On Sociopaths

There's a great line delivered flawlessly by John Malkovich playing the role of the haunted sociopath Tom Ripley in "Ripley's Game" just after having killed at least three men with a garrote in a train bathroom.

Upon being asked who he is by the distraught Jonathan, his unwilling colleague in mass murderer, Ripley replies:

"I'm a creation. I'm a gifted improviser. I lack your conscience, and when I was younger, that troubled me. It no longer does. I don't worry about being caught because I don't believe anyone is watching. The world is not a poorer place because those people are dead. It's not... it's one less car on the road; a little less noise and menace."

The men they killed were career criminals, professional killers who worked for a criminal syndicate involved in human trafficking, etc. So it's safe to say that Ripley's assessment of the worth of those dead men was right. On the averages, their removal is not a social deficit but social credit.

Because they died--because they were murdered--unknown numbers of women who would have been kidnapped, drugged, sold off, and raped won't be.

When I saw Malkovich's depiction of Ripley I immediately preferred it to Matt Damon's interpretation of the character in "The Talented Mr. Ripley".

Malkovich's Ripley is close to me in age, sense of humour, appreciation for classical architecture and music and--I'm aware this may come as a surprise to many of you--in sociopathy.

Now, I was never officially diagnosed as a sociopath. Growing up I displayed all the normal attributes of a quiet, introverted child. I didn't hurt animals, nor did I light fires. There was no need for long periods spent on a therapist's couch.

But when things happened as they always do in life, people die and other people suffer terrible grief, it was as though the emotional settings knob wasn't quite correct in regard to me. Yes, it was sad that Grandpa was dead. Everyone wept. I did not. I noted it.

Upon entering the house and "officially" learning of it, I rather clumsily feigned a dizzy spell, sitting down too hard in a nearby chair... because it seemed the thing to do. It was expected. To not do it would be strange.

That's what people like me do. We observe, we recognize patterns and common responses to them, and we apply the correct response in the best facsimile of sincerity we can provide.

There are millions of us out there according to the studies, and most of us are productive, law-abiding, intelligent and successful people.

...if a tad ruthless.

I'm not ruthless anymore. But I once was. Remember, I warned you that my after-life review, when it comes, will be far worse than yours.

I think we're necessary. People like me. It's said that in any given war, the bulk of soldiers on both sides won't actually shoot to kill their opponents but will fire high. They relate to the man whom their bullet might strike.

I'd aim directly between the eyes and apply Breaker Morant's rule 303.

Not because I'd enjoy it because I wouldn't. Do you enjoy breaking an egg? Probably not. You just do it without any particular emotional reaction. Need food, break egg, cook egg.

I'm not Jeffrey Dahmer. In a sense I appear to be some form of inversion of him. He and others like him enjoy preying upon the weak and defenseless, deriving pleasure from the process.

Not me. Not even slightly. When I see people; weak people, people who can't or won't fight back because of an innate decentness, being harmed, I feel a black viciousness that has nothing to do with them as individuals, but rather a righteous blind rage over the insensibility of harming them in the first place.

What Jack the Ripper did to Mary Kelly, I want to do to people like Jack.

It's not healthy. It's not wholesome. I know. But it appears innate and no amount of praying expels it.

It's important that we broach this topic because no doubt over time, you'll come to see a certain detachment in some of the ways I recommend we deal with things like criminality.

When (rather than if) that occurs, please allow me to apologize. Had we shared time together I'd know exactly how to fly under your radar.

People like me feel love as you do (I think). But we're far more discriminatory. I have lost two daughters, both in miscarriage, and along with my wife, felt their loss with an acuteness that might surprise even you. In each case I spent many subsequent days speaking to them aloud, as though they were in the room.

That's because they were, I'm certain of it.

It took the death of my fiancé in my early twenties to learn this about myself. I can feel deep, soul-crushing pangs of remorse. I spent two months mourning Judy, doing literally nothing else, barely eating or existing in any meaningful manner.

So perhaps I have selective sociopathy. It's also said about us that beyond the lack of empathy we also don't respect the law. That is likewise true. I know the law to be a highly imperfect means of settling disputes. I don't break the law scornfully like many sociopaths do, because really, what's the point.

Laws shouldn't be worshipped. Politicians make laws--too many laws--in place of doing what they should do; namely lead. Leadership is hard for normal people. It involves very hard choices that negatively impact others.

I don't care. I have my in-group, about whom I care deeply, and an outgroup for whom I care nothing.

Perhaps that's why I've always felt so drawn to the concept of nationalism. Those Australians who I grew up with, and many heartland Americans are exactly like Tolkien depicted the Hobbits in his book; simple, decent, generous and generally clueless as to the dangers that await them beyond the campfire glow.

Most of them would have a hard time relating to my feeling that it's better to just "switch off" people who will spend their lives endangering other adults, women or children. I mean, you don't pay to keep a faulty lightbulb flickering away, possibly to someday cause a fire.

Do you? Maybe that's just me.

It's probably good that I can never run for President. There's always the danger that I'd be too efficient in protecting what I perceived as your interests.