Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I always knew I was different, I didn't know I was a sociopath

wsj.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 203 posts

Re: I always knew I was different, I didn't know I was a sociopath

#31

Post by JohnBooty »

kayodelycaon wrote: post #28
qumpis wrote: post #2

Fascinating article. I wonder what made her do the steps in finding what's "different" with her, and most of all, why the need to fix it arose. Is it to "fit in", understandably? It somehow felt alien to me, and this shows my ignorance on the topic, that people lacking in empathy department would attempt to understand the reasons and act "good" towards others even if this feeling is only understood intellectually.

I think it’s easy enough to explain. I’m asexual and don’t feel sexual attraction. In fact I’m completely blind to it. I definitely noticed something was wrong with me once I started school. Since then, I am constantly reminded of that by everyone around me. They have something I’m expected to have. Just imagine if you were the weird one because you were the only person with emotions. You can’t escape it. You can’t f…

     I definitely noticed something was wrong with me once I started school
I hope you have gotten, or will get to, a place where you no longer think of this as something "wrong" with you!

Re: I always knew I was different, I didn't know I was a sociopath

#32

Post by roydivision »

The subject has always fascinated me, largely to understand this character type when I encounter it. I've worked for a couple of sociopaths, it was extremely confusing and difficult.

I find it interesting that the author understands that the way she behaves can have negative impacts on people around her. In my experience this is unusual, sociopaths I've met either don't get this, or if they do, don't care, and in some cases use it as a 'special power' to advance themselves, especially in business. If you're not hampered by feelings of guilt or unfairness a lot of social barriers fall away.

Re: I always knew I was different, I didn't know I was a sociopath

#33

Post by klabb3 »

Super interesting. I can recognize this behavior with people playing multiplayer games. When there are no stakes, and everything is a game, people mess around – especially when they’re bored. If it’s just a game, who cares?

People with extremely low “emotional reactivity” appear unlikely to share with others (why would they, most of us share stuff for empathy - and they may not see the point - or lose out socially). According to the Gervais principle, they are rewarded for their excellence of social deception in institutions like corporations. Then there are the worse, hardened criminals as well, taking assignments nobody else would, or for their own sadistic maladaption.

The best fit in a healthy society, I think, is doing things that others can’t, like extreme sport type of stuff, or astronaut, brain surgeon - sound decision making under immense pressure. Alex Hannold for instance, has an almost non-existing amygdala response even compared to other extreme sporters, iirc. He apppears deeply aware of this, and seems to channel everything into his climbing, which overall seems really healthy.

Re: I always knew I was different, I didn't know I was a sociopath

#34

Post by JackFr »

rapsey wrote: post #27

> After years of study, intensive therapy and earning a Ph.D. in psychology I wonder what the percentage of psychologists get their degrees to figure out what the hell is wrong with them. I bet it is pretty large. Also her gaze in the picture is quite unnerving. I wonder if it is because I know she is a sociopath or would I find it just as unnerving if I did not.

> Also her gaze in the picture is quite unnerving.

Photographers know their business.

Re: I always knew I was different, I didn't know I was a sociopath

#35

Post by 77pt77 »

rapsey wrote: post #27

> After years of study, intensive therapy and earning a Ph.D. in psychology I wonder what the percentage of psychologists get their degrees to figure out what the hell is wrong with them. I bet it is pretty large. Also her gaze in the picture is quite unnerving. I wonder if it is because I know she is a sociopath or would I find it just as unnerving if I did not.

Most common motivations are to understand why they are so messed up and to exert power over others.

The former usually fail and the latter always succeed and get tremendous benefits from it, not unlike the ones bullies get from abusing their victims.

Re: I always knew I was different, I didn't know I was a sociopath

#36

Post by JohnBooty »

qumpis wrote: post #2

Fascinating article. I wonder what made her do the steps in finding what's "different" with her, and most of all, why the need to fix it arose. Is it to "fit in", understandably? It somehow felt alien to me, and this shows my ignorance on the topic, that people lacking in empathy department would attempt to understand the reasons and act "good" towards others even if this feeling is only understood intellectually.

It's fascinating. I've read a fair bit about sociopaths (but I'm no expert, obviously) and her compulsions feel pretty unique to me. It's not something I have really seen mentioned with sociopaths too often.

A lot of sociopaths lead pretty normal lives. Pro-social behavior is generally pretty beneficial, even if you are doing it for practical reasons and not out of empathy.

Re: I always knew I was different, I didn't know I was a sociopath

#40

Post by DrDroop »

endo_bunker wrote: post #8
qumpis wrote: post #2

Fascinating article. I wonder what made her do the steps in finding what's "different" with her, and most of all, why the need to fix it arose. Is it to "fit in", understandably? It somehow felt alien to me, and this shows my ignorance on the topic, that people lacking in empathy department would attempt to understand the reasons and act "good" towards others even if this feeling is only understood intellectually.

It would be interesting to know if this is a common experience among sociopaths. I had always thought that behaviors like theft resulted more simply from the lack of empathy (and desire for the stolen item), rather than resolving some kind of internal tension.

Special books for special children did an interview with a self identified sociopath that shows the same level of self awareness and openness to discuss the problem[1].

I think it is always difficult to analyse why someones does something. In Psychology, behaviour is like a Feynman diagram, you can always rotate the picture and get a valid particle interaction. What is cause and what is effect is hard to tell, but yes some people steal out of a sense of justice if you can call it that.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdPMUX8_8Ms

Post reply on HN