Chapter 3 of The Arts of Rebellion by Peter Bahnsen

1 Chapter III 3 3 3 3 3 3

Rebels, Creatives or Sociopaths And The Evil of Drones Of Book 1

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Rebels, Creatives or Sociopaths… And The Evil of Drones 12/23/2012 4:36 a12/p12 Why do some people and societies go so wrong? Why do some end up with crooks at the top of Corporations? Why do we justifiably find many of our politicians so disappointing? Are these people really predators, Drones or Sociopaths? Sociopaths, Psychopaths, and Predators among Us-----------------Page III-2 Part 3-A Distinctions ------------------------------------------------------------------Page III-4 Part 3-B Sociopaths, The Dangers --------------------------------------------------Page III-6 Part 3-C Competing Memes about Sociopaths------------------------------------Page III-8 Part 3-D Effective Memes for Dealing with Sociopaths--------------------------Page III-9 Part 3-E --Contains 15 Independent Sections

Part 3-A The Sociopaths, Psychopaths, and Predators among Us Section 3-1 Importance Literature and studies of the “antisocial” people in our midst can contribute to a better understanding of why societies make so many bad group decisions. The recognition that psychopaths are of very high intelligence, are not crazy, and achieve high positions in all circles of endeavor helps to explain why many decisions are not made for the benefit of and often in total disregard to the needs and possible damage to others. Understand; psychopaths are only one reason; Pernicious memes, myths and cascades as well as other cultural factors contribute to bad group decisions. These factors are covered in other sections of this work. Rebels apparently have the same distribution of psychopaths as the general population and all of us have the seeds of psychopathic behavior for our genes are “selfish” genes which evolutionary emotions drive us to selfish decisions. It is only with the higher “learned” human emotions of culture and society that the social emotions of shame, guilt, sympathy, love, and remorse come into play and lead to a conscience and caring about the impact of one’s actions on another. Unfortunately high intelligence also sometimes leads to disdain and disrespect for the welfare of the common man. Egos for some highly intelligent people grow and grow until all actions are justifiable as long as they lead to the objectives of this self identified superior person. In Section 3-4 below the topic of “Rule Followers and Drones” is further discussed. We must take care in labeling some who “simply follow orders” or “obey the rules” as socio paths for a society made up all of “creatives” or “Rebels” is chaotic at best --as any one who has dealt with some artistic endeavors will attest. The “rule maker and enforcer” in a successful artistic community will be hated by some and endured by others but almost all will agree that someone of that nature is required if programs are to move forward in a “mostly creative” community. Forgiveness or acceptance becomes more difficult however in organizations controlled by a malevolent individuals like Hitler or Sadam Husseins. Historians and social commentators like Claire Wolfe note “evil often wears a friendly, familiar, neighborly face” http://billstclair.com/lodge/E_Evil.shtml. She also notes “C.S. Lewis' observation that all evil is ultimately banal. It reminded me (as well as her) never to give any slack to a politician just because he or she happens to be sincere, pleasant mannered, or honestly committed to a cause”. Most surprising about some that executed the orders of Hitler and his minions is that they were without evil intent and “simply followed orders”. The bottom line; rebels and “rule followers” can all be proponents for evil without being sociopaths. 3

Section 3-2 The Danger in Labels Mental health and other professions are, like parents, loath to apply the label of “sociopath” or “psychopath” to patients or their children. Some sociopaths have an enhanced hereditary proclivity which experience has proven is difficult to overcome once activated by poor upbringing. There is very little evidence that established sociopaths can be integrated into society with current medical or rehabilitation treatments. Their early childhood mistreatment of animals and later lack of response to affection more often progresses into mistreatment of others including spouse and children or in more rare cases of homicidal violence; all of which argues for early and significant efforts at identification, training and if these fail, control. In recent years there is some evidence that environment can change what would otherwise be considered to be inborn genetic tendencies but so far no reputable authority has claimed rehabilitation for the hard core sociopath. 1 Section 3-3 Definitions Sociopaths are sometimes identified as psychopaths or antisocial personalities. The literature of the many studies in this area use these and varying other terms. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association addresses the disorders of the “antisocial personalities” and these definitions shift with each revision. For this work I have chosen to separate out the term “sociopaths” and focus on the typological distinction which uses the term “sociopath” to refer to anti-social individuals who are of relative high intelligence, middle to upper socially socio-economic status and who express their aberrant behavior in impressive and sometimes socially skilled behavior which may or may not be criminal (Bartol 1984). The reason for making this distinction is that it leads away from the arguments of antisocial types who seem to be driven primarily by considerations caused by discrimination and poverty as well as the misinterpretation of the term psychopath to mean “crazy” or “insane”. Sociopaths are not insane for they know well what they are doing; they just lack caring for the impact of their actions on others.

5 Part 3-B Distinctions Section 3-4 The Difference: Rebels, Creatives, Drones Rebels, Creatives and Sociopaths appear similar but have importance differences which require distinctions so that we may concentrate on the proper response or expectations for each group. Bureaucratic drones tend to categorize all three types as destructive or uncooperative; if the individual bureaucrat is particularly insensitive that bureaucrat becomes an easy mark for the manipulation by a sociopath whose primary focus is to game the environment and manipulate people by and for any means, corrupt or otherwise; manipulating these bureaucrats gives the sociopath pleasure. Creatives and Rebels however have a cause or passion that offers the promise of a benefit to society; to a bureaucratic drone who is overly focused on orderly actions and organizations; the lack of Rebel respect for convention makes Rebels appear to be a sociopath. When properly recognized and channeled the potential of Creatives and Rebels is immense in growing and adapting organizations.

6 Part 3-C Sociopaths, the Dangers Section 3-5 The Importance of Sociopaths That human predators exist is not just an item of fiction like Hanibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. That they exist in everyday life and are not necessarily part of the violent or acknowledged criminal element is less well known. Little known also is that they frequently are of high intelligence and conceal their egocentricity with studied charm in their pursuit of power and domination. Some researchers call these very intelligent socio-paths “high functioning”. “High functioning” sociopaths are aware that they lack interest and caring that most other humans possess but they realize the advantage this gives them in lack of conscience and thus an ability to take advantage of others without remorse. They are more than smart enough to learn how to simulate “caring for others” so that they may use the bonding in a successful con job in any endeavor that benefits them. These “high functioning sociopaths” rise to power in autocracies as well as democracies. Most international tyrants are sociopaths and the bloodbaths they induce are fundamental proof of that predatory nature. Naming people as sociopaths however is socially forbidden. While some sociopaths are created by miserable conditions sociopathy appears to have some genetic predisposition2 which is uncorrectable by most of the tools available to us; thus labeling someone a sociopath may well be a lifetime sentence and many in the medical profession are loath to believe they cannot find a solution. Aside from that, most religions and health care professionals are unwilling to accept that some predator sociopaths may have genetic predisposition and are not made that way by society. It is a question which needs much more attention. It is very important however to consider sociopaths and compare them with rebels and creatives because many of the characteristics are similar. All have certain disrespect for authority and many have high intelligence. Aside from the similarities sociopaths have a disproportionate effect on our world. Many of the more responsible autocratic tyrants on the world scene are sociopaths who care little for the welfare of those under their control. Estimates are that 50% of hard core criminals are sociopaths who defy rehabilitation. Small time sociopaths are responsible for much spousal and child abuse.

The best evidence that genetics probably play a role comes from Donald W. Black’s Bad Boys, Bad men where he states “ In theory, non-identical twins share only 50 percent of their genes, so a disorder that is completely genetic would be found in both twins roughly 50 percent of the time, while its concordance rate in identical twins would be close to 100 percent. So far, the combined results of twin studies of ASP and criminal behavior reveal concordance rates of 67 percent in identical twins and 31 percent in nonidentical twins, strongly supporting genetic theories of causation”. But these findings also leave room for environmental factors as the concordance rate remains significantly below 100 percent for identical twins. Black’s data came from P.S. Brennen and S.A Mednic’s “Gnentic perspectives on crime”.

7 The similarities between rebels, creatives and sociopaths as well as recognizing and dealing with sociopaths demands an examination of sociopaths to complete both potential causes and methods of rebelling. More importantly best estimates are that 3 to 4 percent of the population are sociopaths; this means that one in 25 people you know or deal with is probably sociopathic. Section 3-6 The Difficulty of Dealing with Sociopathy Accepting the concept that people in human form may have some genetic predisposition that contravenes many religious precepts and offends the perception of potential medical omnipotence. Some health care professionals who have contact with lower capability sociopaths seem loath to admit that some humans have become irreparably defective and cannot be reached by their science. Perhaps it is the ability of high capability sociopaths to use charm and high Machiavellian talents to conceal their predatory strategy and tactics that makes it so difficult for some people to admit that an evil core is possible.

Section 3-7 Semantic War, Sociopaths, Psychopaths and Anti Social Personalities There is a historic appreciation that some who walk among us in human form lack empathy, a human caring, or the slightest interest in the damage caused by their actions to others. That these “evil” people were born with this tendency is also a historical but much argued appreciation. In the past hundred years the development of psychiatry, psychology and a scientific approach have detached the view of these individuals from “evil” to a genetic defect or quality lacking in those who otherwise appear to be humans. Some researchers have noted however that this lack in “high functioning” sociopaths might be considered by some to be a benefit to survival because it allows the ultimate in selfish promotion. The lower (mental) functioning group of sociopaths suffer early death from diseases like HIV which their impulsive nature, one of the characteristics of sociopaths, exposes them. The humorous “Darwin Awards” which point out the demise of impulsive or just dumb people probably takes it toll on impulsive sociopaths as well. For “high functioning” sociopaths in the international and corporate world there are ample examples of those who care not about the effect of their actions on humanity. It could be argued that the high sexual drive and number of offspring from

8 sociopaths may compensate in higher rates of propagation for the impulsive acts as well as the early demise of the “low functioning” sociopaths. The scientific approach has led however to a progression of names as the various professions adjusted their terms to changing perceptions. We have gone from “evil people”, “criminal personality” to “psychopaths” to “Anti Social Personalities to the term used herein of Sociopaths”. Depending on the arguments of the individual researcher all of the terms are currently in use. The problem with the different terms, which essentially are talking about the same type individuals, is that they each carry the baggage of their particular category sponsors. The term Sociopath is used herein because it avoids the misperception of “psychopath” which leads one to think that the individual so labeled is insane or crazy. The individuals involved are not insane for they reason to logical conclusions as well or better than you or I. They are however different because they lack an essential element of empathy that we expect of humans. In a similar vein the term “antisocials” or anti social personalities” is avoided herein because it is easily misunderstood as simply a person who doesn’t like social situations. Section 3-8 Distinguishing Between “high functioning” Predators and Rebels In the Psychological arena the definition of a sociopath seems to be on a sliding scale for the very intelligent with social abilities which approach Machiavellian perfection to the dumb repeat criminal; so, how does one determine who is a sociopath? The dividing line between the high functioning destructive sociopath and a creative rebel seems to lie on the line where the sociopath’s opinion and disdain for the common man is overridden by any cares about the negative impact of the psychopaths actions have on others. Obviously the justification of this is the excessive psychopathic ego which leads him to believe that his interests are superior to all others. Megalomania is the extreme case and is seen in political tyrants and those who manage to construct a business or religious environment which supports their illusions or sociopathic excesses. (site and Cite) The sexual excesses of a high functioning sociopath may also result in broad replication of the genes through his ability to con women in serial seduction and reproduction. Successful con-artists sociopaths care little about who raises the offspring. Of their short lived conquests. Interestingly a significant percentage of adopted children have elevated sociopathic tendencies which are difficult to sort out from those who are merely antisocial as a result of poverty and abuse. Most studies of the reasons for divorce seem to have neglected this aspect.

9 Part 3-D The Competing Memes about Sociopaths Section 3-9 Faulty Memes in The professions about Sociopaths Some of the reasons we have such difficulty in dealing with sociopaths is that we start with faulty memes. Some of these memes are: Faulty sociopath meme: All sociopaths stem from mistreated or abused kids which can be treated. Reality: While antisocial tendencies and genes can and frequently are induced by deprivation and abuse once induced those with sociopathic tendencies have largely been incapable of responding to therapies of the health profession. Faulty sociopath meme: Most criminals are Sociopaths. Reality: Research of criminals does not support this thesis. Some 50% of repeat offenders are antisocials but a lesser number have inherited sociopath lack of conscience. Memes That Should Guide Rebels in Dealing with Sociopaths Section 3-10 Just as there are memes to avoid in thinking about sociopaths there are some memes that should be used in the best reactions to them. Do: Get professional help if you have a family connection with a sociopath. Reason: The ability of sociopaths to successfully con others and a total lack of the feelings of guilt frequently leads families with assets to excuse the behavior of high performing sociopaths. There is some indication that we can induce people to be sociopaths by our lack of responding to their criminal or antisocial acts. Certainly once we train a person that there are no, or minor costs, to antisocial behavior there are good reasons for repeated behavior. (cite and Site) Don’t: Believe place great faith that with gentle measures and support a sociopath can be changed. Reason: Once induced Sociopaths are best placed in a control situation; little evidence exists to show that sociopaths can be changed with current mental health techniques. (cite and site)

10 Do: If you find yourself in close association with a sociopath through romantic or business it is best get as far away from sociopaths as possible for current social control measures, like court orders, provide little protection. Reason: Abused women will find that the situation only gets worse as they become the enablers and the total focus of a sociopath gratifying their self interest. (site and cite) Part 3-E Effective Memes for Dealing with Sociopaths Chapter IV

Dealing With Sociopaths Section 3-11

Effective memes for dealing with sociopaths: Since most sociopaths cannot be improved or treated with known therapies and our society has not developed effective responses the best individual response is to avoid dealing with them and to put as much distance from them as possible. Remember that they are very good at manipulating or coning people and the pity card is one of their strong learned suits in asking for forgiveness of their sins against others. Sociopaths also frequently use the “got religion” card because as manipulators they fully recognize that religious people are taught to forgive the repentant that acknowledges past errors. In using this “go home free” card they mouth the words and are reinforced in their belief that they are smarter than most people in society. Political sociopaths use the “got religion”, “trapped by addiction and in treatment”, and “trying to escape from a poor “abusive” childhood, in their cynical efforts to manipulate and regain confidence of the sympathetic among us.

Section 3-12 Do Psychopaths Have Utility? An interesting film about Sociopaths is “The Dirty Dozen” which portrays the recruitment of a group of condemned men for what amounts to a suicide raid mission. Most are portrayed as sociopaths who have nothing to lose who will be pardoned if they manage to come out of the raid alive. The major unreality in the film is a portrayal of their controller Lee Marvin, as Major Reisman who is master and deadlier than any of the group. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061578/ Section 3-13

11 Learned Sociopathy Without a doubt some individuals can be late developing sociopaths who have reacted to early ill treatment by totally self centered anti-social or criminal actions. Undoubtedly it is the identification and occasional success in treating these “learned sociopaths” which encourages some social practitioners to extend the benefit of the doubt to all sociopaths. Unfortunately high functioning sociopaths know exactly how to play this game. Section 3-14 Dignity and Admiration for Some Psychopaths It should be obvious from previous chapters and sections that not all Rebels are sociopaths/Psychopaths but the rebel role in business and war has obviously lent undeserved dignity, notoriety, or admiration to those who in other situations would be considered criminals. (site) Section 3-15 Is Love For Humanity Enough? Many writers have pointed to characters who had great love for humanity but little love for actual persons. Some sociopaths can do this very well. When they mentally or physically destroy others the end result for humanity is negative. Letting them continue in this mode is not a service to humanity.