Betrayal and Your Local Sociopath

At some point in our life, someone betrays us and wreaks havoc with our emotions leaving us limping emotionally and sometimes physically (a good trigger for a manic episode :-))

A lot of times, we meet and invite into our lives, a very devious character that we find is nothing but a trouble making wolf in what looks like sheeps clothing.

And sometimes, that devious wolf has characteristics of an even more devious and vicious rabid wolf.

After watching something on TV the other day about family members of devious characters in history….it got me interested (mostly for my own sick interest AND to arm myself) in characteristics of sociopaths, co-dependents and cult leaders…..

Heres what I found.

One in 25 people is a sociopath. To put that in closer to home terms….if you have 180 people on your Facebook, 7 of those people are sociopaths.

Sociopath: Now mostly know as Antisocial Personality Disorder: irresponsible behavior, recklessness, impulsiveness, inability to tolerate boredom, feeling victimized, try to get their way without being considerate of others. They show spontaneous behaviour, which humiliates or harms other people. They lack any feeling for or understanding of norms, nor have they any feeling of guilt. They do not seem to be able to plan actions or to act with foresight. Deceitfulness, Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.

Simply put…SOMEONE WITH NO CONSCIENCE

The description of the Cult Leader personality traits hits a little close to home. Im currently seeing these devious characteristics in a person Im acquainted with:

Cult Leader: Psychopath: Superficial Charm, Manipulative and Cunning, Grandiose Sense of Self, Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt, Shallow Emotions, Need for Stimulation, Callousness/Lack of Empathy, They may complain of being "burned out" due to the burden of "caring for" their “followers” and they isolate others from their lives.

And finally, the Co-Dependent. Ah yes….they think they are doing good, but when it comes down to it they are devious characters disguised as someone that wants to help you but when its not reciprocated, they are mad as hornets! Again, this one almost hits right on doorstep of home, again with the same person working their way out of my life.

Co-Dependent: Caretaking: think and feel responsible for other people, feel pity when other people have a problem, feel compelled to help that person solve the problem, feel angry when their help isn't effective, find themselves doing more than their fair share of the work, over commit themselves, and

the biggest tell of a co-dependent:

they feel victimized, unappreciated, and used

Look at your life. Do you recognize anyone with these traits?

Are YOU someone with these traits?

If by chance you meet a sociopath/psychopath RUN! Don’t talk to them, don’t listen to them, don’t even acknowledge their presence.

If you have a co-dependent in your life (and almost all of us do), Id say run, but chances are youd just turn around and slam into another one behind you waiting to console you!