"The second tip is to be emotion-free, something that she's found increasingly easy because her emotional range is roughly equivalent to that of a three-year-old."
This bit made me laugh out loud... has she ever met a 3 year old?! They are literally THE MOST EMOTIONAL PEOPLE ON THE PLANET!!!
Emotions aren't something you gradually learn to have as you get older, they just are, and you gradually learn to control them better.
Apart from that all I have to say about this woman is that she is very very very confused...
I know her. She struck me as a fraud immediately. I saw her on YouTube, then accidentally bought her book a few months later not realising it was her. I'd love to see Dr. Phil suss her out. But, something is definitely wrong with her. It's not killing the opossum without emotion that was in her pool, either. I vaguely remember her explaining that swimming lessons were being taught in that pool, so it was imperative to take action. What else could she do? That isn't psychopathy. I think she's a con artist. The fixed smile is so off-putting. Maybe her childhood was damaging in ways that she can't face, so I don't want to be too harsh. Athena, thanks for showing her inconsistencies, which are dumbfounding. I'd love to know how she got through law school. But, I just can't suffer through all of her material.
I went to PsychopathyIS, which I'd never heard of. Again, more confusion, and as you said, quite the grift. I looked at the story the 'psychopath' told about beating his dog when he was 5 years old. He still feels shame over it, yet thinks that he's a psychopath??? His crimes of greed don't necessarily mean psychopathy, either. Mostly neurotypicals do those. This site is a grift, but I believe that we'll see more like it due to the fear and fascination about the subject. And, people who love someone who they believe is a psychopath want to 'save' them. They won't accept that there is no treatment needed, wanted, or that will change a thing.
I agree. Their site has so many glaring issues. The fact that they would put forward a story about a kid doing something like that, feeling guilt, all the while claiming psychopathy is very contradictory. I couldn't help but notice that some time ago there were a number of writers over on Quora who claimed psychopathy suddenly started randomly suggesting PsychopathyIS as an authoritative source,
It drives me crazy when words mean something different depending on who uses them. It's understandable for a word to have different meanings in different cultures; in fact, that's interesting. But when people within the same culture use a professional term, like bipolar disorder, to either describe a very serious and terrible mental affliction or to casually mislabel any woman with PMS, the term has been adulterated. There are countless examples of this. Words like 'racist,' 'misogynist,' or 'psychopath' are so overused and misused that they hardly mean anything anymore. Even when they do, people are often too confused about their meaning to know what is being referred to. This makes communication difficult, and professionals don't make enough effort to create clarity. Unfortunately, sites like Quora and PsychopathyIS are just contributing to the chaos.
I agree. I spent more time on the site and ended up writing a decently long post about just some of its problems. I had to stop writing because it was already ridiculously long. They have a continuing education course speaking about the overlap between NPD and psychopathy. Only $100.00 to be fed a bunch of nonsense. Super fun.
It would be a mistake to say NPD and Psychopathy overlap or are comorbid just because there are narcissistic traits in psychopathy. Every person exhibits narcissistic traits. Overlapping traits are not the same as the very real existence of comorbidities, which are possible with some disorders but not others.
I can't see any solution other than creating a 'muted affect' category. Then, it could be for two entirely different reasons: innate and acquired. It also seems like ASPD is just a catch-all criminal category that any disorder could be comorbid with. I'm still reeling over the guy who believes he's a psychopath because he hit his dog when he was five, and the shame continues to haunt him. That's just sad and neurotic. Plus, he committed a lot of crimes for monetary gain. I could cop to similar things in my youth. According to how inclusive PsychopathyIS is, half the people I know are psychopaths, or were at one point in their lives! Seems like a racket.
"Be emotion free"... I'm pretty sure that advice would give my therapist a heart attack. The audacity of this author. Even if she isn't lying about her diagnosis, which she is, simply being a psychopath does not qualify one to give life advice.
Yes people who are different can offer valuable insights, and absolutely everyone gives advice to their friends based on their own personal bias, but people look at psychopaths, see their high self-esteem, lack of stress, and charisma, and ask them how to achieve their success.
It's disingenuous to present oneself as having a condition where lack of stress and high self esteem are guaranteed, since birth mind you, and then tell others how they can achieve the same. Winning the genetic lottery and becoming a psychopath is not a viable method to mental well being.
I agree. I also think that for neurotypicals, their emotions are extremely important. I don't share that importance, but I don't dismiss the value of those emotions to those that are wired to experience them.
I don't want to be anyone other than me, so why should I assume that anyone else wants to be different from who they are. I write about things that I see as stumbling blocks for many neurotypicals, but in doing, so I try to engage the logical part of the brain to work in conjunction with the emotional part.
Re "I don't want to be anyone other than me, so why should I assume that anyone else wants to be different from who they are" -- When [a neurotypical] someone is experiencing strong emotional pain that seems interminable, they can easily want to "be someone else." Someone who isn't feeling that pain. But sure, wanting to be different from oneself can seem to be weird -- as in: why would anyone want that? Essentially for the same reason that people inadvertently become addicts. They start with wanting to dull the pain. So once becomes twice becomes several -- and then myriad and daily and several-times-daily. Some addictions come with physical dependencies, eg heroin. Others are "merely" psychological but have that same intense "gotta have it", eg food or gambling.
The whole world is built on trying to be a different person. From religion to make up to plastic surgery most people strive to become a "better/ different person. " It's the defining nature of the advertising industry. Buy this car and be cool, athletes drink this beer etc.
I feel like this is another example of Stone Age brain being unable to cope with the modern world.
When the only people we knew where folks in our own tribe and neighbouring tribes, envy was kept at bay.
Dave, from your village, is an upright man, who’s always fair and kind, and knows the best locations for the best mushrooms, but man, did he get up to some shit as a kid. He filled an ant hill with water out of the belief the spirits told him to. Anyways he got bitten by the whole colony of ants and was unable to leave his bed for 3 days.
The story above, is probably not something we’re going to know about from an online influencer.
All of us have stories where we and people throughout our lives, have been absolute idiots.
Most people don’t share these stories to strangers online. Especially if they happen to be celebrities, athletes, or any other type of famous person with people looking up to them.
They say that sex sells but truly it’s envy that sells.
I remember seeing her on YouTube and being puzzled by the drowning rat story. Very strange person and I took the story to mean that one morning she came to the pool and found a dead rat floating there and due to squeamishness she closed the pool for the day so she didn't have to deal with it
Apparently, she has said that she drowned the rat. It has been awhile since I saw the story, so I would have to look into it more deeply. However, digging further into her story is a slog that I am not particular willing to further undertake.
Ps: I like to make comments as I read the text so there might be multiples comments from me lol
People who claim to have a disorder and get the spotlight for it (not in an actual educative way) when they actually don't makes me think automatically that they have no idea what it is to have the disorder. as you said in the text, it's not necessarily a hindrance, but it's not also a paradise.
I got quite satisfied when I got my autism diagnosis because now things in my life and how I live, and used to live, make sense. However, I don't go out and about telling everyone that I'm autistic when It's unnecessary. It has its perks, but at the end of the day, it demands a lot of effort from me just to blend in a world that is literally not made for us neurodivergents. It's a constant battle and I don't wake up in the morning, look at the mirror and say "one more amazing day to be autistic" excitedly.
I don't mind when people claim disorders that they don't have. On the other hand, I think they should at least understand the real deal of having those disorders/neurodivergencies, and not make it look like it's a super power or something to brag about.
I don't think it would be too much of an issue if those same individuals weren't simultaneously trying to redefine the thing that they claim so they can remake it in their own image or assumptions.
I remember you mentioning her over on Quora a while ago and I can't believe she still manages to get her "story" out there after all these years. You'd think people would have caught on by now.
M.E Thomas was one of the non-criminal "sociopaths/psychopaths" (quotes on that because I'm not sure anymore lol) that I came across when I started learning more about it. Nowadays there are some things she says that I'm like "hmm... not convincing enough"
So I wonder, in a few words, what is a psychopath? (sorry if that's a redundant question since it's being asked all the time). I ask it because I see people all around that show some traits of ASPD and whatnot, focusing on the lack of emotional empathy and low intensity emotions and claiming to be sociopaths/psychopaths. That makes kind of confused
A psychopath is a person that has a variant brain structure and difference in chemical processing from birth that drastically reduces the emotions that the person is capable of feeling and removing many from being felt all together.
Oof, my brain felt like it was melting reading those excerpts of the article and her own nonsensical statements. It really reads like a cringy attention-seeking chuunibyou.
Actually, it reminds me of this scene in a manga where a classmate is wailing about being tortured by spirits, making a total spectacle of herself at school, her two friends sympathizing on the side while she's essentially collapsed on the floor. The protagonist, who actually has spiritual sight, in a well-meaning but naive move, goes to comfort the girl, saying tha it's okay and she isn't haunted by ghosts. The girl bites back viciously saying that the protagonist has no clue what she's talking about and continues her performance. She is totally this girl LOL.
"The second tip is to be emotion-free, something that she's found increasingly easy because her emotional range is roughly equivalent to that of a three-year-old."
This bit made me laugh out loud... has she ever met a 3 year old?! They are literally THE MOST EMOTIONAL PEOPLE ON THE PLANET!!!
Emotions aren't something you gradually learn to have as you get older, they just are, and you gradually learn to control them better.
Apart from that all I have to say about this woman is that she is very very very confused...
That was the impression I was under as well.
Well said and very true.
I know her. She struck me as a fraud immediately. I saw her on YouTube, then accidentally bought her book a few months later not realising it was her. I'd love to see Dr. Phil suss her out. But, something is definitely wrong with her. It's not killing the opossum without emotion that was in her pool, either. I vaguely remember her explaining that swimming lessons were being taught in that pool, so it was imperative to take action. What else could she do? That isn't psychopathy. I think she's a con artist. The fixed smile is so off-putting. Maybe her childhood was damaging in ways that she can't face, so I don't want to be too harsh. Athena, thanks for showing her inconsistencies, which are dumbfounding. I'd love to know how she got through law school. But, I just can't suffer through all of her material.
I went to PsychopathyIS, which I'd never heard of. Again, more confusion, and as you said, quite the grift. I looked at the story the 'psychopath' told about beating his dog when he was 5 years old. He still feels shame over it, yet thinks that he's a psychopath??? His crimes of greed don't necessarily mean psychopathy, either. Mostly neurotypicals do those. This site is a grift, but I believe that we'll see more like it due to the fear and fascination about the subject. And, people who love someone who they believe is a psychopath want to 'save' them. They won't accept that there is no treatment needed, wanted, or that will change a thing.
I agree. Their site has so many glaring issues. The fact that they would put forward a story about a kid doing something like that, feeling guilt, all the while claiming psychopathy is very contradictory. I couldn't help but notice that some time ago there were a number of writers over on Quora who claimed psychopathy suddenly started randomly suggesting PsychopathyIS as an authoritative source,
It’s unfortunate.
It drives me crazy when words mean something different depending on who uses them. It's understandable for a word to have different meanings in different cultures; in fact, that's interesting. But when people within the same culture use a professional term, like bipolar disorder, to either describe a very serious and terrible mental affliction or to casually mislabel any woman with PMS, the term has been adulterated. There are countless examples of this. Words like 'racist,' 'misogynist,' or 'psychopath' are so overused and misused that they hardly mean anything anymore. Even when they do, people are often too confused about their meaning to know what is being referred to. This makes communication difficult, and professionals don't make enough effort to create clarity. Unfortunately, sites like Quora and PsychopathyIS are just contributing to the chaos.
I agree. I spent more time on the site and ended up writing a decently long post about just some of its problems. I had to stop writing because it was already ridiculously long. They have a continuing education course speaking about the overlap between NPD and psychopathy. Only $100.00 to be fed a bunch of nonsense. Super fun.
It would be a mistake to say NPD and Psychopathy overlap or are comorbid just because there are narcissistic traits in psychopathy. Every person exhibits narcissistic traits. Overlapping traits are not the same as the very real existence of comorbidities, which are possible with some disorders but not others.
I can't see any solution other than creating a 'muted affect' category. Then, it could be for two entirely different reasons: innate and acquired. It also seems like ASPD is just a catch-all criminal category that any disorder could be comorbid with. I'm still reeling over the guy who believes he's a psychopath because he hit his dog when he was five, and the shame continues to haunt him. That's just sad and neurotic. Plus, he committed a lot of crimes for monetary gain. I could cop to similar things in my youth. According to how inclusive PsychopathyIS is, half the people I know are psychopaths, or were at one point in their lives! Seems like a racket.
I agree with you, recategorization would be a step forward.
Yeah, I had to include that story in my post about PsychopathyIS after you pointed it out.
"Be emotion free"... I'm pretty sure that advice would give my therapist a heart attack. The audacity of this author. Even if she isn't lying about her diagnosis, which she is, simply being a psychopath does not qualify one to give life advice.
Yes people who are different can offer valuable insights, and absolutely everyone gives advice to their friends based on their own personal bias, but people look at psychopaths, see their high self-esteem, lack of stress, and charisma, and ask them how to achieve their success.
It's disingenuous to present oneself as having a condition where lack of stress and high self esteem are guaranteed, since birth mind you, and then tell others how they can achieve the same. Winning the genetic lottery and becoming a psychopath is not a viable method to mental well being.
I agree. I also think that for neurotypicals, their emotions are extremely important. I don't share that importance, but I don't dismiss the value of those emotions to those that are wired to experience them.
I don't want to be anyone other than me, so why should I assume that anyone else wants to be different from who they are. I write about things that I see as stumbling blocks for many neurotypicals, but in doing, so I try to engage the logical part of the brain to work in conjunction with the emotional part.
Re "I don't want to be anyone other than me, so why should I assume that anyone else wants to be different from who they are" -- When [a neurotypical] someone is experiencing strong emotional pain that seems interminable, they can easily want to "be someone else." Someone who isn't feeling that pain. But sure, wanting to be different from oneself can seem to be weird -- as in: why would anyone want that? Essentially for the same reason that people inadvertently become addicts. They start with wanting to dull the pain. So once becomes twice becomes several -- and then myriad and daily and several-times-daily. Some addictions come with physical dependencies, eg heroin. Others are "merely" psychological but have that same intense "gotta have it", eg food or gambling.
The whole world is built on trying to be a different person. From religion to make up to plastic surgery most people strive to become a "better/ different person. " It's the defining nature of the advertising industry. Buy this car and be cool, athletes drink this beer etc.
I feel like this is another example of Stone Age brain being unable to cope with the modern world.
When the only people we knew where folks in our own tribe and neighbouring tribes, envy was kept at bay.
Dave, from your village, is an upright man, who’s always fair and kind, and knows the best locations for the best mushrooms, but man, did he get up to some shit as a kid. He filled an ant hill with water out of the belief the spirits told him to. Anyways he got bitten by the whole colony of ants and was unable to leave his bed for 3 days.
The story above, is probably not something we’re going to know about from an online influencer.
All of us have stories where we and people throughout our lives, have been absolute idiots.
Most people don’t share these stories to strangers online. Especially if they happen to be celebrities, athletes, or any other type of famous person with people looking up to them.
They say that sex sells but truly it’s envy that sells.
Quite true
I remember seeing her on YouTube and being puzzled by the drowning rat story. Very strange person and I took the story to mean that one morning she came to the pool and found a dead rat floating there and due to squeamishness she closed the pool for the day so she didn't have to deal with it
Apparently, she has said that she drowned the rat. It has been awhile since I saw the story, so I would have to look into it more deeply. However, digging further into her story is a slog that I am not particular willing to further undertake.
Well she said she drowned it but I didn’t believe her. If you can drown a rat you can get it out
Yup
Final fantasy rules! My favorite franchise.
Ps: I like to make comments as I read the text so there might be multiples comments from me lol
People who claim to have a disorder and get the spotlight for it (not in an actual educative way) when they actually don't makes me think automatically that they have no idea what it is to have the disorder. as you said in the text, it's not necessarily a hindrance, but it's not also a paradise.
I got quite satisfied when I got my autism diagnosis because now things in my life and how I live, and used to live, make sense. However, I don't go out and about telling everyone that I'm autistic when It's unnecessary. It has its perks, but at the end of the day, it demands a lot of effort from me just to blend in a world that is literally not made for us neurodivergents. It's a constant battle and I don't wake up in the morning, look at the mirror and say "one more amazing day to be autistic" excitedly.
I don't mind when people claim disorders that they don't have. On the other hand, I think they should at least understand the real deal of having those disorders/neurodivergencies, and not make it look like it's a super power or something to brag about.
I don't think it would be too much of an issue if those same individuals weren't simultaneously trying to redefine the thing that they claim so they can remake it in their own image or assumptions.
yeah! It's problematic when they mold their "disorders" to fit in to their imaginary stories
Indeed, and it is more troublesome when what they say gets taken seriously by the general public
I have seen this lady on YouTube too, ages ago now. I hate to tell you this but when I first found this blog I wondered if you might be her!
I soon worked out that you weren’t. It’s obvious. You are a mermaid, she’s not.
No worries. A lot of people think that I'm her.
She is a oportunist.Next time she will have NPD with ASPD.
That wouldn't surprise me
I remember you mentioning her over on Quora a while ago and I can't believe she still manages to get her "story" out there after all these years. You'd think people would have caught on by now.
Indeed. It seems very odd that her switching from sociopathy to psychopathy didn't cause more people to take a pause and question how that came about.
I'm not sure. I feel like it was a newer series... maybe Mieruko-chan??? (note: a great comedic horror imho)
I have seen that one as well. Interestingly, this exact scene plays out on XXXHolic as well.
I guess attention-seeking chuunibyou are a universal constant everywhere.
M.E Thomas was one of the non-criminal "sociopaths/psychopaths" (quotes on that because I'm not sure anymore lol) that I came across when I started learning more about it. Nowadays there are some things she says that I'm like "hmm... not convincing enough"
So I wonder, in a few words, what is a psychopath? (sorry if that's a redundant question since it's being asked all the time). I ask it because I see people all around that show some traits of ASPD and whatnot, focusing on the lack of emotional empathy and low intensity emotions and claiming to be sociopaths/psychopaths. That makes kind of confused
A psychopath is a person that has a variant brain structure and difference in chemical processing from birth that drastically reduces the emotions that the person is capable of feeling and removing many from being felt all together.
Perfect! Thanks for the brief explanation!
Not a problem
Oof, my brain felt like it was melting reading those excerpts of the article and her own nonsensical statements. It really reads like a cringy attention-seeking chuunibyou.
Actually, it reminds me of this scene in a manga where a classmate is wailing about being tortured by spirits, making a total spectacle of herself at school, her two friends sympathizing on the side while she's essentially collapsed on the floor. The protagonist, who actually has spiritual sight, in a well-meaning but naive move, goes to comfort the girl, saying tha it's okay and she isn't haunted by ghosts. The girl bites back viciously saying that the protagonist has no clue what she's talking about and continues her performance. She is totally this girl LOL.
I know that anime XXXHolic, right?