Welcome to The Path Whisperer. My aim is to seek stories of possible sociopathy (focusing on sociopathic behavior and thinking patterns) in daily news and current events. Our popular culture is already soaked in sociopathy. The only thing missing is recognition. The only joke in Borat was that he wasn’t joking. There are movies made for adults based on bodily functions. Parents can’t understand their teens’ wildings — sociopathic teens, feeling no need for restraint, have raised the bar, and teens being teens strive to outdo their peers. Millions of parents wonder why a child behaves the way he or she does. The phenomenon of sociopathy is everywhere but the recognition of it is not. I truly believe the world is anxious for this discussion.
Without going into them here, I will also be touching on related matters: the relationship between sociopaths and incest; sociopaths and the rigidly narcissistic and the corrupt; and sociopaths and the phenomenon of the evil couple.
There is also a subcategory (probably) of sociopaths termed pseudologues — pathological and fantastical liars who actually believe what they say, seemingly unaware that there is a real reality out there, confusing reality with the verbal claim of reality. Geniuses at gathering sympathy they often claim a deadly illness miraculously recovered from or lived with. Traveling to the Holy Lands they claim divinity. Seemingly not very common, they do appear in the news from time to time
Finally, two additional points of interest, first, in our economy corporations are essentially given sociopathic freedoms. Not surprisingly sociopaths often then climb to the top. Second, I believe this country could use a political movement that excludes the pathologies of the right (a sociopathic lack of generosity and empathy) and the left (a self-congratulatory rigid narcissisism capable of creating a welfare system that rewards the breakup of the family).
Again welcome. I hope you find this of interest. I try not to hold my opinions dogmatically and see this as a journey towards the truth. Hopefully some of you will wish to add your own comments. I’ll start by organizing past writings and notes and then begin searching the news for items of interest.
[on edit] It seems I should add what I claim to be my alternate credentials for claiming insight into sociopathy (as opposed to the traditional credentials of higher degrees, specific jobs, etc.). There are really three. First, I believe I have a very intimate knowledge of sociopaths and their thinking patterns. I have always gotten along with sociopaths very easily. Back in elementary school slightly odd classmates (who I now recognize as being sociopathic) I hardly knew would make my acquaintance, telling me things and asking me questions, as though I might have some insight into their experiences. To this day sociopaths continue to do this.
Second, my father’s career was in mental health (this career took him to a state commissionership of mental health). So I would say that I grew up with the idea of an almost infinite complexity of the psychological universe.
Third, among other things, I am a professionally trained actor — I studied around 5 years with Bill Hickey and around 3 years with Sandy Dennis. We were taught to respond spontaneously to our instant reading of the emotional vibes of an acting situation (the theatrical buzzword was “organically” as I recall). Much to my surprise this gave me one foot in the world of sociopaths. Sociopaths simply use words for strategic reasons, as a life tool — meanings are another thing entirely. The truth is read behind the words themselves.
In terms of my educational background I have a B.A. in Anthropology from Columbia. While I don’t think this gave me insight into sociopaths specifically it did give me a non-judgmental ‘people are what they are and do what they do’ approach. Sociopaths fall into the ‘just are’ category of life.
I’m not sure the above will carry weight with anyone else, but I do believe these factors have helped give me insight into sociopathy.
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The Path Whisperer 