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Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

This is another good ask doctor robert, but of course I am a big fan and like most if not all of his stuff. I am very curious to see what some of the psychopaths make of the idea that psychopathy is a kind of severe narcissistic personality disorder. Sometimes whitewolf's posts sound exactly like that. Thanks for pointing it out ROR, although I would have gotten to it eventually since I check out the doctor's site every couple of days anyway.

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

I don't see myself as such, maybe i'm lying to myself, who knows but i've never had the need for attention nor do i try to justify my actions to myself. I pointed this out in a very recent post infact. I aknowledge my weaknesses and try to improve those aspects but i also do not hesitate to flaunt my superiority when the opportunity arises. I do see the majority of people i've interacted with as inferior but by no means do i consider myself flawless, simply superior in the areas that i am. Perhaps it's the result of heavy introspection and thought put into analyzing myself in an objective manner, you know the thing most people consider a waste of time.

A good example of this is that i get angry when i ask for an opinion on something i've done and the person is being "nice" and not saying what they really think, that ****** me off so much. Another thing is admiration and asskissing, i can't stand either. I want honest critizism because i want to improve myself, constantly, not for others to be more impressed but purely for it's own sake.

Perhaps narcissism and sociopathy share alot of traits but it's my opinion that they are vastly different in certain ways but often narcs are labelled as sociopaths for the glaring similiarites. A sociopath/psychopath, in my opinion, doesn't crave attention and approval of others like narcs do, which is their primary goal in life, to be noticed. Maybe it's just me, heh.

EDIT for Doug: I've said it many times that i believe Wolfie is a narc :P

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

Thanks, Hexi. It does seem that WW enjoys showing off how "bad" he (hush, hush, secretly) is.

Take care.

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

Thanks for the reply, Hexi. I am not too sure about the narcissism-psychopath continuum myself theory myself, and I don't think the doc is totally buying it either. He just seems always to want to maintain an open mind and I guess saw the letter from Christian as a bit of evidence for the theory, which I think comes from James Masterson, that psychopathy is a kind of particularly malignant narcissism. Masterson also said that psychopaths detach affect (feeling) from the object (another person) in order to deal with the fear of abandonment or engulfment. Does that fit, Hexi?

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

But i don't experience fear, apart from my 1 phobia so how would that make any sense? Also, i've never been abandoned, or maybe i have but atleast i don't recognize any event in my life as such. Maybe i'm denying such an event and feelings to feed my narcissism by telling myself no one would abandon me? Ahh speculation is so fun. Seriously though, i don't believe in that theory and i think the person suggesting it is missing a point somewhere.

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

Doug from Vermont
Thanks, Hexi. It does seem that WW enjoys showing off how "bad" he (hush, hush, secretly) is.

Take care.


Maybe it's because of traumatic events in my life. Maybe my concious mind could not handle the emotional stress inflicted through prolonged and highly saturated emotional bombardment. Perhaps in an effort to survive my unconcious mind produced the required stimuli to keep the concious mind functioning.

The unconcious or deep unconcious or.. whatever name you give it.. that part of your mind.. controls everything you do. Everything..

The unconcious is not concerned with the self image. The unconcious often processes many emotions the concious mind cannot handle and often this processing is done from begining to end without the concious minds knowledge. But what gets me is this... what about when you are in shock? Is that the unconcious mind taking control because the concious mind cannot handle the emotional distress?


Doug doesn't like my ego. He wishes.. someone would put me in my place. Because Doug believes I am telling the truth. That these deception I have created or, more likely, fueled.. are somehow an acurate representation of me. I do often wonder what that current image is.

In reality, I am my brothers keeper. I am the protector of the weak and I never use my strength to harm the innocent. I am a warrior both in mind and body. I know I am a warrior. That is why I do not seek war. I do not use my physical stregnth to harm others. That would be a violation of my code.. unless they were a threat to my lives or the lives of others I would defend.

But online.. I'm brutal with the truth and I'm okay with that. If you knew me in person... you wouldn't be so offended.

Website: http://whitewolf.maxforum.org/

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

I believe that when you get schoked your unconscious can't handle the situation and as such needs to adjust to the new reality. I've never been in shock though so i don't understand the sensation at all.

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

Hexi
I believe that when you get schoked your unconscious can't handle the situation and as such needs to adjust to the new reality. I've never been in shock though so i don't understand the sensation at all.


There's nothing to understand. I have no memories from when I went into shock. I don't even remember the accident ever even happening. All the memories up to the moment, during the moment, and most of the moments after.. gone. No recollection of any kind.

Shock is the unconscious minds way of protecting the conscious mind IMO.

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

Whitewolf


There's nothing to understand. I have no memories from when I went into shock. I don't even remember the accident ever even happening. All the memories up to the moment, during the moment, and most of the moments after.. gone. No recollection of any kind.

Shock is the unconscious minds way of protecting the conscious mind IMO.


That seems odd to me, thanks for clarifying.

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

well the statement you said, i completely relate to. because most people really are sheep, you are not the only one to feel this way, just society doesnt like us saying mean things about others, so they get mad/ or shame us, instead for having a big ego maybe saying it is a result of low self esteem... etc.. who knows maybe it is?
but i think it really is just the truth, some people are brighter than others and how can they help but know it? people shouldn't be made to feel guilty about it, but showing it off is not really tasteful...hence the conundrum sigh! lol

and you are right, most DO NOT enjoy hours of introspection and research and learning and paradoxicaly enough ( sorry forget how to spell it at the moment i know socios really enjoy to pick on people's grammar as though it is an indication of someone's intelligence! again i think this has to do with making yourself look smart on the outside at all costs, even if the contents is a void...lol they are more transparent than they think)
paradox is - the society we live in that these sheep cater too, is a one that encourages narcissism.


i can't stand ass kissers or fake people, and ESPECIALLY people that think they are brighter than they are, or like when a not so attractive overweight guy thinks he has a chance with a supermodel hot, fit girl - this irritates me big time- i essentially told off my overweight cousin- like 10's date 10's , and 5's date 5's ...but is going to start working out? hell no, yet the girl paints her toe nails everyday and works out 4 times a week! seems arrogant of him to go for her and not someone lazier like himself! and why is it touchy at all to bring it up? i cant stand PC - sorry for diverting i could rant forever lol

Like you my ego looms large- but at the same time,and I wonder if this is a good thing, or if it is possible to change say through meditation. I can go to dizzying humility say if I am in the presence of my old tibetan rimpoche ( im a semi- budhist, i follow my own way which is the budha way)
or I definitely defer to another's wisdom and can be humbled by it, and i do love the feeling of being humbled- i guess it is safe, like you can see the parent in that person, and you become the child.

anyway there are some but not many that do invoke my humility ..but they are far and few between, they do however inspire me to work harder, and think better...i know the ego is not helpful in that it creates the rage I succumb to on a regular basis- ie. how dare the stores clerk be ****** towards me? and I waste my time telling her off just to elevate myself and teach her a lesson....

sorry for rambeling, I guess maybe the question you pose is a classic one, and honest one. But I don't think it is the best question you could be asking yourself.

Why don't you ask yourself- what use is there for this big ego? does it really make me happy? it may get me x, and that will get me x, but once you accumulate everything then what? how do you know you aren't buying in to the same dream the people with the sheep mentality are not buying into, the cars, the houses, the soap opera drama....
I wonder why you even want to know? i mean if you learn that having a huge ego is not beneficial towards your happiness would you even bother to change anyway?

what is fun about learning if you don't apply it to your life?
sounds like a tedious chore!



furthermore, who knows if this is really a sliding scale - narcissist on lower end and socios, the psychopaths on highest end. Maybe narcissists use the big ego to protect themselves as a shield from pain. maybe sociopaths don't need this mechanism as much, as they are so dissacociated from their own emotions at this point- whereas narcissist i have heard feel their own emotions..

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

ror666
Dr. Robert replied to a question on his website which seems to suggest that psychopathy is an extreme form of narcissistic personality disorder. I wonder what the self-admitted psychopaths on this forum such as Hexi, Whitewolf, and others think of that idea.


Narcissism turned inward can be said to be sociopathic if it only means to focus on your own needs and desires to the exclusion of everyone else's. No one else’s needs and desires are relevant, therefore they can be used and discarded at will. Narcissism turned outward and toward obtaining attention, admiration, and so on, is the kind of narcissism we are most familiar with.

I don't know if that means there is a continuum though. Perhaps it just means there is a difference in focus.

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

Daniel Birdick
ror666
Dr. Robert replied to a question on his website which seems to suggest that psychopathy is an extreme form of narcissistic personality disorder. I wonder what the self-admitted psychopaths on this forum such as Hexi, Whitewolf, and others think of that idea.


Narcissism turned inward can be said to be sociopathic if it only means to focus on your own needs and desires to the exclusion of everyone else's. No one else’s needs and desires are relevant, therefore they can be used and discarded at will. Narcissism turned outward and toward obtaining attention, admiration, and so on, is the kind of narcissism we are most familiar with.

I don't know if that means there is a continuum though. Perhaps it just means there is a difference in focus.


Jedi are selfless and only think of others. Sith and selfish and only think of themselves.

Amusing that you think the truth is even obtainable. According to Doctor Robert Langs writings... my mind is more structured like that of the unconscious than that of the conscious.

Do you dream? Can you remember any of your dreams? If so would you tell them to me. Tell me say.. a dream of highly emotional impact on you or a reocuring dream?

I don't believe in labels. Often they are not representative of the causes. You don't know why someone is a psychopath. Without the cause you can only treat the symptoms. Then again.. maybe if people weren't so **** retarded and actually knew what psychopath meant, and not the movie version.. oh well. People are stupid.

Re: Are psychopaths and sociopaths inevitably narcissistic?

I never heard of this idea that the sociopathic brain is structured like the unconscious brain= would love to reaad up on this, could you direct me to a good article, research or book? thanks.

as for labels- obviously the labels are just labeling a group of symptoms, and they don't just do that with psychopaths either...
but we OBVIOUSLY need them- because that is what we want to treat is the symptoms, how they got that way isn't necessarily so important...

when i was depressed i could give you a thousand reasons why, maybe it was the reasons, maybe not, but I was suffering and so medication alleviated my symptoms so I could go on and lead a productive life.

besides it is very naive to think we don't use labels on a daily basis. if you don't then you must be the most PC sociopath on the planet lol!
labels are fine, we have been classifying things, plants and people, etc.. since humans could think! black, white, blue green- labels, how would you paint your house without the right label??
the idea I think is simply not to judge someone based on a label- as I agree with what the doctor said about how we just arise as we arise, so judging doesn't serve any purpose, but solving the problem in the case of personality disorders is the purpose.

treatment is label specific, but even then a good doctor should not get caught up in the label, must think outside the box so to speak...