PSYCHOLOGY I: ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER

Good morning class. Welcome to a particularly interesting lesson, which I’m sure you will come to agree with by the end of the time we have. I hope you have all completed your reading work.

I’m going to talk in relation to that reading and draw some parallels with a man I know. See if you can follow my thought pattern and get to the answer before I get there.

This man I know, he’s a unique kind of guy. He has a tendency of believing his own opinion is the highest opinion almost to the point of entitlement. He’s very eloquent which means he is rarely stuck for words, but sometimes he can’t control those words due to a propensity to lash out at others in a rush of emotion.

Are you there yet?

He acts innocent, playing the part of a victim, crying out asking why the world doesn’t understand him or his methods. These cries are not real and serve a purpose. While this all seems considered and level-headed, my acquaintance is often spontaneous and can be seen to take risks more often than most. He tells stories that either have no basis in truth, or cannot be proven either way to have a basis in truth, and therefore could be described as a liar.

Still not there?

Control is a big part of my friend’s life – he likes to lead the way, and play with the feelings of others. He is manipulative and prays on the weak and unsuspecting. This is not borne out of nothing, and instead is the biggest giveaway. My friend cannot understand feelings, which is why he feels the need to manipulate the feelings of others – he wants to FEEL by proxy. He wants to understand how events cause another person to act, so that he can try to act the same way. Because of this lack of emotional intelligence, my friend has a hard time maintaining a meaningful relationship with anyone, romantic or otherwise, and if you try and tell him he’s wrong he’s got a bad temper.

I’m glad you got there eventually, class.

My friend is a sociopath.

Sociopaths suffer from antisocial personality disorder, which means he struggles to adapt to the behavioural norms of society. This means he is prone to be dangerous to himself and others and is likely to commit criminal acts. The three main tells are a lack of remorse, a disregard for rules, and outright lying, along with the traits we’ve just been through.

Now you tell me, class, having discussed all of those traits – surely there is no truer way to describe Isaac Danvers?

I must confess to telling a small lie of my own to get you to this conclusion. The friend I described is not really my friend. I described Danvers all along. Danvers is dangerous, and is a violent murderer who cannot be trusted. There are two ways to deal with a sociopath class, but I do not have the luxury of a choice.

Either maintain a safe distance or confront with caution.

Looks like its door number two…