Antisocial Personality Disorder: The Classic Symptoms (DUmmies Projecting)

[thundley4]

Lancer   (1000+ posts)         Sat Jul-04-09 01:17 PM
Original message
Antisocial Personality Disorder: The Classic Symptoms
   

 
Dr. Hervey M. Cleckley (1903-1984) developed a profile of sociopathy -- now almost universally described as "Antisocial Personality Disorder" -- in his landmark book The Mask of Sanity. This model has been used in and evolved through numerous psychological studies and reprinted many times since the book first appeared in 1941. Robert Hare, a Canadian psychiatrist who extensively studied prison populations contributed a list of further related traits he had observed in his studies.

So, after watching Sarah Palin strut across the national stage for several days last summer, I was overwhelmed by a creepy crawly sensation on the back of my neck. I remembered an abnormal psychology class I took in college and Dr. Cleckley's checklist came to mind. Narcissism is a key component of the antisocial personality. According to Todd Purdum in his Vanity Fair article "It Came From Wasilla," once Sarah Palin became a national figure, lots of people in Alaska "consulted the definition of 'narcissistic personality disorder'... and thought it fit her perfectly." They weren't the only ones. It seems to me that we don't have enough information to know if #11 and #13 truly apply, but at this point that doubt seems to be nitpicking.




1. Glibness and Superficial Charm

2. Manipulative and Conning. They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

3. Grandiose Sense of Self Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."

4. Pathological Lying Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.

5. Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt A deep-seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.

6. Shallow Emotions When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.

7. Incapacity for Love

8. Need for Stimulation Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.

9. Callousness/Lack of Empathy Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.

10. Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.

11. Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.

12. Irresponsibility/Unreliability Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.

13. Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.

14. Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.

15. Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5987878

Wow !! Just Wow !!!  They fail to see that so many of these traits apply to them and Dear Leader more than they do to conservatives.  The blind stupidity runs thick in this thread.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Rebel would ave to get another server to properly handle the comparison and contrast of Palin vs. liberals in light of that post.

[franksolich]

Oh my.

Just by random chance, I ignored the first two paragrahs and immediately scrolled down to the itemized characteristics.

For a minute, I was startled; such a description of Pa Kettle in the White House is allowed on Skins's island?

Then I went back up and read the first two paragraphs.

[DixieBelle]

Oh my.

Just by random chance, I ignored the first two paragrahs and immediately scrolled down to the itemized characteristics.

For a minute, I was startled; such a description of Pa Kettle in the White House is allowed on Skins's island?

Then I went back up and read the first two paragraphs.

Stunning isn't it?

[JohnnyReb]

Obama to a "T".....and the blind fools don't see it.

[Peter3_1]

Don't think they don't see this problem applying to Barry. They are suffering from cognative dissonance and maintain their "reality" by transferance.

Anything else would collapse their carefully constructed house of cards.

[dandi]

That's an amazing lack of self-awareness or inability to self-evaluate on the part of the DUmbasses. Their narcissism blinds them.

[Peter3_1]

ZAKLY!

[DumbAss Tanker]

Actually Bill Clinton is the classic sociopath, his chameleon-like talent to believe whatever he said for exactly as long as it took him to utter it and his inability to connect current conduct with future consequences (Lauded as his ability to "Compartmentalize" by his defenders at the time) are archetypical traits.

[AllosaursRus]

As soon as I saw Sarah's name I quit reading, knowing full well, it's just another attack on one of our conservative Babes.

[Carl]

All of them will migrate from that thread to another where they will exhibit at least half of that last part.

[crockspot]

Haha... looking over that list, I'm thinking... Obama... Clinton... John Edwards... pretty much every male Kennedy ever born.... 

[Traveshamockery]

And even more than ignoring that Barry Soetero is present in every one of those descriptions, I never once saw those types of behavior or qualities in Sarah Palin.  They are really projecting. 

[blitzkrieg_17]

If anyone knows APD, it's DU. You'd be hard pressed to name a person over there who does NOT have it.