J-William Posted May 27, 2013 Posted May 27, 2013 "Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight" is interesting, and I think it's worthwhile to read at least the first part where she talks about her childhood. It's almost funny how predictable the author's claim that she had a "normal" childhood, to then turn around moments later and describe her extremely abusive father, and suicidal/passive aggressive mother. First: the author seems oddly insightful, and completely devoid of self-knowledge. At the same time that she's relating truly horrifying episodes of parental abuse and neglect from her socially adept parents, she takes complete blame for her muted emotional responses and her tendency to use people as an adult. Second: For all the "OMG crazy sociopath" it's really a rather boring and self-indulgent tome. I guess it's a memoir and the author is not a terribly interesting or accomplished person who claims to be a sociopath... and so one might expect it, but the author sure goes on about herself.
In the belly of the beast Posted May 28, 2013 Posted May 28, 2013 This (self-described) sociopath's activities--Sunday school teacher, professor of law, and attorney, become a kind of joke for voluntarists, don't they? She has the unholy trinity of coercion covered here. Assuming this book isn't complete nonsense, isn't her "respectable", white-collar conformity and mundane life more useful as an example of the socialized sociopaths around us? Granted, it would be more entertaining if she was more accomplised or unusual in another way.
J-William Posted July 4, 2013 Author Posted July 4, 2013 Yeah it's a real dodgy self-agrandizing book. I still haven't made it through the rest of the book and don't think I will. The childhood stuff was interesting and tragic, and her covering up for her parents was completely predictable. This (self-described) sociopath's activities--Sunday school teacher, professor of law, and attorney, become a kind of joke for voluntarists, don't they? She has the unholy trinity of coercion covered here. I agree, she is the very model of statist conformity. She does everything she can to fit in with the crazy people around her.
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