Of course, seeking influence isn’t bad. The reason we did it and still do it today is that it helped us survive and thrive. It can lead us to work hard, to be more generous, to do good and help others. But our drive for influence can also lead to vain, selfish, and destructive tendencies like over-competitiveness, overconfidence, materialism, aggression, and general misery. This is likely why social commitment was one of three compulsions the Buddha had to overcome to reach Nirvana.
