Hail to the Personality Disorder
An online conversation beginning with Karl Rove drifted (as online conversations do). At one point, it became a quarrel over namecalling—specifically whether the names were justified. Curious whether any of the participants knew the definitions, I looked up the clinical definition and symptoms of sociopathy, with an eye to how they applied to politicians generally, to the current Republican leadership as a class, and especially to the president himself.
I did not find one universally accepted definition and list of symptoms, but many—all sharing a great deal of ground. I quote here from The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV, currently DSM-IV-TR):
[Sociopathy is] a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
• failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
• deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
• impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
• irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
• reckless disregard for safety of self or others
• consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain steady work or honor financial obligations
• lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another
Symptoms included frequently in other lists include arrogance, a sense of entitlement, an inability to recognize personal failures, a parasitic lifestyle marked by financial dependence on others, and superficial charm.
Wow. Just...wow.
I spent a while today trying to grind an editorial out of this, only to find I couldn’t do it justice. The clinical definition is far more powerful than a rant could ever be.