Welcome to our new blog specifically devoted to understanding the sociopathic narcissists in our personal and larger worlds. No, we will not be keeping up our old blog on Bullying Bosses. No need. Bosses who bully generally, not those who are just being aggressive on the odd day, are practicing sociopaths – which is the new focus of our work and this blog.
Please forgive the rough condition of the material presented on this website; while many of the items are works in progress, it is important that they are shared immediately, despite their imperfections, as this is the optimum time to explore the subject matter.
With Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and others like them running entire countries, use of the word “sociopaths” has suddenly become obsequious. But few people, including few experts and reporters, have delved into the subject matter deep enough to discover what that word means, who it applies to, or what behaviors can be attributed to it and them.
Students and writers automatically turn to the dictionary for definitions. For a start, Webster’s teaches us that a sociopath is “a person suffering from psychopathic personality…” That would include narcissists as detailed by elements in the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 at 301.81 for Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Or more shortly, a person who lacks a capacity for empathy (LCE).
Webster’s goes on to tell us that a “sociopath” is a person: “…whose behavior is aggressively antisocial.” Bullying, harassing, or abusing an employer’s human resources at work, or anyone for that matter, are quintessential antisocial behaviors.
A sociopath is a narcissist (301.81) who harms others and society. Not all narcissists are sociopaths but all sociopaths are narcissists. In here, we prefer the precision of the term, “Sociopathic 301.81s.”
That seems simple enough in the abstract, but it’s not enough. We need more. We need reports and questions to fill in actuality. That’s what our blog is dedicated to. Please feel free to share your life experiences and ideas.
COMMON MYTH #7: JUST US
301.81s are passionate in their fight for justice.
Not for justice; this can be confusing. Their sense of personal justice is of an antisocial “just us” sort (entitlement). Motivated by sometimes agonizing shame-pain, it is in the name of justice that they vindicate the victimization of others, often with great, self-righteous indignation. More generally, many 301.81s find roles in society in which they can feign being in a fight for justice as cover for their personal lack of a capacity for empathy (LCE); these are so-called “compensating narcissists.”
Hello ALW,
You’re absolutely right. Without the benefit of scientific study so far, it’s been generally accepted that narcissists (301.81s) make up approximately 4% of the US population (its frequency differs by culture), but the correct number is probably closer to 17%. Either way, that’s millions of Americans who lead productive, prosocial lives in stable family, social, and work contexts. Indeed, they frequently gravitate to fields in service to society such as medicine, teaching, and social movements. As sticklers for abstractions such as rules, and what they regard as “principles,” they can be annoying when it comes to practicalities – like making prudent compromises. But most regular 301.81s live their lives doing good rather than harm.
Then there are the…
Hi there, Robert.
I would just like to say, I’ve known plenty of what you call narcissists, and they’re not so bad. In fact, they are some of the better people I’ve known, my husband included. He’s a good provider, is good to our children and is active in our church. Why give them such a hard time?
A loving wife: ALW