Sunday, July 17, 2011

Levi Aron, sociopath?

His ex-wife thinks so. There is something about his stilted confession that has me thinking . . . aspie?
My name is Levi Aron… On Monday evening around 5:30 I went to my dentist, Dr. Sorcher, to make a payment for visit for exam routine.

A boy approached me on where the Judaica book store was. He was still there when went out from the dentist’s office. He asked me for a ride to the Judaica book store. While on the way he changed his mind and wasn’t sure where he wanted to go.

So I asked if he wanted to go for the ride — wedding in Monsey — since I didn’t think I was going to stay for the whole thing since my back was hurting. He said ok.

Due to traffic, I got back around 11:30 p.m. … so I brought him to my house thinking I’d bring him to his house the next day. He watched TV then fell asleep in the front room. I went to the middle room to sleep. That next morning, he was still sleeping when I was ready to leave.

So I woke him and told him I’ll bring him to his house… when I saw the flyers I panicked and was afraid. When I got home he was still there so I made him a tuna sandwich….

I was still in a panic … and afraid to bring him home. That is when approximately I went for a towel to smother him in the side room. He fought back a little bit until eventually he stopped breathing.

Afterwards I panicked because I didn’t know what to do with the body.… carried parts to the back room placing parts between the freezer and the refrigerator …

… went to clean up a little then took a second shower. I panicked and .. Then putting the parts in a suitcase. Then carrying suitcase to the car …placing in backseat on floor behind passenger side.

… drove around approximately around 20 minutes before placing it in the dumpster on 20th street just before 4th Avenue. Then went home to clean and organize.

I understand this may be wrong and I’m sorry for the hurt that I have caused.
He just doesn't seem with it enough to be a sociopath, even a low functioning one. My second guess is slow (as his wife suggested, see link above), sort of Steinbeckian murderously slow perhaps.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Quintessential sociopath traits

I've been thinking recently about the diagnostic criterion for sociopathy/psychopathy/ASPD (to the extent that they overlap and/or are largely conflated with each other).

The dominant diagnostic tools are Cleckley's checklist, Hare's PCL-R, and the DSM-IVs criterion for ASPD. None of these diagnostic tools require all traits to be manifested in a patient in order to be labeled a sociopath. All of the diagnostic tools are based on the observable traits of those who have been diagnosed as sociopaths, which, apart from being rather circular, introduces the risk of biases that might skew which traits get included or not included -- biases of the researchers, of a particular context (e.g. prison), of cultural differences, or of possible comorbidity with other disorders. And of course, not every sociopath will look the same because even if they had the same "sociopath genes" (if such exist), those genes would still manifest themselves differently based on environment, intelligence, gender, age, education, other factors of their upbringing, etc.

With all of that said, I'm curious what people people think are the quintessential sociopathic traits. I thought we could pool our collective opinions, as a straw poll. With that in mind, I'm going to include Cleckley's checklist, Hare's PCL-R, and the DSM-IV list of traits. Could everyone who wants to participate choose 5 traits that you think are the most common, predominant, or defining traits of a sociopath? If you think that a trait is necessary to a diagnosis, could you put an asterisk by that particular trait? Finally, if you believe that there is an essential trait that is not included in any of the diagnostic criterion listed below, feel free to include them, indicated with a hashtag (#). I wonder if we'll do a better job coming to a consensus than others have.

Cleckley:
1. Considerable superficial charm and average or above average intelligence.
2. Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking.
3. Absence of anxiety or other “neurotic” symptoms. Considerable poise, calmness and verbal facility.
4. Unreliability, disregard for obligations no sense of responsibility, in matters of little and great import.
5. Untruthfulness and insincerity.
6. Antisocial behavior which is inadequately motivated and poorly planned, seeming to stem from an inexplicable impulsiveness.
7. Inadequately motivated antisocial behavior.
8. Poor judgment and failure to learn from experience.
9. Pathological egocentricity. Total self-centeredness and an incapacity for real love and attachment.
10. General poverty of deep and lasting emotions.
11. Lack of any true insight; inability to see oneself as others do.
12. Ingratitude for any special considerations, kindness and trust.
13. Fantastic and objectionable behavior, after drinking and sometimes even when not drinking. Vulgarity, rudeness, quick mood shifts, pranks for facile entertainment.
14. No history of genuine suicide attempts.
15. An impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated sex life.
16. Failure to have a life plan and to live in any ordered way, unless it be for destructive purposes or a sham.

Hare:
· glib and superficial charm
· grandiose estimation of self
· need for stimulation
· pathological lying
· conning and manipulative
· lack of remorse or guilt
· shallow affect
· callousness and lack of empathy
· parasitic lifestyle
· poor behavioral control
· sexual promiscuity
· early behavior problems
· lack of realistic long-term goals
· impulsivity
· irresponsibility
· juvenile delinquency
· failure to accept responsibility for own actions
· revocation of conditional release
· many short-term marital relationships
· criminal versatility

DSM-IV
- failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
- deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
- impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead;
- irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
- reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
- consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
- lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another;

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Literature: "Mygale" and "In the Woods"

I just finished reading "Mygale," by Thierry Jonquet. It's a quick and entertaining French noir novella that strongly features re-education in a gritty and thought provoking way. I would include a few passages, but I lost my copy somewhere along the journey. But this is how one reviewer described it:
"(T)his short novel embraces sexual horror with relish; it feels at times like being pulled on a leash through a Bosch painting with the Marquis de Sade leering from the wings." - Maxim Jakubowski, The Guardian
I've just started "In the Woods," by Tana French. It was recommended by someone very interested in sociopathy is, but I am still not sure if it is because there is an explicit sociopath connection or if it is just because the style is very deliciously frank and ambiguous about certain moral issues. Here's an example:
What I warn you to remember is that I am a detective. Our relationship with truth is fundamental but cracked, refracting confusingly like fragmented glass. It is the core of our careers, the endgame of every move we make, and we pursue it with strategies painstakingly constructed of lies and concealment and every variation on deception. The truth is the most desirable woman in the world and we are the most jealous lovers, reflexively denying anyone else the slightest glimpse of her. We betray her routinely, spending hours and days stupor-deep in lies, and then turn back to her holding out the lover's ultimate Möbius strip: But I only did it because I love you so much.

I have a pretty knack for imagery, especially the cheap, facile kind. Don't let me fool you into seeing us as a bunch of parfit gentil knights galloping off in doublets after Lady Truth on her white palfrey. What we do is crude, crass and nasty. A girl gives her boyfriend an alibi for the evening when we suspect him of robbing a north-side Centra and stabbing the clerk. I flirt with her at first, telling her I can see why he would want to stay home when he's got her; she is peroxided and greasy, with the flat, stunted features of generations of malnutrition, and privately I am thinking that if I were her boyfriend I would be relieved to trade her even for a hairy cellmate named Razor. Then I tell her we've found marked bills from the till in his classy white tracksuit bottoms, and he's claiming that she went out that evening and gave them to him when she got back.

I do it so convincingly, with such delicate crosshatching of discomfort and compassion at her man's betrayal, that finally her faith in four shared years disintegrates like a sand castle and through tears and snot, while her man sits with my partner in the next interview room saying nothing except "Fuck off, I was home with Jackie," she tells me everything from the time he left the house to the details of his sexual shortcomings. Then I pat her gently on the shoulder and give her a tissue and a cup of tea, and a statement sheet.

This is my job, and you don't go into it--or, if you do, you don't last-without some natural affinity for its priorities and demands. What I am telling you, before you begin my story, is this-two things: I crave truth. And I lie.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Civility

I'm back from vacation. I thought once of the cleverest lines of seduction I heard while traveling came from a street food stall vendor who asked me where one of my companions was from. I answered in the native language and got the following response, "there are lots of beautiful people there." I thought it was such a clever hidden compliment and that companion was beyond pleased.

I was also surprised at how little effort was put into trying to get me and my companions to do certain things. One brazen man, in a particular seedy part of the city, just walked up to us with his hand extended while he was crossing the street opposite us. What did he think the chances of us giving him money were?

I noticed that my empath travel companions responded almost equally well to vinegar as they did honey, but only at first. They quickly started feeling emotionally manipulated and then shut down almost completely against the natives, even going so far as to argue over small perceived slights in service and to count their change rudely in front of store owners, while I was handing my money over in both hands with a small bow of respect. Just for kicks, I guess. Or because I usually think that to be openly hostile is a tactic best reserved for a more narrow set of circumstances.

I'll write about the books I've been reading tomorrow.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Confronting Your Friend When He/She is Dating a Sociopath

I'll be back from vacation by next post, in the meantime this guest post from Criminal Justice Degrees Guide:

Sometimes it can be hard to talk to your friend about a serious problem they are unaware of—especially if it is negatively affecting them. However, if you really care about his/her well-being, you must be willing to face an uncomfortable situation, such as confronting a friend or talking to him/her about the troublesome issue. If your friend is dating a sociopath, there are certain ways to make them aware of it. Here are some steps to follow both before and after you confront your friend about his/her new (or old) boyfriend or girlfriend, who is exhibiting symptoms of antisocial personality disorder.
First Things First: Get Your Facts Straight
Make sure your friend's significant other actually exhibits symptoms of antisocial personality disorder. The worst thing you can do is confront your friend about a problem that doesn’t really exist. You may want to look at a comprehensive reference such as The Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders. According to the fourth edition of the manual, there a four main symptoms that point to antisocial personality disorder including (but not limited to): "a pervasive pattern or disregard for or violation of the rights of others, evidence of conduct disorder, and occurrence of antisocial behavior (not in exclusive schizophrenic episodes)." Furthermore, the person must be at least 18 years of age. Try looking at examples and other characteristics which help prove someone is in fact a sociopath.
Gentle Confrontation
After you are certain your friend is dating a sociopath, try to bring up something he does in your presence. Do it right after it happens! For example, if he/she is behaving in a reckless manner, which seems abnormal, take your friend aside shortly after. Ask him/her if she found that behavior awkward or unusual. Don't be accusatory of his or her significant other from the beginning. Just ask how his/her boyfriend or girlfriend's actions made your friend feel.
Provide the Material to Get Your Friend Thinking
Once you have your friend thinking about the situation, send an article or YOUTUBE video of a person acting similar to the sociopath he/she is dating. This will get him or her thinking about the situation. You could send an email, and say "this reminds me of (insert sociopath's name here)". Try to make it light and funny, but still eye-opening and educational for your friend. This post could be an example.
Serious Confrontation
If your friend isn't getting a clue, try confronting him/her more seriously. Say that you have their wellbeing at heart, and you are concerned about his/her relationship. Don't immediately say you are dating a sociopath. Try to highlight examples of unusual behavior or symptoms your friend's boyfriend or girlfriend displays. Explain how this behavior could be damaging to your friend's happiness or well-being. Also add, you will be there for them no matter what, but you want them to think about the situation seriously.
Don't Cut Them Off
Your friend is likely to be defensive during the confrontation. After all, taking a blow at someone's boyfriend or girlfriend can mean attacking both people in the relationship. Give your friend another chance. Try to text them or call them regularly to show you are there for them, no matter what. You may not be able to change their behavior, but always be willing to lend advice or help!
Author Bio:

Nancy Farrell is a freelance writer and blogger. She regularly contributes to the criminal justice degrees, which discusses about child abuse, human rights, divorce, and crime related articles. Questions or comments can be sent to: nancy.farrell13@gmail.com.

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