Is this a genuine personality type or a reaction to incentives?

We're in an era which celebrates weakness and perceived victimhood over strength and perseverance, and rewards quite richly with attention, position, status, financial benefits, etc.

It's therefore not unsurprising there's no shortage of grifters willing to play the act in the pursuit of those incentives, whether actively (narcissists) or subliminally optimizing (TIV?) for the path of least resistance.

We get what we deserve or alternatively we get what we reward.