how is it more narcissistic than any other sport or activity where one wants to stand out and be on top. If I decided to believe that it is only an exercise in narcissism I would quit my contest prep today.
I actually thought about adding something like, "...narcissism or personal development." The point is that it's not about money, it's about achieving something that is beyond money. Only an idiot does bodybuilding with the idea of making money because bodybuilding costs money. You pay financially and potentially physically (with your health).
And adding to that, the idea that if you DID make money with your bodybuilding it would make the risks somehow more worth it, which is a ridiculous idea. Say you make some money and then die from a heart attack? How was it more worth it, you're fucking dead!
Only the individual himself can decide if something is worth doing. Outsiders deciding for others how their pursuits aren't "worth it" because they for example don't make enough money is a childish viewpoint. People here, daily in different threads, feeling sorry for guys like Ronnie or Cutler... becuase they paid too high a price, in their mind, for their success... what a joke.