity and long-term bonding. Exploitation activates a very different strategy: maximise personal gain, minimise personal cost and replace the source when the rewards dry up.

In other words, some people don’t build relationships—they diversify their investment portfolio.

The good news? Once you recognise the pattern, the magic disappears. You stop confusing generosity with obligation and start treating your bank account like a VIP area.

Entry by invitation only.