liveonearth (liveonearth) wrote,
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liveonearth

QotD: Guru Papers on Psychopathy

The sociopath or psychopath who has that mysterious ailment of being without conscience has adopted as a survival strategy the negation of the goodself, which results in loss of empathy and care.  This adaptation is more likely the result of an emotionally inpoverished childhood than of conscious choice.  If intelligent, a psychopath matinas the guise of conventional morality and is never discovered.  Elevating self-centeredness (the badself) as the only reality, the sociopath's access to human connection becomes power and domination.  Although bright psychopaths are usually able to construct safe ways of getting their power needs met, some resort to violent outlets which can become compulsions, serial murder being an extreme example.  The most heinous crimes are often committed by those who are noteworthy for being unnoteworthy.  Serial killers, like Nazi leaders, are renowned for their outward ordinariness.

--Joel Kramer & Diana Alstad in The Guru Papers; Masks of Authoritarian Power, 1993, p229.
Tags: books, emotion, empathy, murder, nazis, power, psych, psychopaths, quotes, trump
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