I'm curious about this because I've encountered people who finally get comfortable with not masking on some sorta social media platform and get attacked for faking but I also wouldn't be surprised to find someone who is trying to use it as a gimmick.
Personally I try to default to assuming the person probably isn't faking even if they're seeking validation since validation seeking is something people sometimes do when they're overwhelmed by anxiety and fear of rejection.
Something I'd also consider is, what's wrong with someone who fakes a mental illness or other significant disorder? If someone's faking being crazy for attention, they're probably just another flavour of crazy in which case their acting out should be understood through that lens.
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"If you stick a knife in my back 9 inches and pull it out 6 inches, there's no progress. If you pull it all the way out, that's not progress. The progress is healing the wound that the blow made... and they won't even admit the knife is there." Malcolm X
戦争ではなく戦争と戦う