The acquaintance who constantly looks over your shoulder when you are in a room with him to see what else is going on and who else is there.
The friend who upon being invited to an event with you says, “I will let you know”, so if something better comes up he can switch.
The fellow who greets you with great enthusiasm as though you were his long lost brother, then puts on the same show five minutes later for the next new arrival.
The lady who name drops incessantly.
The old men who enthusiastically tells you they will back you up all the way, only to disappear when you stick your neck out.
These parasites are called social climbers. They are everywhere in the world, but are much more common in urban areas and in wealthy areas.
When I was young and foolish, I greatly admired many of these individuals. When these predators sometimes ignored me, I didn’t realize that this was because I had nothing to offer at the moment. I thought something was wrong with me. Later, I came to realize that there was a high percentage of people who would smile and hug you, then immediately bury a poisoned dagger in your back if they could gain some advantage from it.
Avoid association with social climbers. They will use your dead body as a stepping stone to their next conquest.
If you find yourself desperately wanting some attention from someone else, you may be becoming a social climber. The cure is to build something of your own you want and ignore others.