Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Joker

For those of you doing Comic Con this weekend in person or remotely, from the Huffington Post, a psychoanalysis of the Joker:
"In fact, particular patterns of behavior or personality traits -- what we call psychopathy -- are much more commonly seen in serial murderers," Pozios said.

Bender uses the example of the Joker, the most famous Batman villain, as a character who has incorrectly been called "psychotic" many times throughout Batman's 72-year history.

"Someone who is 'psychotic' is experiencing symptoms of psychosis, a mental disorder, which can include auditory hallucinations, such as hearing voices; visual hallucinations, where they see objects that are not truly there; or have delusional thoughts, despite evidence to show that such beliefs are incorrect -- such as believing that one's movements are being tracked by deep space satellites -- or disorganized behavior," Bender said. "In the vast majority of depictions, the Joker is not experiencing such symptoms; rather, the Joker has shown symptoms of psychopathy."

Bender says psychopathy is a personality construct and not a diagnosis of a mental disorder.

"Psychopathy reflects interpersonal characteristics and behavior that are often rooted in a lack of empathy," Bender said. "In the comics, television shows, and films, the Joker is much more akin to a psychopath and is not psychotic."

Although some snarky fans might suggest that the Joker just be put on Prozac, Bender says that's the sort of incorrect assumption he's trying to fight just as passionately as the Caped Crusader combats crime.

"Psychopaths are not prescribed medications to treat their psychopathic personality traits," Bender said. "They would be prescribed medication if they had a mental disorder, such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, that causes clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning. In the vast majority off depictions, the Joker does not exhibit signs or symptoms of these or other mental disorders for which medication would be appropriate; therefore, we would not prescribe him any medication."
What about Batman? Isn't that why their feud is so much more entertaining to us than any of the other villains, is that Batman and Joker are really just two sides of the same coin?

Friday, July 22, 2011

Married to a sociopath (part 2)

I replied:

I think it's really interesting that him being able to see you to your core is a plus in your eyes. Do you think that is atypical for empaths? Don't they like to hide certain parts of them. Isn't that what I sometimes hear marriage self-help types preach? That there should be mystery in marriages? I have sometimes wondered whether that ended some of my relationships. I am always fine seeing people in all their imperfection, but sometimes I think the people I was with were not fine -- did not feel comfortable being laid bare like that.

The reader:
i guess for me, having an addictive personality, i happen to love the intensity that is involved in the constant mind games he can play with me...this is absolute intrigue and mystery...the other aspect i love is that i tend to have a pretty strong personality, a high pressure career that i thrive on and like most modern women, have many balls in the air...I have always been the one in control in relationships. i then tend to resent the shit out of these men that i can control...my husband on the other hand is completely in control and fuck the feminists....this is as it should be...he is dominant sexually, emotionally and pretty much in all aspects of our relationship...i am not exactly a doormat but ultimately, if his logic is sound, i can see his perspective. if it's not sound, and mine is, he will come around to my point of view..slowly, but he will...especially when it comes to how we raise our kids..but he won't admit it for months later,..he is my drug and i love being exposed to him...that to me is what true intimacy is..what a dichotomy...the one person i feel truly intimate with is not capable of feeling true intimacy back...dysfunctional? sure...but it works for us...he knows me and it keeps me on my toes..there is no getting complacent with him...i know if he needs my attention, i damn well better give it to him...i'm sure even my peers would find this shocking but wtf...if you can find a way to get some happiness out of this fucked up world and it just so happens to be a sociopath, i say go for it...there is a reason empaths are attracted to these men or women is that they can make you feel alive...i would rather feel alive and a bit exposed and vulnerable than safe and semi-comatose, which is rampant and what i had with my ex-husband...give me a little emotional danger and you'll have my heart forever...

feel free to publish this..just as an aside, my husband did an interview on aftermath radio talking about his sociopathy...worth a listen...

http://aftermath-surviving-psychopathy.org/radio/?p=297

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Married to a sociopath (part 1)

A reader writes:

I've been following your blog on and off for a few years.. my husband contacted you sometime back..there is no question he is a sociopath and i am an uber-empath...im a recovering alcoholic/addict which by the way is a perfect match for a socio as we have been trained to try and accept others as they are, have our own share of darks secrets and take ownership of our behavior in a given situation to a fault...often letting others off the hook...i have known my husband a long time..we were together when we were really young..we were using drugs pretty heavily and things didn't work out...we went our separate ways and reconnected years later when we had each got through our share of struggles ..but had come out on the other side.....anyway...i love him..he loves me as much as any socio can love...he shares his isms with me i understand the risks involved in loving a sociopath...im no fucking victim..my eyes are wide open here...he is no angel but neither am i...since we reconnected we each left our spouses and have created what on the outside must look like the average family....but only we know the real deal...we are not normal...i can feel that i live with a cardboard cutout of the man i love,,he is here but not ..i can easily forget that he is not normal and cannot connect with me the way id like him to...he can be "gone" for days at a time..with no conception that i'm trying to reach him, communicate with him etc..i get pissed, shut down and then we blow up until we get things resolved...or not...he's not going to change...so what is a girl to do? i have spent the better part of the day thinking about what to do...if anything...heres what ive come up with...I married a mirage of a man i love...well, sometimes that is..i knew that when we married...somehow i expect this to not be the case now...so here is my conclusion...it may seem cheesy and cliche but here it is...

while he is unreachable at times, demanding and controlling at others..and needy at yet other times...i am his...he is mine..he is able to be there and is there for me in ways i need him to be...that other men cannot come close to being...when it really fucking counts, he's there...he sees me to my core is there no one who can do to me what he does...good and bad...so my feelings get hurt, so i get lonely....the good outweighs the bad and if i accepted who he was before we got married, why do i expect he will be someone different now? he makes huge efforts in our relationship that go against his very nature...i can learn to remember who he is and be ok with what he is able to give me...and he gives a lot...he is as wonderful as he is difficult...and im good with that..he has let me into his head as much as i think any socio is able..it is really on me to work with who he is...expecting no more no less..just him in his glorious imperfection.

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.
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