Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight by M.E. Thomas
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Alien Minds

This book is not so much a first-person description as it is a performative demonstration of the mind of a sociopath. Or it is a send-up of the gullibility of the softer parts of the public and political establishment. Either way it is an example of sociopathy hiding in plain sight, trying to manipulate its way to even greater dominance by feigning sincerity.

Sociopaths don’t have to equipment to recognise the need for fundamental ethical standards. The rest of us don’t have the equipment to recognise sociopaths. One to four of every hundred of us is likely sociopathic. The proportion in prisons is ten times this and account for perhaps half the crimes committed. And recidivism is two or three times higher among sociopaths. It’s probably incalculable though how much harm the ‘loose’ ones produce in society, particularly since their traits of ruthless pursuit of corporate goals and personal achievement are often highly valued in society. This creates an ethical dilemma.

We presume a common understanding of the basic rules of society. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ is an almost universal ethical maxim across cultures and religions. Walking in a crowded street, we make way instinctively for the less-abled. Paying cash for a small purchase, we expect to receive the correct change without counting it. Agreements in daily life are made with no thought of legal action in case of default.

But while sociopaths may learn these norms by rote as it were, they never become instinctive. Adherence depends upon an entirely separate analysis of cost-benefit. Personal interests, standing, reputation, rather than courtesy, civility, or fellow-feeling are the deciding factors for the sociopath’s behaviour. Sociopaths lie without flinching, disregard any obligation on a whim, and cruelly manipulates others for personal enjoyment. When justified by his personal calculus of power, the sociopath will without remorse, guilt or regret, inflict harm, suffering or inconvenience on the rest of us. Functionally they are “replicants, organic androids,“ in the dialogue Thomas quotes from the film Blade Runner. In short, they are predators.

Therein lies the dilemma. How can sociopaths be prevented, or at least discouraged, from inflicting the great harm they are capable of. “… there is no known effective treatment for sociopaths…“, admits Thomas. Presuming them innocent allows them to commit a sort of societal arbitrage. The kindness they receive is only of transactional benefit, or ‘fuel’ to them. They give only when they get more in return, and even then only if the return exceeds a minimal threshold.

On the other hand. identifying sociopaths and constraining them from their typical behaviours is problematic - certainly from a criminal point of view, but more fundamentally from the perspective of moral reasonableness. They look like the rest of us - until they don’t. They are acutely aware of any deterrent that might be established, and are capable of cleverly evading the transgression of the letter of the law. And there are no reliable tests for diagnosing the condition even if the general population could be convinced or coerced into taking tests.

In any case isn’t sociopathy a form of mental incapacitation, like autism let’s say, that demands tolerance and social acceptance of neurodiversity not criminalisation? The sociopath is not responsible for the genetic inheritance which is the likely root of his condition. And almost everyone exhibits some sociopathic traits from time to time. Sociopathy can only be considered as a spectrum. At what point on the spectrum should the person not the behaviour be condemned? Perhaps sociopathy is simply the modern term for original sin. In the end, Thomas thinks it boils down to the question of “What do you do to people you simply don’t like?”

Ms Thomas has no real suggestions for addressing this issue. Everything in her book, bar the not very interesting details of her family background and private life, is already known and documented. And she knows it’s known. So why the book? Sociopaths don’t suffer oppression or discriminatory social practices. On the contrary, they have the rest of society at their mercy. Sociopaths don’t suffer mental torment because of their condition. They have no ill-feelings toward themselves and no regrets about who they are or what they’ve done to others. Sociopaths may be the most privileged and well-adjusted people on the planet.

In addition to her book, Ms Thomas has started a website and a discussion blog for the similarly-afflicted. She thinks that more research (and therefore government funding) is necessary to better understand the condition. And by simply writing the book, she clearly wants the rest of us to sympathise with the plight of the many, many secretly deformed individuals who exist among us. In short, Thomas wants us to see that sociopaths are victims, and as such deserve dignity, attention, and, who knows, compensation for their disability. This is a political tract masquerading as a memoir. And in today’s political environment I’m sure there are many who will respond to her call.

I will not be contributing to the cause

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