CONTROL FREAK OR PSYCHOPATH?

Ever since the bones of King Richard III were recently discovered beneath an English car park, there has been a renewed interest in the man and whether or not his skeleton could tell us more of his story. Most historical accounts have described him as a ruthless, power greedy “villain” who combined clever wit with flattery in order to destroy his enemies and gain the throne. Shakespeare agreed and portrayed him as a “child-killing” hunchback with a twisted mind and a twisted soul…. a tyrannical and jealous ruler who manipulated everyone around him to get his way.

The DNA tests confirmed Richard III did have a severe case of curvature of the spine (scoliosis) and that he died from numerous wounds to his head inflicted in the Battle of Bosworth Field, also known as the War of the Roses. But many are looking more closely at his facial reconstruction and are speculating what his personality might have been like. He has been described as “handsome” with a prominent chin by some experts. Others have even said he looks friendly and not like a tyrant at all.

But can the outward appearance of someone really reveal what is going on inside? If someone looks “friendly” and sounds “nice”, is that proof alone of who they really are? Supporters of King Richard III have said that he was a gifted lawmaker who at worst was just a “control freak” suffering from an “intolerance to uncertainty”. Many others throughout history, however, believe he was a morally depraved “psychopath” who was just extremely adept at concealing his “fierce and savage nature”.

The term “psychopath” is used very loosely these days, like the words “maniac”, “lunatic”, “whacko” or “nutcase”. But how many of us take the time to really think about how serious this personality disorder is? I fear that our society has become so desensitized to all the violence we see on the news every day that we now view psychopaths with “fascination” rather than recognition of what a severe threat they are to society. Think Ted Bundy or Charles Manson or Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. These are “unstoppable and untreatable” violent predators who feed off the misfortune of others. They are the most extreme example of what it means to be “emotionally detached”. Not only do they lack the ability to really love anyone, they have no remorse or guilt for any of their actions. They literally have no moral conscience whatsoever. So they never learn from their mistakes and don’t respond to punishment of any kind. You can lecture them until you are blue in the face, citing every reason under the sun why they should be sorry for what they did… but you will get NOTHING back in return. They will do it over and over again … and sometimes even respond with a smile.

Many psychopaths are very charming, which is what makes them so dangerous. They are usually skilled “fast talkers” who have the “demonic ability to persuade others out of everything they own”. A cult leader like Jim Jones talked almost a thousand people into leaving their homes, moving to Guyana and committing mass suicide. In particular, they often go after a “kind and caring” woman by making her feel “special” … and before she knows it, he has moved in and refuses to leave. They are pathological liars who can reinvent themselves on a moment’s notice and are skilled at forging, plagiarizing and extortion. Although they are filled with greed and envy on the inside, they can appear to be humble and caring individuals on the outside.

More often than not, psychopaths will have “powerful cravings” in the form of either drugs, sex, pedophilia or kleptomania. Nothing satisfies their appetite, and because they are extreme risk takers, almost nothing stops them from their desires. They will use violence, fear, threats and humiliation to get whatever they want. They can go from 0 to 100 on the “rage” spectrum in just a second. Think of Jack Nicholson’s character in A Few Good Men. One minute utterly charming, the next minute a complete monster.

See the below articles to read more about what a psychopath is and the differences between a psychopath and a sociopath:

http://voices.yahoo.com/sociopath-vs-psychopath-there-difference-1906224.html

http://www.cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath_2.htm

Or, if you suspect your BOSS may be a psychopath, read the below article:

http://www.fastcompany.com/53247/your-boss-psychopath

May 5th, 2013 in Marry Me