By Ox Drover
One of the themes that seems to run throughout the stories of many of, if not most of, the people who have had experiences with psychopaths is that we have either had repeated episodes of being abused by the same psychopath, even after we saw their dishonesty, or had episodes of being sucked into the webs of multiple psychopaths. Or, we have both of these—multiple episodes with multiple psychopaths.
Most of the people I have known who were formerly victims of psychopaths are not stupid. In fact, some of the smartest, most accomplished people I know are former victims, and have been repeatedly victimized by one psychopath after finding out that this person was dishonest and abusive. Somehow, they kept on going back to the relationship, even after multiple attempts to disengage from the abuser. Why? Why does a person who is smart, accomplished, and otherwise successful in life and business keep repeating the same behavior that allows them to be hurt?
There is an often-used quote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” It seems by this definition that the victims of psychopaths are “insane,” because we keep on trying to have a relationship with someone who is repeatedly abusive. There must be some reason that otherwise smart and successful people keep repeating the behavior that is unsuccessful in its outcome. There must be some common thread among victims and former victims that makes us susceptible to frequently returning to an unsuccessful and painful relationship.
Here’s a little story that may contain what may be a grain of truth that might point us toward the answer to the question of. “Why?”
The Chief and the Snake
Once upon a time there was a very wise and kind Indian chief. One day as the chief was walking through the forest, he came upon a rattlesnake in the path. He stopped and started to go around the snake, not wanting to hurt it, but not wanting to be bitten either.
As the chief started to pass around the snake, the snake spoke to him (not an unusual thing in those days) and said, “Chief, please have mercy on me, my wife and family are on the other side of yonder river, and I can’t swim, and I can’t get to them. Won’t you please pick me up and carry me across the river?”
The chief looked at the snake and laughed a bit and said, “Why, if I tried to pick you up you would bite me and I would die. I am sad that you have a problem but I must not be bitten, or I would die and my own children would starve because there would be no strong man with a bow to hunt brother deer to provide meat to my little ones. Though my heart feels sad for you, no, I must refuse to pick you up.”
The snake then spoke to the chief saying, “But such a brave man as you should not be afraid of such a small snake as I, and I promise from the bottom of my heart that I would never harm you if you were to help me across yon river. I am so afraid that if I am not able to get across, my wife and children will perish. Please help me in my hour of need.”
The chief looked at the snake and his heart was sad because he knew what it was like to have one’s children without food. His heart took pity on the snake, and he agreed to take the snake across the river, if the snake would agree not to bite him.
The chief reached out to pick up the snake and held him high over his head as he waded the swift and cold waters of the river. About half way across the river when the chief was doing his best to protect the snake from the cold waters, the snake reached down and bit him on the neck, sinking his poison fangs deep into the chief’s blood stream.
The chief was surprised and said to the snake, “Brother Snake, why did you bite me, now I will die and you will drown as well. You promised on your honor not to bite me if I would have mercy on you and help you, now we shall both die and our children starve. You promised me.”
The snake replied, “Ah yes, I promised, but you knew what I was when you picked me up,” as they both sank under the swirling cold water of the river.
What we have in common with the chief
What caused the chief to reach out and pick up a snake that he knew was poisonous, that he knew had the power to harm him, and that if he was wrong in making this decision to pick up the snake, and the snake did bite him, that his own children would suffer because of his decision?
Empathy is what the chief had, empathy for the children of the snake. Because the chief loved his own children, he assumed that the snake must also love its children. Just as the chief would do what was best for his children, he empathized that the snake would also do what was best. Since the chief knew that he would never do anything deliberately to cause consequences for his children, he did not see that the snake would deliberately do something that would cause problems for his own offspring.
Thinking that others have the same motivations that we have can get us into the same problems that the chief got into. The chief wanted to help the snake. He felt pity for the snake. He knew that he would not want someone to refuse to help him if it meant that he would die and his children would go hungry, so it never dawned on him that the snake would be willing to make a decision to do a deed that would insure that the snake-children would go hungry.
The chief’s empathy and his thinking that others had the same empathy, the same motivation for their behavior, and no reason to hurt another, even at the cost of hurting themselves or their near and dear, caused him to want to believe the snake’s promise not to bite.
The snake, however, was right. The chief knew what he was when he picked him up. When we allow ourselves to believe the promises of people who have proven that they are dishonest, we open ourselves to be repeatedly injured or even killed. When someone shows you what they are, believe your eyes. Believe what you see, not what you hear.
No Contact
“No contact” is the commonly accepted “treatment” for any abusive relationship. This means that only contact that is required by law (such as meeting that person in a courtroom due to a law uit) or the minimum amount of contact required by law to co-parent with such a person, is the only interaction between you and your former abuser. No contact allows the injuries to cease, and keeps you safe from new and repeated injuries from the abuser.
“No contact” also includes not stalking the person’s Facebook page or other social media. It means blocking or deleting any text messages, phone calls, e-mails or any other form of communication, including having others tell you what the former abuser is “up to.” Refusing to engage in tale carrying, gossip, or drama involved with the former abuser is also essential. If you must speak about the relationship, do it ONLY with a trusted friend or family member who sees that the relationship was/is abusive, and with assurances that the person will keep your information in absolute confidence. This process can be likened to “not renting them space in your head,” which includes wondering if they have a new relationship, and if they are making this new person happy o,r if they will change for this new person, or wondering if you were wrong about what they are.
You know what they are now, so don’t pick them up. NO CONTACT WORKS.
Well last night I did something I hadn’t done in 2 years… First, I went out to my usual pub ALONE, with a curiosity who I might meet as familiars and just go with the flow. And I met two guy acquaintances and their company. When they moved to another bar where there was a party, I just asked if I could come along. So I jumped on the back of the bycicle of on oneof the acquaintances and went there… I interacted with them and saw some old mate much later too.
But I noticed while I was having fun and being spontaneous I was also filtering a lot of info, also about myself. Since most of them were simple guy acquaintances I paid along with drinks when it was my turn. It’s the easiest sign as a woman to show you’re there as “one of the guys” instead of a woman to pursue.
It were my first steps in social interaction with other people to define my instincts and judgements. One of the acquaintances (not the one I took a ride with at the back of his bycicle) I know to be a bit of a drunk at times, he likes drama, and can be clingy sweet… all red flags of course. When he asked me how my relationship was going, I was honest but without going into much detail. And his reaction was one where it was my fault: I was too good for this world, naive, blablablabla… basically he was telling me I was stupid. Bam another red flag. At the same time he was cuddly and acting sweet (red flag) Later, when he appeared at the other place, he was doing the pity ploy because he knew his girlfriend and mother of his child was upset for being out later than he had promised. Basically I heard nothing but excuses over it: (a) whether he would come home at that time or later, she’d be upset anyhow (and I told him that to her it would matter) (b) his best friend had died and he needed some time off, after being there for his little daughter the day before, and he was entitled to have some relax time for himself. I did tell him that it does make a difference whether it’s an hour later, or 7 in the morning, if he knew she was upset; and could he not find support with her. Of course he did not listen. And I just ended up thinking, “you’re full of it and coming up with nothing but excuses and excuses!” I didn’t want to be near him anymore after that. The worst excuse was the dead friend. Yes, it’s hard to lose someone you’ve known half of your life, but what does that have to do with being drunk and upsetting your girlfriend? Nothing.
The third guy I knew just by face, but nothing else. At some point we started talking about surfing and traveling. He suggested that by next winter I should book a trip to Morcocco and come surf with them (I know some other guys of that group). Then his sister started came to talk with us about some drama with excuses guy and a friend of theirs. The last one apparently had not been faithful to his girlfriend, and the first one had confronted him about it. They were talking about “guys and fidelity”. The guy was voicing the opinion that while there may be a one-time slip-up, it is very different if there are several slip-ups with the same woman. Meanwhile the sister was kinda saying “men will be men.” It started to trigger with me of course, and though I had not wanted to in front of the guy I hadn’t known before tonight, I ended up saying that I didn’t believe all men are like that, nor have the right to be, and I confessed I had severed all contact a month ago with my fiance who had cheated several times, lied and used me, without going into details.
Interestingly enough, the guy sped out of the conversation as fast as he could, which I thought a very healthy reaction. I’d say any normal guy would run from overhearing a woman just gettng over a bad relationship. Later on he was talking with someone else, and hardly gave me any attention. Years ago, this would have made me stay and see whether I at least would get a new response from him. This time, I just took note of it, and felt I didn’t really care cause I hardly know him anyway. If I had cared, then it would have been a sign of ego-needs for flattery. I was glad to discover within myself I had no need for that.
Instead I joined the company of a good mate of mine. He was there as a friend when I lost Inspiring Soul, and he knew my ex P (he actually would have been the DJ on the wedding), knew how much I had cared for him, etc… I didn’t go into much detail either, but just a short version. And his response was that of a friend. For a few seconds he wanted to say that he had a weird vibe about my ex, but he did not pursue that road. Out of his own accord, he was empathizing with the fact I had invested so much in it and cared for him, I never deserved any of that kind of shit. He wanted to know how I was dealing with it, and happy to learn that I was finding my old lust for life again.
When I left, I was glad I had refound a bit of my old go with the flow spirit again, and yet started to apply “listen and watch” with confidence and confidently made my first judgement on others as well as listening to my own feelings about the different set of situations, and the discovery that I do not have an unhealthy need for flattery at the moment.
So, I’m very pleased with my progress!
Superkid, yes the best chapters are those that focus on the victim, how they come to relate with the spath and why they remain in the relationship, and what the spath does to his or her victim. And indeed, the last thing I feel I am is co-dependent. Suffering from cold turkey at times, yes. Deeply loyaly and affectionate, true. There is nothing wrong with that. We just need to learn who to give it to, before we find ourselves bound to someone who doesn’t deserve it at all.
Sky, I so understand that mistake made from feeling. You are describing exactly how I felt. Yes, I saw him conning and charming others, seeing often how blatantly opportunistic it was. But not until a couple of days after the mask came off, did I ever doubt what I FELT were his feelings for me.
Yea, Darwin’s mom,
If theyy will cheat/con others they will cheat/con you—they convince you that you are special and that they will make an exception for YOU but in the end, it is just another con….they are “equal opportunity” cons, anyone they can pull one over on, no sense of loyalty to anyone. “Honor among thieves?” NOT A CHANCE.
Darwinsmom – so you read it too. I think it’s a great book. Somewhere in there it compared the spath to somebody who is mentally retarded. The comment was, you wouldn’t expect somebody who is mentally retarded to suddenly start functioning at a higher level. The spath is just like the person who is mentally retarded. He is incapable of it. He can’t change.
Wow, that was a great analogy. I keep thinking of my spath as being mentally retarded and I just see the whole thing totally differently.
Wish I could find it again in this book.
Superkid
A few days ago I honestly thought I had found a minimal sence of peace with respect to my ex-spath. I decided to accept my losses and move forward for my own mental health and for the well being of my child. In my mind this meant it was time to move forward, stop trying to prove his lies with regard to custody (which I have sole), accept financial losses, accept the blatant injustice which transpired over the past couple of years. Let it all go. Move forward from the lies, lies,lies and endless lies and abuse.
I decided so what if he is in this country illegally. It’s been reported…nothing happened not my fight anymore.
I decided so what if he lied about his income, no one cares and even so I would never see a cent of reimburesement or child support. Let it go.
I decided so what if he had felonies for violence against me which he was able to get sealed. So what, I still have my restraining order against him. No more energy.
I decided so what if he hasnt completed the court ordered anger management course which was suppossed to be completed 5 months ago. Not my fight!!
I decided so what if the judge allowed him 12 court supervised visitations with my son. I dont need to stay in this city.
So what…….I let it all go and felt semi-ok for a few days.
Then I did what I always have done, my long term self defence mechanism against him. I checked up on him. Its not hard to do as all his info is public. Suddenly I was blown away again and am feeling the pain, anger, injustice all over again. Its as if a gallon of salt was just thrown on an open wound.
The trigger was he did not even show for his intake at the court house for the court supervised visits. Whereas this is good news (he is only allowed 2 cancellations) LOL, good news- he would only petition the court again to see the child and it would probably be granted.I was floored! The injustice and he wouldn’t be available for 2 weeks. The stress, energy, legal fees (which he was ordered to pay). Everything just came back. Yes in court he swore he only had $10 to his name… and I found out he didn’t make the appointment because he is on a 2 week international vacation. WTF!!! He has opened his own company which is under someone elses name WTF!!! He will never be held accountable for anything… EVER. He has incurred no financial loss, no loss of any kind. He does not care about me or our young child…yet he doesn’t give up trying to hurt me. WHY?? For fathers day he posted ” Happy fathers day to all those dads who work and fight for their childrens happiness… WTF!! This is madness.
I think no contact is good- it took every ounce of self control to not act on anything. I did not call the program he is is required to attend, I did not contact the intake unit. Why so I can look like some crazy ex? . No one would get it!! Suddenly all of the pain is back…why…because I checked up on him. He is a liar, a monster, and that will never change
Aw coping, he is a piece of crap and that will sadly never change. From your post I’d say you are doing very well, and handling being triggered very well.
NC is a practice, not unlike exercise or meditation – the more we do it, the more we see the benefit.
Sounds like today is the day you need to vent – so vent away on LF until the outrage and pain subsides.
wishing you peace,
one joy
Thank you,
Yes, my day to vent and cry. Its true..I haven’t had a good cry in a long time. Thank god my child is taking his nap. I swore from day 1 I would never let him see me like this.
I need to get it together and be real for a minute. Nothing has changed in the past couple days except my frame of mind. How I handle this is up to me. I am yet again giving my ex the power to control me and my thoughts. He is a liar, he is allot of horrible things however nothing has changed.
He is what he is. I cant control that. I can only control my actions and how I handle myself. Positive thoughts!! 🙂
Coping – I hear the INJUSICE in your post. You have done everything by the book and what’s it got you? (right?)
We all backslide from time to time – cut yourself some slack here:) He’s a spath.
No HE will never change but YOU CAN. If you let him get to you he wins. Take back your control. He’s a liar, he’s a SPATH.
WE HEAR YOU, WE BELIEVE YOU, WE GET IT.
One Joy,
Seriousely!! Thank you.
God bless
Thank you for letting me go off on my tangent. Sometimes the pain and injustice seems unbearable.
OK…time to stop crying..get it together and wake my son up for his 3:00 feeding and give him all the love he needs and deserves.
God bless again. 🙂 Positive thoughts!!