The Bare Bones of Narcissism
This is my latest painting titled Casualties of an Affair and it is part of The Inside Joke’s Bare Bones of Narcissism gallery, which explores narcissism and its effects over generations through art. As the series moves toward its final three works, this piece focuses on the destructive role affairs play in the narcissistic cycle. The image centers on the unseen damage left behind, shifting attention away from the narcissist and toward those who are forced to live with the consequences of their choices.
Narcissism fuels affairs through a relentless need for admiration, validation, and control. Entitlement and a lack of empathy allow the narcissist to justify infidelity while feeling no genuine remorse for the harm it causes. Affairs become a source of excitement and narcissistic supply, reinforced through manipulation, gaslighting, and blame shifting. The narcissist preserves their sense of superiority by rewriting reality, convincing themselves and others that they deserve more, even when it means dismantling their partner’s world and destabilizing or destroying their family.
This destruction extends deeply into the family unit. Partners are isolated and emotionally abandoned while children absorb confusion, fear, and self doubt in silence. Image is prioritized over truth, and accountability is replaced by denial and smear campaigns meant to protect appearances. Casualties of an Affair is not about the act itself, but about the long term trauma left behind, the innocence lost, and the generational wounds that form when love is replaced by ego and control.
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