Been seeing Nick's defenders/detractors showing respect for "the grift" (not just making money, but doing so through some deception). I hope this post proves relevant/helpful to Nick and the others here.
I personally consider the Special Olympics an apt representation of the Internet for many reasons, which is why I chose the clip below of two special needs kids arguing:
People who embrace the grift come across like Jimmy. These rationalizations are a defense/coping mechanism for escaping unwanted attention/evaluation from others to justify success through dishonesty, even if the person in question made what they did public (like Nick).
"It's none of your business." "It's my choice what I do." "I can't compete with others without it." "Everyone is doing it." "You're a goody-two shoes is you tell anyone." "You're no better than me." "I'm just living in the real world" "Are you going to narc to KF?". These defensive statements are all familiar to us by now.
People who "respect the grift" tend to come across like Velma here:
Grift purveyors/respecters are both laughable. More so when they take this position sincerely in a bizarre display of critical naivety. They are only fooling themselves and are playing with fire whether they know it or not. Accepting the premise that grifting is okay integrates a double-standard into one's principles thereby creating a vulnerability in one's ability to accurately assess problem behavior in oneself and in others. In this way, it blunts one's overall ability for self-improvement. Though unavoidable to an extent (people aren't 100% consistent), conscious permissiveness in this area is still not recommended.
...However, if one chooses to "embrace the grift" then be prepared for more of this: