I address this post mainly to my female audience because, in my experience, the pathology I’ll be discussing, while not exclusively male, is more often than not expressed by men against women.
I revisit here what I regard as an important relationship red flag: When you meet a man who seems to be “Mr. Perfect,” someone “you can’t find anything wrong with,” you need to take a good long pause; otherwise, trouble bodes.
Now I’m not talking about, or maligning, the experience of “great chemistry.” Great chemistry, even electric chemistry, where you hit it off instantly, is a good thing and sometimes a good omen.
But there’s an important difference between “great chemistry” versus the sense of having met and experienced “perfection.” The genuine Mr. Right, in other words, is a very different creature than Mr. Perfect, who almost always will be a quack.
There are a number of reasons for this. First, men perceived by the women they meet as “too good to be true” are often men with an agenda to be perceived as too good to be true. These men are often calculating narcissists or sociopaths for whom the game, the challenge, the principal goal, is to disarm their female [target] objects with their apparent, and compelling, perfection.
To advance their agenda these men may exhibit inordinately seductive qualities right from jump—inordinate levels, for instance, of charm, politeness, thoughtfulness, soliticousness, sacrifice and attentiveness (in a word, responsiveness).
But this isn’t a case of their being on their “best behavior,” as new partners normally are with each other; rather, it’s a case of their being on their best “contrived” behavior, their intent being to effect an impression of perfection as if they are cut from a different cloth—specifically, the cloth of male romantic perfection.
These men may want you to regard them as Princes heaven-sent; they may want you to feel that it took something like your lottery-like good fortune to have found them.
Many of them will be seeking the approbation of your social circle; they may want those around you to ask as with shaking heads, “Where did you find him?” “What planet did he come from?” “Oh my God, he’s like”¦perfect!”
These men will often “groom” you not unlike how the sexual abuser grooms his victims—with promises of his special attentiveness, gratification and protectiveness. This exploitive strategy is extremely potent as it accesses deeply-held fantasies to be perfectly loved, protected and embraced.
Other LoveFraud columnists and astute posters have correctly noted that not all of these men are consciously operating as predators. While true, it’s also important not to minimize just how many of these men are, consciously, operating with predatory agendas.
In either case, these are not men who love, respect, or even like women. Rather, they use women for ego-gratifying and ego-masturbatory purposes. And just as the thrill of a masturbatury experience fades fast, so too does the thrill that women give such men fade with often startling, disorienting suddenness.
While this dynamic may or may not confuse the exploiter, it will surely confuse the unalert woman.
In their “grooming” process, these men will often pull out all the stops: they may, for instance, be the best, most attentive lovers you’ve ever had while all the while they’re not actually enjoying the sex because they’re not present; rather, they are watching themselves, and watching themselves with you, as if they’re porno aspirants determined to make a name for themselves, determined to stamp themselves (to legendize themselves, if you will) in your mind.
Many of these men are desperate to be the fantasy of their perfect selves–that is, the fantasy of themselves as special, unique, memorable. And so they tend parasitically (and compulsively) to seek cooperative, vulnerable hosts (such as you) as if to hold for them, store for them their slippery, empty gestures at immortality. (I intend to flesh this idea out in a separate post, recognizing the incompleteness of my explanation.)
We’ve discussed some of these concepts before, but another of them bears repeating: Narcissists, sociopaths and their like will chew you up for the temporary ego-gratifying nutrients you can supply them in the short-term; and then, like a piece of chewing gum from which they’ve extracted all the sugar, they’ll spit you out, devalue and discard you, now that you’ve lost your flavor (and thus use).
(This article is copyrighted (c) 2009 by Steve Becker, LCSW)
Dear LF friends, since Lily requested, I will try to explain a bit of what went on today.
I talked to my dear friend Lily today on the phone, she was distraught after hearing from one daughter the WHY they (the other 2) had not contacted her, except for one time two years ago when she lay dying in a hospital—and coming at midnight to the hospital the security guard had turned them away at the door. The next day they came back to the hospital and SOMETHING happened, we are not srue what, but Lily’s cardiologist told her (after her children left) “Your children are not your friends.” Neither Lily nor I know what her chldren said to the physician to make him say such a thing to Lily, but we both believe whatever they said was so HORRIBLE THAT the physician could not constrain himself. he is a very caring man and very compassionate to her.
Being the sweet wonderful person she is, hearing that today, she immediately felt lthat her kdis “must have felt so bad” about being turned away by the guard, one daughter said that the reason was that lily had told the guard to do this! She was distraught when she called me at how her KIDS HAD SUFFERED and it was all her fault.
Well, you know me, I immediately picked up my skillet and clouted her a good couple of BOINKS over the head! This is simply her children gaslighting her, placing and projecting the blame on to her for them not contacting her for years.
One daughter may actually be a dupe, but in any case, whatever the “diagnosis” of these adult-kids, they have abandoned this lovely woman, and tried to project the blame for that on to LIly.
At the end of our call, she was much more calm, and I DO BELIEVE 110% that she has so much strength and SO MUCH faith that whatever happens, she will be OK. Please keep her in your prayers as she goes through this difficult time of her cancer surgery and finally coming to peace with accepting the TRUTH that she must let go of, as she said ,”the mailignant HOPE” she has held out that her children care for her.
Those of us who have “lost” children know the pain that comes from accepting that your children that you bore and love do not love you back, that they are not capable of returning that love.
I can attest that Lily is a very strong woman and she has been through some difficult times in the last couple of years with a broken ankle, diabetes, a broken hip and now this, totally without any support from her kids at all. She is an amazing woman, and I wanna be just like her when I grow up!
TOWANDA!!!! LILY, you are AWESOME!!! All my love and prayers, Oxy
!
To Lily,
You’re in my prayers and here is an image of a beautiful waterfall to think about. It helps me whenever I get low or physically tired – hopefully it can help to revive as well as calm you, body and soul – to see, feel and hear that crystal blue, clear water splashing on top of your head and body, washing you clean, bubbling all around you as you stand under it in a tranquil pool with green trees and wildflowers all around. We can all think of you there, relaxing and getting ready to come back from your ordeals perfectly refreshed and alive.
Wishing you much love and good health…
Dearest new Lily, As you know I have emailed you privately but just wanted to say again, I wish the very very best outcome for you, and I know youll be fine! I know what you are going thru re your adult kids, as you know my younger daughter,C.{now 43} has been NC with me for 17 long years, and Ive never once been allowed to see any of her 3 kids, not even as tiny babies. My older one,D, now 45,as you know only ever used me as a “cash cow”, and I went NC with her 3 months ago, but havent seen her since Dec.08. You are right, Oxy, these NS adult kids do NOT love us, have compassion for us, think of us,-they only know how to use and abuse us.
New Lily is right, my years of abuse from my ex, and eventual estrangement and divorce from my ex were NOTHING to the pain of being rejected by your own kids. The pain is unlike anything Ive ever known. After years of denial I finally ‘see” that they dont love me, Im sure they dont give me a thought. Like New Lily Ive had to give up the ‘malignant hope’ that myadult kids will love me one day. I know now they never change. Im so grateful to God for my new “adopted Iranian adult “kids”, who shower us with love.
Dearest new Lily, God will see you safely thru this trial, and youll emerge out the other side! All my Love and Prayers,{{{HUGS!}}} geminigirl.XXX
Lily:
I share your pain!
Lily:
I share your pain!
Yikes…..not sure what I am doing….sorry….about repeat, but not just what I wanted to say!!!
I did it alone…I know the fear and the pain!
It’s time for YOU…..you have no charity to give, it’s time to recieve…..
this includes your emotions and thoughts for/towards/ inregards/ to your grown children…ON ANY LEVEL!
Lily….clear your head and be prepared for what you know is ahead of you…..
YOU KNOW YOU CAN”T CHANGE ANYONE ELSE>…..no matter WHAT you would choose to do.
Seriously…..I have been in your situation…..IT SUCKS….but it is doable….with many rewards….Open your heart up to new support, new friends……and stop closing down with thoughts of your children.
They will do whatever it is they do……
I went through cancer and treatments alone…..AND being bombarded trying to ‘crack’ me……
I am hot fired pottery…..I was not going to crack…..I was not going to take away from ME and healing for any outside crap…..
My thoughts didn’t stop the crap from being shot my way……
I DIDN”T ALLOW IT THROUGH!
I WAS IN CONTROL!
It’s unbelievable we must be in this situation…..but IT IS WHAT IT IS!
YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON THIS EARTH AT THIS POINT!!!!!!!!!
IT”S ABOUT LILY!
Not you grown children…..
REMEMBER THE SERENTIY PRAYER and recite it ove and over!
YOU ARE YOUR PRIORITY!
Lily, I am sorry…..I will give you strength….find the good out of this bad…..open yourself up to new friends and support.
Ultimately….on earth…..we walk this journey alone….only with our shadow……
Keep your head up, remain strong and stay focused on the immediate task at hand!
Do NOT let anyone take you off balance from your focus!
BEST TO YOU…….in your journey!
You will be a survivor!
XXOO
I recently met a man, or a boy as I should say, because he acted like a gigantic toddler. I met him, he swept me off my feet, told me all the right things that I wanted to hear, and seemed too good to be true. He told me I was different, and that I was someone he could see having something that would last. He told me that he never allows anyone to cuddle with him, and that I was special and it didn’t bother him when I did it. He told me he didn’t mind me being a virgin, but that we could do other things. He told me he personally knew the rapper, neyo and that they hung out on a regular basis. He told me that one of my good friends only wanted to get into my pants, and I believed him. He spun his little web of deception and I let him walk all over me. he told me that he had a disc in his back that was hurting and needed surgery. I lived an hour and a half away, and he told me that if i drove to see him, that he’d pay for it. He never showed me anything. I left feeling like the night had been perfect, here was a guy that hadn’t tried anything! He asked me out, and I said yes for the first time in two years. three days went by and we hardly talked, which was odd..because in a new relationship, you want to see/talk all the time, normally. He would make silly excuses of why he didnt call, my phone mustve been messed up, cos he tried to call three times and nothing, when a friend had called twice and got thru during this time. He told me to drive into town and spend the weekend with him, that itd be just us, hed take me out on a date, etc. I get here into town at 4:30, left school early to make it there to be with him early, and sat in a parking lot waiting for him to call me. Two hours went by, I went to starbucks took my laptop out and tried to see if he was on, or had been, nothing. checked my phone, nothing. I called three times, and by the third time (three hours later) his mother answered. She told me that she was sorry, that she had had his phone all day. That he went to get a haircut, and would be calling me from his friend’s phone soon. 9 o clock rolls around and I havent heard anything. I drove to his house, and knocked on the door, where he was visibly in his kitchen. his mother came to the door after five minutes, and told me to come in, that he had just gotten there. He told me that I couldn’t stay there because he was fixing to take some pills for his back and pass out. I had nowhere to stay.I was furious. he took me outside and acted as though I were just a friend stopping by to say hello and not his gf. he kissed me, held my hands until his friend stepped outside, and he then dropped my hands and went to get his pack of ciggs, that he told me in the beginning that ne didn’t smoke. I left, came back and cried, tried to break it off and he played a silly card, promising me we’d eat breakfast together and spend the day and the next together. I agreed, left and cried. I called my brother and told him what happened and an older friend told me that I had just gotten played. I tried to call him and got no answer, she dialed his number and he answered on the first ring. She pretended to be asking for another “hisname” and he fell for it, told her that he’d text her later, called her cutey (he didn’t know her from adam) and promised to club with her. He texted her in thirty minutes asking for a picture, she took my picture with her, and he asked her which one was she? he didn’t recognize me. She told him the one standing next to your girlfriend. to which he replied, what girlfriend? and then after I left him a message telling him he’d been caught, he blew up my phone trying to get me to talk to him. telling me he was sorry, that his friends made him go clubbing, that he was screwed up cos of drugs and alcohol. He sobbed, and whined, and begged me to come see him at 4 am. and when I told him no, he threw a tantrum. And when I asked him why he couldn’t just come see me, he changed the subject. I told him to leave me be, that I was going to bed, and he called me back thirty mins later to say “what’s up!?” and I told him really? and he said sorry sorry sorry baby, please. and I hung up. He called me the next day and said “what happened last night, I just looked at my phone and saw all this random crap” and he tried to blame it on me for trapping him in his own lie, claiming he didnt do anything wrong because It was my fault for trapping him. and then he said he didn’t need to apologize for his friends making him go out, and asked me to come over. I told him I would later, and when later came, I didn’t go. I didn’t call. I didn’t text. He hasn’t talked to me since. and I deleted him off of everything when I read about a sociopath and found that he matched perfectly with every single sign. He is 22, a pathological liar, told me that he was majoring in psych (he doesn’t go to school), told me he lived alone ( lives with his parents), told me that he recorded music and played guitar and all sorts of instruments all the time (didn’t own a single thing). It was all just a big lie. He tried to break me down, but he didn’t. and I think I proved to him that he couldn’t mess with me.
Maggie,
The guy sound like a classic sociopath. I’m so glad you dumped him. Don’t be surprised if he contacts you again and pretends he made a big mistake and wants you back. It’s just more manipulation. Kick him to the curb.
Dear Maggie, I think you’ve done an exceptionally good job of cutting off contact with this narcissistic jerk. I applaud you. You sound as if you’re very young. Learn from this experience and don’t allow youself to be swept off your feet so quickly. Excercise caution, and let the guy pursue YOU. If he really likes you, he will. I’m glad you shared with us. I hope we’ll hear from you again.
Newlily xxxx I just wanted to chime in and send you some love and good wishes.xxx