Victims of Psychopaths Community Group
Is he or she a sociopath or psychopath? Think we're only talking about serial killers here? Psychopaths, sociopaths and even narcissists come in every walk of life, every career level, and every socio-economic category.
This is a post just for fun. I also want to see how good I am at assessing these people, so please let me know what you think.
So, I've been watching Animal Planet's "Fatal Attractions" show, where people become addicted to keeping and caring for certain animals, almost always of an exotic persuasion, and it always ends badly for the owner (i.e. death).
The last episode, involving this pugnacious, dare devil kind of guy (really fits the ASPD personality profile) who had a huge Burmese Python that almost killed his daughter, and expressed little to no regret about it, let alone understanding, got me to thinking about Axis 2 personality disorders--the disorders I'm certain nearly everyone in this support group have become intimately familiar with--in relation to these animals. Why would someone of any of these diagnoses want to own these animals?
The answer I think, for each of them, goes a little something like this:
Histrionic Personality--Loves the idea that owning such a rare animal makes them unique and worthy of attention.
Narcissistic Personality-- Enjoys the prestige of owning such a beast, the same as their HPD cousin, but the real charge they get out of it all is the fact that they are the master of the animal. This is especially true of dangerous creatures like large constrictors and big cats; they believe they have tamed these animals--animals that would otherwise kill with impunity, and believe they can control them. Thus doing something "lesser people" cannot.
Antisocial Personality-- Likely to be a combination of the former two, but with the added dimension of possessing a creature that causes fear and revulsion in others. Owning a pit bull can only go so far, he owns a Lion or a Crocodile, on the other hand, things that can kill and devour human beings with impunity, commits the ultimate act of social rebellion.
Borderline Personality Disorder: Again, likely to be a combination of the latter three, but with an added dimension of identification with the particular animal they desire to acquire (no rhyme intended): since a BPD is likely to feel rejected, bad, dirty, inadequate, worthless, etc. they may want an animal that they feel represents their state of mind; a deadly spider or snake, perhaps? The narcissistic side of them will inspire delusions in them that go beyond those of grandeur, they may whisper to their otherwise dispassionate pet "It's us against them..."
So, I've been watching Animal Planet's "Fatal Attractions" show, where people become addicted to keeping and caring for certain animals, almost always of an exotic persuasion, and it always ends badly for the owner (i.e. death).
The last episode, involving this pugnacious, dare devil kind of guy (really fits the ASPD personality profile) who had a huge Burmese Python that almost killed his daughter, and expressed little to no regret about it, let alone understanding, got me to thinking about Axis 2 personality disorders--the disorders I'm certain nearly everyone in this support group have become intimately familiar with--in relation to these animals. Why would someone of any of these diagnoses want to own these animals?
The answer I think, for each of them, goes a little something like this:
Histrionic Personality--Loves the idea that owning such a rare animal makes them unique and worthy of attention.
Narcissistic Personality-- Enjoys the prestige of owning such a beast, the same as their HPD cousin, but the real charge they get out of it all is the fact that they are the master of the animal. This is especially true of dangerous creatures like large constrictors and big cats; they believe they have tamed these animals--animals that would otherwise kill with impunity, and believe they can control them. Thus doing something "lesser people" cannot.
Antisocial Personality-- Likely to be a combination of the former two, but with the added dimension of possessing a creature that causes fear and revulsion in others. Owning a pit bull can only go so far, he owns a Lion or a Crocodile, on the other hand, things that can kill and devour human beings with impunity, commits the ultimate act of social rebellion.
Borderline Personality Disorder: Again, likely to be a combination of the latter three, but with an added dimension of identification with the particular animal they desire to acquire (no rhyme intended): since a BPD is likely to feel rejected, bad, dirty, inadequate, worthless, etc. they may want an animal that they feel represents their state of mind; a deadly spider or snake, perhaps? The narcissistic side of them will inspire delusions in them that go beyond those of grandeur, they may whisper to their otherwise dispassionate pet "It's us against them..."
I renember when i had a rare breed of pitbull, i really loved that dog, so did all my family but when my baby came along we had him put down. He had a history of getting into fights with other dogs in the neighbourhood and just basically because of his temperament & breeding we couldn't say 100% he could be trusted. Although no-one in the family had any fear of him turning on us,( we were all adults ) when it came to the baby we weren't willing to take the risk.
That dog also developed a fierce sense of loyalty, as well; my brother-in-law once smack my sister's butt in front of it, and it interpreted it as an attack, and bared it teeth and barked at him.
If a dog which belongs wholly or predominately to the type or breed of dog banned from being imported into the country it has to be classified as menacing. It has a really bad reputation of being "man-aggressive" here and is highly sort after by gangs and people who want that sort of security because of that rep. I still really like the breed but would never trust a pitty near any child un-supervised.
Alas, it was a while ago that I read it. Really wish I could remember though. Perhaps if you search those terms, you'll come up with something...well, everyone does, it is the internet after all, and you're bound to find people who believe in everything; I once found a guy who believed that the theory of the earth revolving around the sun was a lie. No joke. Google "The Copernican Lie", I dare you, lol.
But seriously, this was a reputable source, and I believe I found it written more than one place. They used to be thought of as overly protective of children.
@EyesOpenedN
How is it funny? Just curious.
But there is definitely an ego trip to be had by owning an exotic animal. A friend of mine, her father, owned tropical fish, dangerous tropical fish .. not just a few guppies and the odd angel fish, creatures like stone fish, where you had to segregate the tank to clean it! I can remember thinking (as a kid) why would anyone want to keep them?
Dangerous dogs carry the same stigma, here in the UK a pit bull is a classic drug dealers dog. But there are numerous breeds considered more dangerous than the pitball. (I've met two and both were very nice natured dogs ~ even Ceasar Milan has one! It depends on the owner I have found!). A dog such as the Japanese Tosa would be lethal in the wrong hands, or the Japanese Aketa. And much more of an ego trip than the poor pit bull (who seems to get all of the bad press on this issue).
Yeah, my mom is crazy about wolf-like breeds too. Even if you can't realistically be the master of a dangerous reptile, the point is, you can "think" you are. Delusions are, after all, part and parcel to a Narc...
Iguanas are actually capable of learning commands. Monitor Lizards can do the same, plus, some can count. Some even appear to be affectionate.
On the whole, I'd say Lizards are, hands down, the most intelligent of all reptiles.
Still, I totally understand what you mean. I don't understand having fish, myself, because I like something you can hold and pet.
When you compare a lizard, to say, a cat or dog (or even some rodents) .. they seem to lack that ability to be able to interact with you properly. If you are looking for something that displays love and affection, then the mammal family would be a better choice. (in my opinion)
Even Rabbits have some intelligence .. granted, not the brightest stars in the sky but they are social creatures and are happy to live alongside other animals without too much drama. And compared to a lizard it is practically Albert Einstein. Reptiles seem to be more instinctive creatures, you could have a snake for 50 years, and it still wouldn't answer to its name, or even acknowledge your existence. It all seems a bit one sided to me.
I love all animals but cats are my ultimate favorite