My hypothesis is that the sociopaths we watch on TV allow us to indulge in a kind of thought experiment, based on the question: “What if I really and truly did not give a fuck about anyone?”
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| Tom Huck - The Transformation of Brandy Baghead (2007-2009) |
And the answer they provide? “Then I would be powerful and free.”
Yet as I understand it, real-life sociopaths are pitiable creatures indeed. Often victims of severe abuse, they are bereft of all human connection, unable to tell truth from lies, charming and manipulative for a few minutes at most but with no real ability to formulate meaningful goals. The contemporary fantasy of [the] sociopath picks and chooses from those characteristics, emphasizing the lack of moral intuition, human empathy, and emotional connection. Far from being the obstacles they would be in real life, these characteristics are what enable the fantasy sociopath to be so amazingly successful.
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You should read the psychopath test by jon ronson I think. Such an interesting read; About a bloke that was on trial for murder, but managed to convince the judge and jury that he was a bit mental, so instead of getting a prison sentence, he got put in a mental home. And fr the past 5 years he's been trying to convince the Doctor's in the home that he is in fact sane, and to get get released (True, journalistic story aswell). Read it, the authour writes better than I ever could
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