He's A Card

I suppose that we all did things as kids that we're not proud of today. I've already done some today that I won't boast about. Most of us did not chase down gay acquaintances and hold them down to chop off their hair. There is a term for that kind of person. Psychopath. We all tend to conjure up an image of either Jack Nicholson with an axe or Anthony Perkins with a knife when the word comes up in conversation. That's not accurate. Oh, yeah, if a psychopath is violent he may pick up something sharp. That isn't what makes him a psychopath. It is a total void of empathy that characterizes a real psychopath. Think Bain Capital.

In order to succeed in society psychopaths usually become very clever at masking this lack of concern for others. Many therapists don't like to work with them. It is generally agreed that there is no real cure for the condition. Psychotherapy can be a real help to the individual who uses information from a professional to get better at faking compassion.

Psychopaths think of themselves as special. Typically, they victimize one at a time. Business partner, spouse, roommate. Then again it is generally considered that Washington, D.C. is full of them.

Most experts believe that for the most part psychopaths see themselves as having great compassion and empathy. They tend to see the rest of the world as ruthless and uncaring and believe that they are just better at the games of deceit than the everyone else. Special.

Once your life has been upended by one you're probably more likely to notice them. No, you are definitely more likely to notice them. When millions are being spent to put one on your television screen twenty four hours a day you can't really miss one.

I don't like politics and there is no party that represents me. I will vote against a person who seems to support most wars but does not believe that any member of his family should be involved. I will not consider an individual fit for public office who believes that folks in this society should have health care  with the availability and quality dependent upon their finances, especially when the finances are questionable in source. I cannot sit quietly and allow a candidate to tell stories that vary in substance and detail depending on the audience. The Florida video revealed a psychopath.

Maybe when we hear the term psychopath in the future the image of a mean spirited, spoiled yuppie with a pair of scissors in his hand standing over a terrified gay kid will come to mind.