// by Donna Andersen// 42 Comments
In his new book, Oliver James, a British psychologist and TV broadcaster, describes the worst of white-collar workers. Why your boss could easily be a psychopath, on Telegraph.co.uk. Story suggested by a Lovefraud reader. …
Dark Triad in the office: Psychopath, Machiavellian, narcissistRead More
// by Donna Andersen// 169 Comments
Downton Abbey was on TV last night, and Terry and I are among the millions of fans. Last night's episode (Season 3, Episode 4) ended in tragedy because of behavior that looked so familiar to me. (Spoiler Alert: The following description gives away the story.) Lord Grantham's daughter, Lady Sybil, is about to give birth. Rather than depend on the local country doctor, Dr. Clarkson, Lord Grantham has imported a more socially acceptable obstetrician, Sir Philip Tapsell, to deliver the baby. As the birth approaches, both doctors are in attendance at the estate. Lady Sybil starts acting incoherently. Dr Clarkson fears that she may be toxemic. He recommends that they rush to the hospital …
Sociopathic confidence and conviction, even when they’re lyingRead More
// by Donna Andersen// 28 Comments
Many of us have been involved with sociopaths who committed crimes, ranging from fraud to drug distribution to murder. Many times we report their activities to law enforcement, and the authorities do nothing. (That's what I experienced.) Or, the case is prosecuted and the criminal gets off. We are left with nothing but our frustration. If the offense is serious enough, however, the sociopaths may be prosecuted and sent to prison. We rejoice. But throwing the bums in jail may be a mixed blessing. Yes, they're off the street, and we can sort of rest easy—temporarily. But while the offenders are locked up, they have guaranteed food, shelter and medical care. Some have access to libraries and …
Prison gives sociopaths an opportunity to plot and schemeRead More
// by Donna Andersen// 12 Comments
A Calimornia man suspected of being behind the Manti Te'o fake girlfriend hoax apparently may have pulled the "Catfishing" scam on multiple people. Report: Ronaiah Tuiasosopo confessed Te'o hoax to friend, on USAToday.com. In the meantime, back in 2010, Lizzy Seeberg, then a 19-year-old college freshman, accused a Notre Dame football player of sexually assaulting her. She filed a report with campus police. They did nothing. A few days later, Lizzy Seeberg committed suicide. Notre Dame still did nothing. Brennan: Notre Dame forgets the woman who really died, on USAToday.com. …
Notre Dame’s fake dead girlfriend, and real dead girlRead More
// by Donna Andersen// 11 Comments
Television news was ablaze this morning with the story that Manti Te'O, star linebacker for the Notre Dame football team, had been duped by an online relationship with a woman who did not exist. Some commentators are saying that Te'O was in on the hoax. I do not know whether Te'O was a participant in the hoax, or whether he was a deceived victim. I do know that both scenarios are possible. Some online predators toy with people's emotions, apparently for the fun of it. Several Lovefraud readers have been snagged by such predators, believed they were in a relationship, and had their hearts broken when their online "partners" died—only to find out that the whole thing was a ruse. This ce …
// by Donna Andersen// 106 Comments
Kevin Dutton, Ph.D., is a fabulous writer. Unfortunately, in his new book, The Wisdom of Psychopaths—What saints, spies, and serial killers can teach us about success, he uses his prodigious skill with words to promote a fundamentally flawed thesis. What is the thesis? That psychopathy, "in small doses," is good for us. Here's what Dutton writes in the preface of the book: Psychopathy can also be good for us, at least in moderation. Like anxiety, depression, and quite a few other psychological disorders, it can at times be adaptive. Psychopaths, as we shall discover, have a variety of attributes—personal magnetism and a genius for disguise being just the starter pack—which, once you know how …
BOOK REVIEW: Kevin Dutton’s “Wisdom of Psychopaths” is a disservice to societyRead More
// by Lovefraud Reader// 574 Comments
By Sarah Strudwick Sarah Strudwick, based in the UK, is author of Dark Souls—Healing and recovering from toxic relationships. First of all I want to thank everyone who commented on the posts that I've written over the last couple of years. Recently I did a post on How to speed date a sociopath. Whilst I make every effort to move on with my life after the psychopath, occasionally something will come up that causes me to think “Why do they do that?” So the topic of this post is whether or not any of you have experienced the following: In my book Dark Souls, I wrote about an occasion where my ex moved my cash card. A week later I found it hidden behind a bottle of sauce on the top of …
// by Donna Andersen// 9 Comments
Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, wrote in an essay about the differences between crazy and evil. Better mental health services won't stop evil, on PressOfAtlanticCity.com. …
// by Lovefraud Reader// 138 Comments
By Sarah Strudwick Sarah Strudwick, based in the UK, is author of Dark Souls—Healing and recovering from toxic relationships. For the three years since I broke up with the psychopathic ex I have remained single. I've met a few wannabe boyfriends, but unfortunately they have turned out to be disordered, so I never took it past the going for a coffee stage. Like many other victims, I've focused on my own recovery and have even written a couple of books on it to help other women. During the time I was dating this man, whom I call "Oliver" in the book, I was also friends with another man. We had met long before on a dating site but never consummated the relationship (i.e. had sex), and h …
// by Donna Andersen// 51 Comments
This is a story close to my heart. I live at the Jersey Shore. Every June and July, female turtles creep from the bay and go in search of high ground to lay their eggs. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of them never make it. Their journey takes them across paved roadways, where many are squished. I've seen them. Research by two young men show that a certain percentage of the turtle killings are intentional. Nathan Weaver, a student at Clemson University placed a plastic turtle in the road near his campus. In the course of one hour, seven out of 267 vehicles, 2.62 percent, swerved in order to hit the turtle. Read: Clemson student's turtle project takes a dark twist, on …
