See earlier articles in this series: Part 1: The Narcissist Part 2: The Sneaky Techniques of the Cover Narcissist Part 3: The “Generous” Narcissist Part 4: The Altruistic Narcissist Part 5: Do Narcissists Cry? When the Narcissist Fails A cautionary examination of how narcissists react to failure. Key points: any public embarrassment of a narcissist causes further anger, rage, and incivility. Even in light of factual evidence to the contrary, a narcissist will continue to lie As a narcissist faces failure, arrest, indictment, or dismissal, they will … [Read more...]
Sociopathy Adjacent: Dependent Personality Syndrome
I recently became aware of a condition known as Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD). Apparently it is quite common, and includes an inability to make everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others. People with DPD are often attracted to cults (and remain in them) because of the control cults exercise over their members. It provides them what they need -- to be told what to think and do. This of course goes hand in hand with sociopathy, because cult leaders are almost uniformly sociopaths. When someone who has this disorder escapes from a cult (or … [Read more...]
Sociopathy Part 8: The Thirteen Rules for Dealing with Sociopaths
See earlier posts in this series: Sociopathy: What is a Sociopath? Sociopathy Part 2: The Traits of a Sociopath Sociopathy Part 3: The Creation of "Its" Sociopathy Part 4: The Importance of Authority and Obedience Sociopathy Part 5: The Covetous Sociopath Sociopathy Part 6: The Tools of the Trade Sociopathy Part 7: Gaslighting This is the final posting in this series about Dr.Stout's wonderful book. It is her summary of rules for dealing with a sociopath. I am formatting this slightly differently than the earlier posts as she uses italics to give the … [Read more...]
Sociopathy Part 7: Gaslighting
See earlier posts in this series: Sociopathy: What is a Sociopath? Sociopathy Part 2: The Traits of a Sociopath Sociopathy Part 3: The Creation of "Its" Sociopathy Part 4: The Importance of Authority and Obedience Sociopathy Part 5: The Covetous Sociopath Sociopathy Part 6: The Tools of the Trade Dr. Stout explains the phenomenon of gaslighting and how this is used by the sociopath. She begins with a description of where the term originates. In 1944, George Cukor directed a psychological thriller entitled Gaslight, in which a beautiful young woman, played by … [Read more...]
Sociopathy Part 6: The Tools of the Trade
See earlier posts in this series: Sociopathy: What is a Sociopath? Sociopathy Part 2: The Traits of a Sociopath Sociopathy Part 3: The Creation of "Its" Sociopathy Part 4: The Importance of Authority and Obedience Sociopathy Part 5: The Covetous Sociopath Charm — The first thing Dr. Stout addresses in the toolbox of the sociopath is a how charming they can be. This is something she talks about a lot. Sociopaths, when it suits their purpose, can be charismatic. If you read Russell Miller’s excellent biography, Barefaced Messiah, he describes Hubbard in just … [Read more...]
Sociopathy Part 5: The Covetous Sociopath
See earlier posts in this series: Sociopathy: What is a Sociopath? Sociopathy Part 2: The Traits of a Sociopath Sociopathy Part 3: The Creation of "Its" Sociopathy Part 4: The Importance of Authority and Obedience There is a particular strain of sociopath that is especially odious… The covetous sociopath. Dr. Stout defines covetous this way: an inordinate desire for the possessions of others. She explains that not all sociopaths are covetous. Sociopaths do not always have a covetous. nature-some are very differently motivated - but when lack of conscience and co … [Read more...]
Sociopathy Part 4: The Importance of Authority and Obedience
This is the fourth in the series about Sociopathy based on the book by Dr. Martha Stout, The Sociopath Next Door. The previous posts are here: Sociopathy: What is a Sociopath? Sociopathy Part 2: The Traits of a Sociopath Sociopathy Part 3: The Creation of "Its" "Very simply, we are programmed to obey authority even against our own conscience." Dr. Stout describes the famous experiment done by Yale professor Stanley Milgram and correlates it to the world of sociopathy. If you are not familiar with his experiment, Milgram had “authorities” telling people to administer ele … [Read more...]
Sociopathy Part 3: The Creation of “Its”
This is the third in the series about Sociopathy based on the book by Dr. Martha Stout, The Sociopath Next Door. The previous posts are here: Sociopathy: What is a Sociopath? Sociopathy Part 2: The Traits of a Sociopath One of the things a sociopath does, especially when in a leadership position, is create an us v. them mentality, reducing the "them" to things that are not worthy of empathy, fairness or even continued existence. Hubbard generated this mentality from the earliest days of scientology -- beginning with positioning Dianetics as a fight of good v. evil and salvation v. … [Read more...]
Sociopathy Part 2: The Traits of a Sociopath
This is the second in the series about Sociopathy based on the book by Dr. Martha Stout, The Sociopath Next Door. The previous post is here: Sociopathy: What is a Sociopath? The elements that are used to diagnose sociopathy/psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder are as follows: Many mental health professionals refer to the condition of little or no conscience as "antisocial personality disorder," a noncorrectable disfigurement of character that is now thought to be present in about 4 percent of the population - that is to say, one in twenty-five people. This condition of missing … [Read more...]
Sociopathy: What is a Sociopath?
I have been re-reading the wonderful book by Harvard professor Dr. Marth Stout, The Sociopath Next Door It has even more applicability to the world of scientology today than when I first read it. I had always thought that David Miscavige was a unicorn — unique, cruel and deranged. That it had been my misfortune to have encountered him, but I would never run into anyone like him again. Then I read Dr. Stout's book and realized that there are recognized and identifiable personality traits that sociopaths share. And by her estimation they constitute about 4% of the population. She d … [Read more...]