Let&rsquo;s talk about something as old as politics itself: the relationship between your vulnerability and others&rsquo; ambition. We see it in the office, at school, or even in nationwide affairs. Your hardships become their narrative, your silence becomes their opportunity, and your kindness becomes the foundation for their next big move.
1. You cover the cracks while they take the credit
They miss deadlines, fumble tasks, and check absolutely nothing off their long list of promised projects. Of course, as someone who&rsquo;s used to sweeping up other people&rsquo;s mistakes, you step in&mdash;even when it&rsquo;s not your job. You fix it, you polish it, you make sure the team doesn't fall apart. And guess who&rsquo;s shaking hands with upper management by Friday? Them.
You&rsquo;ve been a safety net, and they&rsquo;ve built an entire reputation on your reliability.
2. Your effort becomes their achievement
You share knowledge, train them, support them, and guide them because you believe in lifting others. But for some, every favor you do becomes another step up the ladder. To them, your openness isn&rsquo;t admirable&mdash;it&rsquo;s exploitable.
Your mentorship becomes their momentum, and your help becomes their headline.
3. Your struggles give them the illusion of service
While you&rsquo;ve been doing the hard work, there are times when you&rsquo;ll feel the weight of it all. You&rsquo;ll struggle on bad days&mdash;and the more you suffer, the more opportunities they have to &ldquo;help.&rdquo; You&rsquo;re being used as an example of their fake leadership and supposed service to their coworkers. And they enjoy seeing you struggle because if you ever stopped needing, they&rsquo;d lose their leverage.
Your vulnerability is powerful. It&rsquo;s the part of you that connects, gives, and loves deeply. But if you&rsquo;re not careful, it becomes currency&mdash;something others cash in on while you stay stuck in survival mode. So, Fam, let&rsquo;s all check in on ourselves. Maybe we&rsquo;re unconsciously allowing someone else&rsquo;s ambition to climb its way to the top of our sacrifices.