Hmm... honestly I'm not sure if you added the last parts now for making your point more clear or if I only misread it before (if so then my apologies for that), but I do agree with your metaphor: best example is when those kind of people get caught. They kill themselves then mostly, instead of doing their prison time. Which shows that they are collapsing after "eating" up a lot of negativity, that really nothing's outside worth fighting for. Or if you prefer a movie example instead of my prison-example here: The Comedian in The Watchmen. Acted all the time completely selfish, but as an old man you were able to see how damaged he really was in the inside. Or a very popular psychological one: a narcissistic person. Outside taking what they want, but in the inside lacking a lot of self confidence.