What do you think?
Rate this book
Bir Sosyopatın İtirafları
As M.E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, we are your neighbors, co-workers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent—even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence. Who are we? We are highly successful, non-criminal sociopaths and we comprise 4% of the American population (that’s 1 in 25 people!).
Confessions of a Sociopath takes readers on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes the tick and what that means for the rest of humanity. Written from the point of view of a diagnosed sociopath, it unveils these men and women who are “hiding in plain sight” for the very first time.
Confessions of a Sociopath is part confessional memoir, part primer for the wary. Drawn from Thomas’ own experiences; her popular blog, Sociopathworld. com; and current and historical scientific literature, it reveals just how different – and yet often very similar - sociopaths are from the rest of the world. The book confirms suspicions and debunks myths about sociopathy and is both the memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap – right from the source - for dealing with the sociopath in your life, be it a boss, sibling, parent, spouse, child, neighbor, colleague or friend.
As Thomas argues, while sociopaths aren't like everyone else, and it’s true some of them are incredibly dangerous, they are not inherently evil. In fact, they’re potentially more productive and useful to society than neurotypicals or “empaths,” as they fondly like to call “normal” people. Confessions of a Sociopath demystifyies sociopathic behavior and provide readers with greater insight on how to respond or react to protect themselves, live among sociopaths without becoming victims, and even beat sociopaths at their own game, through a bit of empathetic cunning and manipulation.
Confessions of a Sociopath takes readers on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes the tick and what that means for the rest of humanity. Written from the point of view of a diagnosed sociopath, it unveils these men and women who are “hiding in plain sight” for the very first time.
Confessions of a Sociopath is part confessional memoir, part primer for the wary. Drawn from Thomas’ own experiences; her popular blog, Sociopathworld. com; and current and historical scientific literature, it reveals just how different – and yet often very similar - sociopaths are from the rest of the world. The book confirms suspicions and debunks myths about sociopathy and is both the memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap – right from the source - for dealing with the sociopath in your life, be it a boss, sibling, parent, spouse, child, neighbor, colleague or friend.
As Thomas argues, while sociopaths aren't like everyone else, and it’s true some of them are incredibly dangerous, they are not inherently evil. In fact, they’re potentially more productive and useful to society than neurotypicals or “empaths,” as they fondly like to call “normal” people. Confessions of a Sociopath demystifyies sociopathic behavior and provide readers with greater insight on how to respond or react to protect themselves, live among sociopaths without becoming victims, and even beat sociopaths at their own game, through a bit of empathetic cunning and manipulation.
293 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2013
2486 people are currently reading
27150 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,296 reviews
February 11, 2021
I did not purchase this book. A friend owns it and I read it last night. It's a fast read. While moderately interesting (at first) it rapidly becomes repetitive and tiresome. The author is basically bragging about her condition and telling us that she is superior to us.She's beautiful (so she claims), a sexual magnet (again so she claims), intelligent, ruthless, dangerous, blah,blah,blah,blah.
I'm not a mental health professional, but as a police officer of 13 years I've had many many contacts with the mentally ill. Sometimes those contacts are uneventful and sometimes the contacts are unsettling and violent. But among the things that stand out is they typically believe they don't need help, they don't want help (and now and again one just has to walk away if they aren't an immediate danger to themselves or others - it's the law) and believe/know they're functioning at a higher level than the rest of us.You don't even have to ask them - they're more than ready to tell you. Just like M.E. Thomas.
A quick look at their life and general condition will show that isn't the case, but they don't see things that way. This book reeks of that and I for one got tired of it. Anyone who deals with the mentally ill will find that there is nothing fascinating,romantic, dangerous or alluring about those who suffer from the various conditions.Only writers of fiction and those people who don't interact very much with the mentally ill will find the conditions fascinating. They are not people free of everyday contstraints and rules. This memoir is dishonest in that respect, but if the author truly is a sociopath I would expect nothing less. The author believes that she is really working on a higher plane. But if she is a sociopath there is a good chance that eventually she will fall apart. It might take years and the presentation might vary, but the odds are not in her favor.
However there was another aspect to this book that I found myself thinking about as I got further into it. I don't believe this memoir is true. The last several years there have been numerous memoirs that have made big splashes, but after a few months it's revealed that the writer had passed off a piece of fiction as non-fiction. There is something about this book (and no I can't give a specific example) that makes me think this "memoir" is also nothing more than a moderately interesting piece of fiction. Time will tell and you will have to decide for yourself.
If it's truthful it's the writing of a disturbed individual who doesn't (honestly) believe that she's sick and wants you to bathe in her radiance. Keep that in mind. Hitler was also very charismatic and many "ordinary" people loved him and followed him to the bitter end. If it's fiction - well it's okay, but repetitive and ultimately tiresome.
UPDATE: 24 June 2020
I have been advised by other Goodreads contributors that there have been people testify that the author is real and truthful. I haven't had the energy to go digging, but if that is the case then it appears I was wrong about the author. I leave it to others to go looking and decide for themselves.
I'm not a mental health professional, but as a police officer of 13 years I've had many many contacts with the mentally ill. Sometimes those contacts are uneventful and sometimes the contacts are unsettling and violent. But among the things that stand out is they typically believe they don't need help, they don't want help (and now and again one just has to walk away if they aren't an immediate danger to themselves or others - it's the law) and believe/know they're functioning at a higher level than the rest of us.You don't even have to ask them - they're more than ready to tell you. Just like M.E. Thomas.
A quick look at their life and general condition will show that isn't the case, but they don't see things that way. This book reeks of that and I for one got tired of it. Anyone who deals with the mentally ill will find that there is nothing fascinating,romantic, dangerous or alluring about those who suffer from the various conditions.Only writers of fiction and those people who don't interact very much with the mentally ill will find the conditions fascinating. They are not people free of everyday contstraints and rules. This memoir is dishonest in that respect, but if the author truly is a sociopath I would expect nothing less. The author believes that she is really working on a higher plane. But if she is a sociopath there is a good chance that eventually she will fall apart. It might take years and the presentation might vary, but the odds are not in her favor.
However there was another aspect to this book that I found myself thinking about as I got further into it. I don't believe this memoir is true. The last several years there have been numerous memoirs that have made big splashes, but after a few months it's revealed that the writer had passed off a piece of fiction as non-fiction. There is something about this book (and no I can't give a specific example) that makes me think this "memoir" is also nothing more than a moderately interesting piece of fiction. Time will tell and you will have to decide for yourself.
If it's truthful it's the writing of a disturbed individual who doesn't (honestly) believe that she's sick and wants you to bathe in her radiance. Keep that in mind. Hitler was also very charismatic and many "ordinary" people loved him and followed him to the bitter end. If it's fiction - well it's okay, but repetitive and ultimately tiresome.
UPDATE: 24 June 2020
I have been advised by other Goodreads contributors that there have been people testify that the author is real and truthful. I haven't had the energy to go digging, but if that is the case then it appears I was wrong about the author. I leave it to others to go looking and decide for themselves.
August 3, 2013
This book is getting bashed across the internet and in user ratings here because they find the author irritating, self-absorbed, narcisstic, or otherwise unpleasant. If this is a disappointment to readers, I suggest they read the titles of the books they purchase more carefully before beginning to read.
This book does in fact provide an extremely incisive look into the mind of sociopath in a throughly engaging and well-written narrative. While much of the book is troubling ... particularly realizing how much of the world (lawyers, politicians, famous celebrities) acts in the manners she describes in the book. If anything, she could modify the book slightly and retitle it How to Succeed In Modern America. My guess is that is the real reason why people act like they hated this book -- for people who prefer their own idealization of the world rather than dealing in practical reality, this book is an unpleasant crack in the fundaments.
This book does in fact provide an extremely incisive look into the mind of sociopath in a throughly engaging and well-written narrative. While much of the book is troubling ... particularly realizing how much of the world (lawyers, politicians, famous celebrities) acts in the manners she describes in the book. If anything, she could modify the book slightly and retitle it How to Succeed In Modern America. My guess is that is the real reason why people act like they hated this book -- for people who prefer their own idealization of the world rather than dealing in practical reality, this book is an unpleasant crack in the fundaments.
March 16, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
. . . And the award for Worst Book I’ve Read So Far This Year goes to Confessions of a Sociopath!!!!!
Short notice. Just go with it.
According to the blurb this was supposed to be an “engrossing, highly captivating narrative of the author’s life as a diagnosed sociopath” . . .
What it was instead was . . . .
First of all, the author lived as a “self-diagnosed” sociopath for years before ever seeing an actual doctor about it. It is during those years she found fame and glory running a blog for other supposed sociopaths.
AmIRight?
Secondly, you would think a sociopath would be a teensie bit interesting. Instead, she has presented a memoir that was about as exciting as reading stereo instructions wherein absolutely NOTHING about her own life was even discussed until around the 25% mark. Annnnnnnnnnnd, it took all the way to the 70% point for her to delve into her fave sociopathic hobby – “ruining people” . . . . which she immediately glossed over by saying:
“I wish I could tell stories of ruining people, but they’re the stories most likely to get me sued – situations that involved the police and restraining orders and professional lives derailed.”
Uhhhhhh, the promise of those types of stories is the only thing that kept me reading to that point! I’m fairly certain nearly everyone who picks up this book would do it thinking they would get a little stabby-stabby action. This lousy book didn’t even provide this much action . . .
And finally, I have no clue whether or not the author is actually a sociopath, but the parts of the book that weren’t boring the absolute hell out of me reeked of total B.S. The one thing I am confident of? Whoever wrote this is a total narcissist who finds themselves to be “kooky, charismatic, and charming.” I recommend she go ahead and take another one of those internet tests, though, ‘cause she’s NONE of those things.
Recommended to? Your worst enemy or your most hated in-law.
. . . And the award for Worst Book I’ve Read So Far This Year goes to Confessions of a Sociopath!!!!!
Short notice. Just go with it.
According to the blurb this was supposed to be an “engrossing, highly captivating narrative of the author’s life as a diagnosed sociopath” . . .
What it was instead was . . . .
First of all, the author lived as a “self-diagnosed” sociopath for years before ever seeing an actual doctor about it. It is during those years she found fame and glory running a blog for other supposed sociopaths.
AmIRight?
Secondly, you would think a sociopath would be a teensie bit interesting. Instead, she has presented a memoir that was about as exciting as reading stereo instructions wherein absolutely NOTHING about her own life was even discussed until around the 25% mark. Annnnnnnnnnnd, it took all the way to the 70% point for her to delve into her fave sociopathic hobby – “ruining people” . . . . which she immediately glossed over by saying:
“I wish I could tell stories of ruining people, but they’re the stories most likely to get me sued – situations that involved the police and restraining orders and professional lives derailed.”
Uhhhhhh, the promise of those types of stories is the only thing that kept me reading to that point! I’m fairly certain nearly everyone who picks up this book would do it thinking they would get a little stabby-stabby action. This lousy book didn’t even provide this much action . . .
And finally, I have no clue whether or not the author is actually a sociopath, but the parts of the book that weren’t boring the absolute hell out of me reeked of total B.S. The one thing I am confident of? Whoever wrote this is a total narcissist who finds themselves to be “kooky, charismatic, and charming.” I recommend she go ahead and take another one of those internet tests, though, ‘cause she’s NONE of those things.
Recommended to? Your worst enemy or your most hated in-law.
June 4, 2013
As a psychotherapist/health professional working with mental illness, this book fascinated me when I read excerpts in the newspaper and when I saw at in the airport bookshop, I grabbed it. A memoir, written under a pseudonym (though she invites you to find out who she is), it is highly unusual because psychopaths/sociopaths/ people with antisocial personality disorders are usually not insightful, do not think that they have a problem, just that they cause other people grief. I put these three different terms together (and she talks about them) because they are largely the same. We are not talking about people with a psychotic illness; sufferers are rational and can be charming and successful (as this woman is). They just have no empathy and unlike people with Asperger’s and Autism spectrum, have a disregard for authority and rules, learn to use their charms and fine tune their social skills, to manipulate and get their own way.
We are more used to these characters being men, and in novels, serial killers. This one (or so she says) chooses to play by the rules. Given they lie…well that brings us to this book. How much to believe? What is her real goals and intentions? She believes herself smarter than the rest of us but she also likes to prove her superiority and “ruin” people. Or is she just making the whole thing up?
I am first to admit I am fairly gullible- I like to believe my patients. That aside, I’m not stupid. Evaluating this book, my sense is that she is for real. Her discussion of fluid sexuality and their lack of sense of self rings true of those I have known, and is not in DSM IV (the psychiatrist’s bible). She feels cold and you (well I didn’t) don’t feel sympathetic, there is always a layer between you and her. But fascinating? Oh yes.
I think the book could have been shorter, I think she is not as insightful as she thinks (but then given she is lacking the empathy gene this is probably to be expected). She does I believe have good insights into herself though, and the mix of genes and upbringing contributing. I’d be a little harder on her parents and their influence, and wish she would read We Must Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver before she has children. The neediness and cries of her child are likely to inflame her anger, because her own cries were never heard and dealt with. The church on the other hand seems to have had a very positive containing influence (that said it is hard to reconcile her adherence (supposedly) to no premarital sex, and the exploits in Brazil).
She says there are lots out there like her and she’s probably right. I know at least two, and they aren’t patients, though one nearly died by his own hands. It is interesting to hear their voice.
We are more used to these characters being men, and in novels, serial killers. This one (or so she says) chooses to play by the rules. Given they lie…well that brings us to this book. How much to believe? What is her real goals and intentions? She believes herself smarter than the rest of us but she also likes to prove her superiority and “ruin” people. Or is she just making the whole thing up?
I am first to admit I am fairly gullible- I like to believe my patients. That aside, I’m not stupid. Evaluating this book, my sense is that she is for real. Her discussion of fluid sexuality and their lack of sense of self rings true of those I have known, and is not in DSM IV (the psychiatrist’s bible). She feels cold and you (well I didn’t) don’t feel sympathetic, there is always a layer between you and her. But fascinating? Oh yes.
I think the book could have been shorter, I think she is not as insightful as she thinks (but then given she is lacking the empathy gene this is probably to be expected). She does I believe have good insights into herself though, and the mix of genes and upbringing contributing. I’d be a little harder on her parents and their influence, and wish she would read We Must Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver before she has children. The neediness and cries of her child are likely to inflame her anger, because her own cries were never heard and dealt with. The church on the other hand seems to have had a very positive containing influence (that said it is hard to reconcile her adherence (supposedly) to no premarital sex, and the exploits in Brazil).
She says there are lots out there like her and she’s probably right. I know at least two, and they aren’t patients, though one nearly died by his own hands. It is interesting to hear their voice.
June 1, 2015
Update 4
I said I wasn't going to do any more updates but I'm now feeling outraged by the way the author is treating us stupid just so she can prove her point. She says that Kings College (London) researchers have found that the brains of imprisoned criminal psychopaths "show distinctly less grey matter in the areas of the brain important for understanding the emotions of others." These studies indicate that sociopathic brains do not respond emotionally to words like death, rape and cancer in the same way that normal brains do, she says. No, the research did not say that, dear author, it said that the sociopathic brains of criminals did not respond to those words in the same way normal people do. Well they are criminals! But the author extrapolated that to include non-criminal sociopaths (meaning her) just so as she could add some drama to her so-called mental situation. I have a really strong feeling that sociopathic women would really really respond to being raped or told they had cancer just like everyone else.
So that's why I've dnf'd the book. It suffices as a review.
So, my story of the two psychopaths who wrought tremendous trouble in my life.
The rest of this is notes on reading the book.
I said I wasn't going to do any more updates but I'm now feeling outraged by the way the author is treating us stupid just so she can prove her point. She says that Kings College (London) researchers have found that the brains of imprisoned criminal psychopaths "show distinctly less grey matter in the areas of the brain important for understanding the emotions of others." These studies indicate that sociopathic brains do not respond emotionally to words like death, rape and cancer in the same way that normal brains do, she says. No, the research did not say that, dear author, it said that the sociopathic brains of criminals did not respond to those words in the same way normal people do. Well they are criminals! But the author extrapolated that to include non-criminal sociopaths (meaning her) just so as she could add some drama to her so-called mental situation. I have a really strong feeling that sociopathic women would really really respond to being raped or told they had cancer just like everyone else.
So that's why I've dnf'd the book. It suffices as a review.
So, my story of the two psychopaths who wrought tremendous trouble in my life.
The rest of this is notes on reading the book.
February 10, 2023
I would have been tempted to rate this book highly simply for tackling a topic that is so unnecessarily taboo and gravely misunderstood. But the narrative is excellent.
The author is striving for accuracy, not empathy, so the reviewers insinuating she’s just a condescending bitch are completely missing the point. Shocker.
Her insights are fascinating and it’s sad that the controversial nature of the topic seems to overshadow the actual content.
The snarky, vituperative reviews are repetitive and inane. If you decide you’ll hate this book before you even pick it up, then why bother? But if you’re looking to learn about someone with this condition, it’s a superb read.
The author is striving for accuracy, not empathy, so the reviewers insinuating she’s just a condescending bitch are completely missing the point. Shocker.
Her insights are fascinating and it’s sad that the controversial nature of the topic seems to overshadow the actual content.
The snarky, vituperative reviews are repetitive and inane. If you decide you’ll hate this book before you even pick it up, then why bother? But if you’re looking to learn about someone with this condition, it’s a superb read.
July 5, 2013
This wouldn't have been a likely read for me, except that incidentally I do know the author, and I was curious to see how she views herself through this lens (I had not been aware of her identification as a sociopath before). To the extent that I do know her - years in the same Mormon congregation, playing music and football together, ultimately following her down the law career path - I can affirm that more of the content is genuine than other reviewers might have surmised (and I can certainly confirm that Mormon congregations are consistently fertile territory for manipulation, that her work as a prosecuting attorney could certainly capitalize on her skills just as easily as I know her law students fell for her, and that she is indeed known for her "strut").
It's hard to speak to the book's value as a sociopath's manifesto or to discern the intended audience - others similarly situated who otherwise would have just had her blog for affirmation? the broader public, in an effort to advocate for/normalize/mainstream a frequently maligned and misunderstood demographic? The book is a little sprawling, untamed, too long to work toward the cogent argumentation of which I know she's capable. But I think she makes some good points, too, even if it's hard to fathom how this girl charms so easily when she comes across as so unlikeable and narcissistic in print. I'm still not entirely sure how to feel about it all.
It's hard to speak to the book's value as a sociopath's manifesto or to discern the intended audience - others similarly situated who otherwise would have just had her blog for affirmation? the broader public, in an effort to advocate for/normalize/mainstream a frequently maligned and misunderstood demographic? The book is a little sprawling, untamed, too long to work toward the cogent argumentation of which I know she's capable. But I think she makes some good points, too, even if it's hard to fathom how this girl charms so easily when she comes across as so unlikeable and narcissistic in print. I'm still not entirely sure how to feel about it all.
May 23, 2013
(E-copy received from NetGalley.)
I had hoped that this would be an interesting read after having read the excerpt in a magazine. However, the whole book was such a drag that it was a struggle to finish it. Sociopaths are supposed to be charming right? Well, M.E. Thomas didn't charm me at all. The book was mostly composed of repetitive anecdotes about how she attempted to "ruin" other people's lives with her trademark sociopathic manipulations. It got me rolling my eyes because you can just tell she was blowing these experiences out of proportions in a pathetic attempt to make the reader see how superior she is and how we should all worship her. At times, she would sprinkle in some "scientific studies" to further explain how awesome and misunderstood sociopaths are, but in actuality, the information she cited was dubious in quality and sounds so pretentious that it's more like her bragging: "look at me, aren't I smart? Worship me, simpletons!".
For a good book about sociopaths, I would recommend The Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton. At least that one was written by a bona fide expert and is much more entertaining to read.
I had hoped that this would be an interesting read after having read the excerpt in a magazine. However, the whole book was such a drag that it was a struggle to finish it. Sociopaths are supposed to be charming right? Well, M.E. Thomas didn't charm me at all. The book was mostly composed of repetitive anecdotes about how she attempted to "ruin" other people's lives with her trademark sociopathic manipulations. It got me rolling my eyes because you can just tell she was blowing these experiences out of proportions in a pathetic attempt to make the reader see how superior she is and how we should all worship her. At times, she would sprinkle in some "scientific studies" to further explain how awesome and misunderstood sociopaths are, but in actuality, the information she cited was dubious in quality and sounds so pretentious that it's more like her bragging: "look at me, aren't I smart? Worship me, simpletons!".
For a good book about sociopaths, I would recommend The Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton. At least that one was written by a bona fide expert and is much more entertaining to read.
March 22, 2025
5 "a cyclone, a vortex, an abyss..." stars !!
Dear Reader...proceed not only with caution but with your wits, your attention, your faculties intact...
Do not be fooled...these are not confessions but a carefully orchestrated and curated book for the curious layperson on female sociopathy....
The writing is sharp, intelligent and carefully planned out. There is selective sharing of scientific data, advocacy for sociopaths and a search for self understanding.
There is misuse of the word empaths throughout the book which irked the fuck out of me. She clarifies this in the afterword. Empaths like sociopaths are very rare (perhaps up to 5 percent of the population each). Sociopathic and empathic behavior (in small doses) are very common amongst all people...this needed to be spelled out for the casual reader in a more clear way. The villainization of bisexuality is also a big NO for me here and needed further elucidation by the author. Despite these very significant qualms the book remains at five stars....
Why Jaidee why ?
To me this was like a very carefully constructed maze...I felt manipulated, disgusted, oddly hurt, afraid, darkly fascinated and afraid once again....sort of the way you feel when having been damaged by a sociopath (albeit in a safe mild fashion).
First of all, I do not believe in many of these confessions....there are many inconsistencies and contradictions. She is so absolutely grandiose, manipulative, sleuthing, cruel and at times violent.
She glorifies herself while mocking others and she overestimates her intelligence and I suspect her beauty and prowess. She relishes in being high functioning and insightful. I would place her functioning as intermittently medium with only partial insight on self and very poor for understanding others. I am extremely curious as to what she has lied about, exaggerated, embellished, glossed over....her sense of power seems extremely overblown and I intuit she grossly underestimates the hurt and damage she has caused others....perhaps these too are manipulations or perhaps defense mechanisms (which are extremely revved up and constant).
I do admire what she has done here but I am equally glad that the book is done....
I would never want to meet or interact with her but I am glad that I experienced this book.
Dear Reader...proceed not only with caution but with your wits, your attention, your faculties intact...
Do not be fooled...these are not confessions but a carefully orchestrated and curated book for the curious layperson on female sociopathy....
The writing is sharp, intelligent and carefully planned out. There is selective sharing of scientific data, advocacy for sociopaths and a search for self understanding.
There is misuse of the word empaths throughout the book which irked the fuck out of me. She clarifies this in the afterword. Empaths like sociopaths are very rare (perhaps up to 5 percent of the population each). Sociopathic and empathic behavior (in small doses) are very common amongst all people...this needed to be spelled out for the casual reader in a more clear way. The villainization of bisexuality is also a big NO for me here and needed further elucidation by the author. Despite these very significant qualms the book remains at five stars....
Why Jaidee why ?
To me this was like a very carefully constructed maze...I felt manipulated, disgusted, oddly hurt, afraid, darkly fascinated and afraid once again....sort of the way you feel when having been damaged by a sociopath (albeit in a safe mild fashion).
First of all, I do not believe in many of these confessions....there are many inconsistencies and contradictions. She is so absolutely grandiose, manipulative, sleuthing, cruel and at times violent.
She glorifies herself while mocking others and she overestimates her intelligence and I suspect her beauty and prowess. She relishes in being high functioning and insightful. I would place her functioning as intermittently medium with only partial insight on self and very poor for understanding others. I am extremely curious as to what she has lied about, exaggerated, embellished, glossed over....her sense of power seems extremely overblown and I intuit she grossly underestimates the hurt and damage she has caused others....perhaps these too are manipulations or perhaps defense mechanisms (which are extremely revved up and constant).
I do admire what she has done here but I am equally glad that the book is done....
I would never want to meet or interact with her but I am glad that I experienced this book.
July 31, 2019
"The reality is that I have nothing of what people refer to as a conscience or remorse."
Confessions of a Sociopath is an astonishing memoir of a young woman with the pseudonym M.E. Thomas who realised at a young age that she was different from her peers.
"I've always known that my heart is a little blacker and colder than most people's. Maybe that's why it's so tempting to try to break other people's."
Thomas believes she had a decent upbringing but reading about her narcissistic father and indifferent mother convinced me otherwise. She describes a memory when her parents abondoned her and her brother at the age of 9 and 10 in a parking lot and drove off without them for no apparent reason (even though I don't believe any reason could justify doing that!). When Thomas and her brother finally arrived home in the evening after walking the distance on their own, the parents didn't offer any explanation and pretended as if nothing out of ordinary happened.
The part of the book I found the most fasinating was the author's ability to 'blend in' with others, trying to display appropriate emotions and pretending to care about others. Her true nature goes undetected while she expertly manipulates people around her without their knowledge. This is quite a terrifying thought and it had me considering people I know and asking myself if any of them could be sociopaths? The thing is, like with M.E. Thomas, sociopaths are difficult to spot. If you know more than 100 people, the odds are there will be at least one sociopath among them without anyone (except them) realising! Lots of criminals are sociopaths, however, not all sociopaths are criminals. The book suggests that non-violent sociopaths tend to be successful and can be normally found in leadership positions. They are prone to succeed because they are fearless, confident, charismatic, ruthless and focused - qualities that define them as sociopaths but are also tailor-made for success in the 21st century!
Confessions of a Sociopath is an astonishing memoir of a young woman with the pseudonym M.E. Thomas who realised at a young age that she was different from her peers.
"I've always known that my heart is a little blacker and colder than most people's. Maybe that's why it's so tempting to try to break other people's."
Thomas believes she had a decent upbringing but reading about her narcissistic father and indifferent mother convinced me otherwise. She describes a memory when her parents abondoned her and her brother at the age of 9 and 10 in a parking lot and drove off without them for no apparent reason (even though I don't believe any reason could justify doing that!). When Thomas and her brother finally arrived home in the evening after walking the distance on their own, the parents didn't offer any explanation and pretended as if nothing out of ordinary happened.
The part of the book I found the most fasinating was the author's ability to 'blend in' with others, trying to display appropriate emotions and pretending to care about others. Her true nature goes undetected while she expertly manipulates people around her without their knowledge. This is quite a terrifying thought and it had me considering people I know and asking myself if any of them could be sociopaths? The thing is, like with M.E. Thomas, sociopaths are difficult to spot. If you know more than 100 people, the odds are there will be at least one sociopath among them without anyone (except them) realising! Lots of criminals are sociopaths, however, not all sociopaths are criminals. The book suggests that non-violent sociopaths tend to be successful and can be normally found in leadership positions. They are prone to succeed because they are fearless, confident, charismatic, ruthless and focused - qualities that define them as sociopaths but are also tailor-made for success in the 21st century!
July 30, 2013
I typically love memoirs, but this narrator was insufferable. The ego and self-admitted overexaggerations and distance from reality may be an accurate look into the mind of a sociopath, but it is not a pleasant place to spend time. The frequent and repetitive assurances to the reader that she is more attractive, charming, and intelligent than they are got dull quickly. Yes, some studies and literature indicate that some portion of our population are drawn to the peculiarities of the sociopath. But the same literature she quotes also tells of people who recognize the sociopath as a cold, unfeeling monster and steer clear. Others accept sociopaths because they themselves have such good hearts that they cannot fathom evil in the hearts of others. The author conveniently leaves out any of these reactions and prefers to present 'empaths' (all non sociopaths) as mindless moths fluttering to the flame.
If you are or know a sociopath you may enjoy this read. If that doesn't interest you or if you would rather not be continually condescended to page after page, skip this one.
If you are or know a sociopath you may enjoy this read. If that doesn't interest you or if you would rather not be continually condescended to page after page, skip this one.
September 26, 2023
I would not have picked up this book without the encouragement of a friend. This is not a light read, it took me quite a while to make my way through this book.
It felt like this was a journal of sorts for the author. Stating her opinion, backing it up with scientific facts, but then almost contradicting herself in the next sentence.
Most researchers think that there is both a genetic and an environmental component to sociopathy.
She talked about her siblings, her father’s violence, her overall upbringing, and her need to push boundaries and societal limitations.
She states that being raised Mormon is the reason she’s not in prison. She likes the set of rules, implicitly stated and written down. She doesn’t necessarily follow them, but the church taught her that actions have consequences.
I wish the author had spent some time discussing the spiritual side of being a sociopath. Does she believe her soul lacks empathy, or just when she’s in her human body?
She was quite firm in her belief that ambiguous sexuality is one of the strongest identifying traits of a sociopath. The chapter on the time she spent in Brazil was quite enlightening. A complete contradiction to her Mormon upbringing, but maybe she found a way to justify it?
I recognized that I was a very manipulative, cunning person who was unable to connect with anyone on more than a superficial level, obsessed with power, and willing to do anything to get ahead, among other things.
I felt a deep sadness for the author when I finished the book, then had to laugh, knowing that she would find my empathy completely misplaced and utterly ridiculous. In fact, she would probably find a way to manipulate my emotions to her benefit.
Thank you Dan for the rec. This was a fascinating read.
It felt like this was a journal of sorts for the author. Stating her opinion, backing it up with scientific facts, but then almost contradicting herself in the next sentence.
Most researchers think that there is both a genetic and an environmental component to sociopathy.
She talked about her siblings, her father’s violence, her overall upbringing, and her need to push boundaries and societal limitations.
She states that being raised Mormon is the reason she’s not in prison. She likes the set of rules, implicitly stated and written down. She doesn’t necessarily follow them, but the church taught her that actions have consequences.
I wish the author had spent some time discussing the spiritual side of being a sociopath. Does she believe her soul lacks empathy, or just when she’s in her human body?
She was quite firm in her belief that ambiguous sexuality is one of the strongest identifying traits of a sociopath. The chapter on the time she spent in Brazil was quite enlightening. A complete contradiction to her Mormon upbringing, but maybe she found a way to justify it?
I recognized that I was a very manipulative, cunning person who was unable to connect with anyone on more than a superficial level, obsessed with power, and willing to do anything to get ahead, among other things.
I felt a deep sadness for the author when I finished the book, then had to laugh, knowing that she would find my empathy completely misplaced and utterly ridiculous. In fact, she would probably find a way to manipulate my emotions to her benefit.
Thank you Dan for the rec. This was a fascinating read.
July 2, 2013
I want my money back.
I found this book to be utterly ludicrous. I have never read anything so repetitive and self-glorifying. The only message I get from it is that she's a sociopath and we should accept her. She opens the book by saying she's a non-violent sociopath, yet even before the chapters begin, IN THE INTRODUCTION she goes into detail about killing a baby possum. And then about wanting to kill a metro worker who told her not to use a broken escalator. And then about strangling her lover. And then about wanting to help beat a transvestite Brazilian she had just been kissing... Non-violent? Yeah okay.
This reads like part fiction part clinical study. It reads like total bullshit to be honest. I think this is a very well faked story. It's like a psychologist has written an academic paper and simply created a damaged character to fit the bill. I smell bullshit.
I hated the inclusion of the short sentence where she tell us, her "dear reader" that she is more intelligent than us. Instant alienation. The last thing I want in a book is to be told I'm stupid by one of the characters.
The ending also bothers me, it's like a marketing ploy to drive traffic to the blog.
Ridiculous book. A waste of time and money. And frankly, completely worthless to non-fiction writing. Cool cover art though.
I found this book to be utterly ludicrous. I have never read anything so repetitive and self-glorifying. The only message I get from it is that she's a sociopath and we should accept her. She opens the book by saying she's a non-violent sociopath, yet even before the chapters begin, IN THE INTRODUCTION she goes into detail about killing a baby possum. And then about wanting to kill a metro worker who told her not to use a broken escalator. And then about strangling her lover. And then about wanting to help beat a transvestite Brazilian she had just been kissing... Non-violent? Yeah okay.
This reads like part fiction part clinical study. It reads like total bullshit to be honest. I think this is a very well faked story. It's like a psychologist has written an academic paper and simply created a damaged character to fit the bill. I smell bullshit.
I hated the inclusion of the short sentence where she tell us, her "dear reader" that she is more intelligent than us. Instant alienation. The last thing I want in a book is to be told I'm stupid by one of the characters.
The ending also bothers me, it's like a marketing ploy to drive traffic to the blog.
Ridiculous book. A waste of time and money. And frankly, completely worthless to non-fiction writing. Cool cover art though.
March 12, 2013
This book is written for those readers who, like myself are fascinated with the inner workings of the human psyche. Part clinical analysis, part honest self discoveries laid bare; M. E. Thomas's story is as thought provoking as it is frightening.
She shows how easy it is to be a thing which is at it's core abnormal, and what can be, given the right circumstances...dangerous.
She goes further still,using incidences from her own life to illustrate how our "results driven, success at all costs society" may even foster and often does reward the behaviors of the sociopath.
One of the most surprising things that readers may come away from this book having learned is that sociopaths are more common and harder to detect than one would think.
This book is very intelligently written and achieves a nice balance between the medical and personal aspects of the author's journey.
This book is a very brave undertaking in a world where it is considered the norm to run screaming from one's issues.
She shows how easy it is to be a thing which is at it's core abnormal, and what can be, given the right circumstances...dangerous.
She goes further still,using incidences from her own life to illustrate how our "results driven, success at all costs society" may even foster and often does reward the behaviors of the sociopath.
One of the most surprising things that readers may come away from this book having learned is that sociopaths are more common and harder to detect than one would think.
This book is very intelligently written and achieves a nice balance between the medical and personal aspects of the author's journey.
This book is a very brave undertaking in a world where it is considered the norm to run screaming from one's issues.
September 3, 2019
I might have tossed his book aside had it not been my bookclubs pick. In saying that there’s no doubt sociopaths make for an interesting character study except this was way too self indulgent and awful to fully enjoy what I learned from it. There’s enough information to chew on as it’s backed up with adequate research to make it moderately interesting, but unless you have a particular keen interest in sociopathy or want to self diagnose (ha) then I’d steer clear of it.
July 1, 2013
Wow, I guess I am in the minority here, but I actually liked the book. Here's why:
1. It was on a subject in which I am interested. I like books by J.A. Konrath, Karin Slaughter, etc, so a book written by a sociopath would fall in line.
2. It entertained me. I thought that the author seemed very straightforward with her assessment of herself and other sociopaths.
Does it surprise me that sociopaths are narcissistic? That they manipulate? That some are murderers while others are functioning members of society (such as it is)? Not at all. Anyone who has ever watched a crime drama or read a murder-mystery would know these things.
If you've ever read Ruiz's The Four Agreements, you know that it's important to not take anything personally, as what other people do has very little to do with you - it's about them. Sociopaths seem to be an exaggerated version of this - they do not care at all what others think or do except as to how it can benefit them.
Finally, this is a memoir - this is not the definitive guide of sociopathy.
Recommend to those who enjoy memoirs and the murder-mystery genre.
1. It was on a subject in which I am interested. I like books by J.A. Konrath, Karin Slaughter, etc, so a book written by a sociopath would fall in line.
2. It entertained me. I thought that the author seemed very straightforward with her assessment of herself and other sociopaths.
Does it surprise me that sociopaths are narcissistic? That they manipulate? That some are murderers while others are functioning members of society (such as it is)? Not at all. Anyone who has ever watched a crime drama or read a murder-mystery would know these things.
If you've ever read Ruiz's The Four Agreements, you know that it's important to not take anything personally, as what other people do has very little to do with you - it's about them. Sociopaths seem to be an exaggerated version of this - they do not care at all what others think or do except as to how it can benefit them.
Finally, this is a memoir - this is not the definitive guide of sociopathy.
Recommend to those who enjoy memoirs and the murder-mystery genre.
May 1, 2013
I hated every second of this book but couldn't put it down. Badly written, rambling and uncohesive. But like a train wreck I couldn't look away from this woman's disgusting personality.
July 27, 2013
Many sociopaths are supposedly good at 'faking' their way through life.
However, it seems they're not all capable of faking decent writing.
I thought this would provide an illuminating peek inside the head of someone who thinks differently and experiences the world in a way alien and unfamiliar to me. But this account was so contradictory, the author so profoundly unlikeable (her 'charm' powers don't transfer to paper)and so repetitively dull I had to give up half-way through.
If this is an area of interest to you, you'd be far more educated and entertained by Jon Ronson's 'Psychopath Test' or Kevin Dutton's 'The Wisdom of Psychopaths'.
However, it seems they're not all capable of faking decent writing.
I thought this would provide an illuminating peek inside the head of someone who thinks differently and experiences the world in a way alien and unfamiliar to me. But this account was so contradictory, the author so profoundly unlikeable (her 'charm' powers don't transfer to paper)and so repetitively dull I had to give up half-way through.
If this is an area of interest to you, you'd be far more educated and entertained by Jon Ronson's 'Psychopath Test' or Kevin Dutton's 'The Wisdom of Psychopaths'.
May 25, 2017
I loved loved loooved it! Will be making a review for this on YouTube (probably).
It was a bit hard to get into, but after siting down for a while and really paying attention to what I was reading, it got better and better. I read at home, I read in the car, at school, while walking, while waiting, on the plane, at the restaurant... I couldn't stay awayyyy hehe;) I also love the cover.
It was a bit hard to get into, but after siting down for a while and really paying attention to what I was reading, it got better and better. I read at home, I read in the car, at school, while walking, while waiting, on the plane, at the restaurant... I couldn't stay awayyyy hehe;) I also love the cover.
September 15, 2018
3.75 to be oh so honest
September 17, 2013
I wanted to see how they felt (or didn't feel) about the world around them, and the struggles they faced learning to fake their way thru, and that not all sociopaths were violent criminals, or even bad people. But, apparently, she has no struggles, and is violent prone, and isn't a very nice person...at all.
All she talked about was what a charming, brilliant (way smarter than anyone else in the whole world), attractive, funny, predator she is. And how sociopaths toy with us mere mortals for sport because we're so easily tricked and led. Not educational, not surprising, not entertaining, not worth your time.
All she talked about was what a charming, brilliant (way smarter than anyone else in the whole world), attractive, funny, predator she is. And how sociopaths toy with us mere mortals for sport because we're so easily tricked and led. Not educational, not surprising, not entertaining, not worth your time.
May 30, 2013
‘This book is a work of memoir. It is true according to my best recollections; however, in addition to the inevitable flaws of memory, this story is told through the lens of how I see the world, including my megalomania, single-minded focus and a lack of understanding about the inner worlds of others.’
The book is readable, as charming and seductive as the sociopath who is writing it. M.E. Thomas made me question so many things as she showed me her world. I even questioned whether she was being truthful about being a sociopath. She is one of the most self-aware writers I’ve ever read. Are sociopaths supposed to be this insightful? As she explains - she was born into a comfortable middle-class environment, with a practising Mormon family with a strong musical background. Her parents are still married, and she has siblings she cares for. She is also highly intelligent. If she had been less intelligent, born into an abusive family and faced with poverty, who knows what would have become of her? Would she still have become a lawyer, or a professor of law? Or would she have become a drug-dealer or a murderer?
M.E. Thomas, a pseudonym, writes openly about her life, and how she always knew she was different. She reveals her inability to empathise, her desire for power and danger, and how she manages to get around most of these problems. But, as she asks, why should she be penalised if she is a functioning member of society? One in every 25 people is a sociopath. Most are not criminals. Medical studies have shown that their brains function differently to those of ‘empaths’. Sociopaths have been around forever, as she shows in references to ancient tribes, and literature. Is there a way for sociopaths to be accepted by society?
Confessions of a Sociopath will make your head spin. It is well-written, interesting, and well worth reading.
The book is readable, as charming and seductive as the sociopath who is writing it. M.E. Thomas made me question so many things as she showed me her world. I even questioned whether she was being truthful about being a sociopath. She is one of the most self-aware writers I’ve ever read. Are sociopaths supposed to be this insightful? As she explains - she was born into a comfortable middle-class environment, with a practising Mormon family with a strong musical background. Her parents are still married, and she has siblings she cares for. She is also highly intelligent. If she had been less intelligent, born into an abusive family and faced with poverty, who knows what would have become of her? Would she still have become a lawyer, or a professor of law? Or would she have become a drug-dealer or a murderer?
M.E. Thomas, a pseudonym, writes openly about her life, and how she always knew she was different. She reveals her inability to empathise, her desire for power and danger, and how she manages to get around most of these problems. But, as she asks, why should she be penalised if she is a functioning member of society? One in every 25 people is a sociopath. Most are not criminals. Medical studies have shown that their brains function differently to those of ‘empaths’. Sociopaths have been around forever, as she shows in references to ancient tribes, and literature. Is there a way for sociopaths to be accepted by society?
Confessions of a Sociopath will make your head spin. It is well-written, interesting, and well worth reading.
November 8, 2025
!!⚠️This review is VERY long and has spoilers⚠️!! You have been warned😅
M.E Thomas as this writer calls herself, is not like any other people I’ve ever experienced. She calls herself manipulative and cunning and yes she is, but there is so much more to her than just that.
Morgan Thomas is a 30 something year old sociopathic woman. She lives in the US and has a degree in law. She worked as a lawyer or prosecutor (I’m not sure which one🫣) for a few months then quit. She has always known from an early age that she was different from everyone else. Now she tells her life story from different timelines and gives us an insane amount of information and thoughts about what a sociopath is and how it is living as one etc. She tells us the journey of how she finally found motivation to find out the truth about herself.
Morgan had (in my eyes) a really bad childhood, her perents were really shallow and selfish. There are many examples in the book. She explains how she is grateful for her parents and the way they raised her, and that they did the best they could with what they had. (gonna have to disagree on that🙃) Morgan wonders how she would have been if she had a better or worse upbringing, if that would have changed her personality and how she acts. She believes that the upbringing one has is going to form you and is to an extent a result of how horrible or good of a person you turn out to be.
“I never doubted their love for me, but their love was inconstant. It was sometimes very ugly. It didn’t prevent me from harm; rather, it often caused me harm. The more they felt secure in their love for me, the less they seemed prompted actually to look after my well-being… I learned a lot from my perents. I learned to limit the emotional effect that other people could have on me. I learned to be self sufficient. They taught me that love is exceedingly unreliable, and so I never relied on it.”
Morgan mentions that other psycho/sociopaths are dangerous and should not be associated with. Just because she herself is nonviolent doesn’t mean other sociopaths are as well. Morgan talks largely about how psycho/sociopaths are very misunderstood in the world and I have to agree (to some extent). She mentions this throughout the book even though she herself says that they are dangerous. Morgan goes through different theories and studies on people like her, and sometimes she agrees with the scientists or doctors and sometimes she does not.
“According to psychologist and author of Social intelligence Daniel Goleman, if a gene never gets expressed “we may as well not posses that gene at all” which raises an interesting question - are you a sociopath if it is coded in your genes but it’s not expressed in your behavior? Sometimes there are no clear answer to how or why a persons sociopath genes get triggered. As for myself, I have always felt like I am precariously balanced, neither on the right side nor the wrong side of life…”
Morgan is manipulative and a cunning person, and one thing she did really made me believe it. She destroyed a “friend” just because she had the same name as her (Morgan). Just the thought of having an intimate relationship with someone with the same name made Morgan per-sue her. The other Morgan seemed very lost in her life and that made Morgan think of her as weak. She played her till she was utterly broken and started abusing drugs and god knows what else.. I lost a little respect for the author here. I am a huge empath and I can’t stand for people who just ruin others for their own pleasure like that, just because it’s fun.
Morgan often went after bullies in her youth and it didn’t matter if they were teachers or students. One time she had a teacher lose his job because he was unfair when grading a paper and gave her a failing grade. (It actually was really unfair). Turns out this teacher was a predator and went after the girl students in the school. She went to these girls she knew had experienced inappropriate behavior from the teacher and filed a report against him. She can use her devious behavior in good ways too.
Morgan continues with telling us that she wants to find love, get married and build a family, but she doesn’t know if she will be capable to raise a child. She feels that she could be a sort of role model and teacher to a psychopathic child, to teach them right and wrong. She feels that an empath child would be a challenge because of her own lack of emotions. She says that you don’t need to engage too much in your child’s emotions and just let them be, and that is not an ideal solution. Just because it worked on her niece one time doesn’t mean it will work on her own children.
”My hope for a sociopathic child would be that she might learn to leverage her gifts in order to achieve her own version of success—to find a sustainable and joyful way to appreciate a world of infinite possibilities and realities. Sociopathy does not necessarily equal misanthropy. It hasn't been that way for me..”
Her end point she makes in the book is how psychopaths may be “cured” when they are still children. That they will have a sort of psychiatrist to help them navigate the world and that it is okay to be different and that “normal” people don’t need to be afraid and force them to separate from empaths. For this to happen the people have to change and we know how easy that is right?😅 There is some kind of studie on this, I am not personally educated on this matter but if this theory works, then maybe our world could be a better place for all people.
“Perhaps if we treat sociopathic children more like prodigies and less like monsters, they might direct their unique talents toward pro-social activities that reward and sustain society rather than to antisocial or parasitic behaviors. Perhaps if they feel like there is a place for them in the world, they would say, as one child prodigy did, “At first, it felt lonely. Then you accept that, yes, you're different from everyone else, but people will be your friends anyway." Perhaps we could make the measured judgment that, even if we could, we wouldn't want to train or love the sociopath out of them, because sociopaths are interesting people who make our world a more di-verse, colorful place in ways that we can't predict.”
She has a specific part in the beginning that made me laugh, that I wanted to share:
“I am probably smarter than you, dear reader, but i know that in the rare instance this will not be true. I accept that there are many more kinds of intelligence than just raw brainpower…”
Just that type of ego like “I know I’m smarter than everyone else” is a little excessive but it is funny😂
This is a part that I also wanted to share because of how it made me think “EXACTLY!”
”When you grow up as a girl, it is like there are faint chalk lines traced approximately three inches around your entire body at all times, drawn by society and often religion and family and particularly other women, who somehow feel invested in how you behave, as if your actions reflect directly on all womanhood. These chalk lines circumscribe the manner in which you interact with the world, are the source of the implicit "for a girl" that seems to trail every compliment ("tough, for a girl"). You want to wave your arms around as hard as you can to wipe them away and scatter them to dust, but the chalk lines just follow you around, always keeping you inside that constant three inches of space.”
This was soooo like beyond relatable as a woman😅😭 and so nicely put into words and I have never heard anyone express it like that before.
Two things that I didn’t like as much in the book was first: She repeated herself so many times, so much so that it became very tedious at one point. She told us the same thing over and over every like 20-30 pages or so. That not every sociopath is the same and that they are misunderstood, over and over and over but in different words. That’s what almost made me throw the book away😅
Then the other thing was that she wrote a great deal about her religion. I’m not religious, I’m born and raised as a Christian but I’m not a believer. Reading about religion is not fun for me because of personal reasons. So I did not find that piece in the book enjoyable but I’m NOT discriminating. You are of course allowed to believe in what ever you want.
I enjoyed this non the less, it was very informative and really made my brain work. It feels like I have studied for a really challenging test all day while writing this review. My brain is fried😅 3,5/5⭐️ but rounded up to a 4⭐️
I would recommend this but only if you have an open mind! As there are many things that can trigger you in this book.
M.E Thomas as this writer calls herself, is not like any other people I’ve ever experienced. She calls herself manipulative and cunning and yes she is, but there is so much more to her than just that.
Morgan Thomas is a 30 something year old sociopathic woman. She lives in the US and has a degree in law. She worked as a lawyer or prosecutor (I’m not sure which one🫣) for a few months then quit. She has always known from an early age that she was different from everyone else. Now she tells her life story from different timelines and gives us an insane amount of information and thoughts about what a sociopath is and how it is living as one etc. She tells us the journey of how she finally found motivation to find out the truth about herself.
Morgan had (in my eyes) a really bad childhood, her perents were really shallow and selfish. There are many examples in the book. She explains how she is grateful for her parents and the way they raised her, and that they did the best they could with what they had. (gonna have to disagree on that🙃) Morgan wonders how she would have been if she had a better or worse upbringing, if that would have changed her personality and how she acts. She believes that the upbringing one has is going to form you and is to an extent a result of how horrible or good of a person you turn out to be.
“I never doubted their love for me, but their love was inconstant. It was sometimes very ugly. It didn’t prevent me from harm; rather, it often caused me harm. The more they felt secure in their love for me, the less they seemed prompted actually to look after my well-being… I learned a lot from my perents. I learned to limit the emotional effect that other people could have on me. I learned to be self sufficient. They taught me that love is exceedingly unreliable, and so I never relied on it.”
Morgan mentions that other psycho/sociopaths are dangerous and should not be associated with. Just because she herself is nonviolent doesn’t mean other sociopaths are as well. Morgan talks largely about how psycho/sociopaths are very misunderstood in the world and I have to agree (to some extent). She mentions this throughout the book even though she herself says that they are dangerous. Morgan goes through different theories and studies on people like her, and sometimes she agrees with the scientists or doctors and sometimes she does not.
“According to psychologist and author of Social intelligence Daniel Goleman, if a gene never gets expressed “we may as well not posses that gene at all” which raises an interesting question - are you a sociopath if it is coded in your genes but it’s not expressed in your behavior? Sometimes there are no clear answer to how or why a persons sociopath genes get triggered. As for myself, I have always felt like I am precariously balanced, neither on the right side nor the wrong side of life…”
Morgan is manipulative and a cunning person, and one thing she did really made me believe it. She destroyed a “friend” just because she had the same name as her (Morgan). Just the thought of having an intimate relationship with someone with the same name made Morgan per-sue her. The other Morgan seemed very lost in her life and that made Morgan think of her as weak. She played her till she was utterly broken and started abusing drugs and god knows what else.. I lost a little respect for the author here. I am a huge empath and I can’t stand for people who just ruin others for their own pleasure like that, just because it’s fun.
Morgan often went after bullies in her youth and it didn’t matter if they were teachers or students. One time she had a teacher lose his job because he was unfair when grading a paper and gave her a failing grade. (It actually was really unfair). Turns out this teacher was a predator and went after the girl students in the school. She went to these girls she knew had experienced inappropriate behavior from the teacher and filed a report against him. She can use her devious behavior in good ways too.
Morgan continues with telling us that she wants to find love, get married and build a family, but she doesn’t know if she will be capable to raise a child. She feels that she could be a sort of role model and teacher to a psychopathic child, to teach them right and wrong. She feels that an empath child would be a challenge because of her own lack of emotions. She says that you don’t need to engage too much in your child’s emotions and just let them be, and that is not an ideal solution. Just because it worked on her niece one time doesn’t mean it will work on her own children.
”My hope for a sociopathic child would be that she might learn to leverage her gifts in order to achieve her own version of success—to find a sustainable and joyful way to appreciate a world of infinite possibilities and realities. Sociopathy does not necessarily equal misanthropy. It hasn't been that way for me..”
Her end point she makes in the book is how psychopaths may be “cured” when they are still children. That they will have a sort of psychiatrist to help them navigate the world and that it is okay to be different and that “normal” people don’t need to be afraid and force them to separate from empaths. For this to happen the people have to change and we know how easy that is right?😅 There is some kind of studie on this, I am not personally educated on this matter but if this theory works, then maybe our world could be a better place for all people.
“Perhaps if we treat sociopathic children more like prodigies and less like monsters, they might direct their unique talents toward pro-social activities that reward and sustain society rather than to antisocial or parasitic behaviors. Perhaps if they feel like there is a place for them in the world, they would say, as one child prodigy did, “At first, it felt lonely. Then you accept that, yes, you're different from everyone else, but people will be your friends anyway." Perhaps we could make the measured judgment that, even if we could, we wouldn't want to train or love the sociopath out of them, because sociopaths are interesting people who make our world a more di-verse, colorful place in ways that we can't predict.”
She has a specific part in the beginning that made me laugh, that I wanted to share:
“I am probably smarter than you, dear reader, but i know that in the rare instance this will not be true. I accept that there are many more kinds of intelligence than just raw brainpower…”
Just that type of ego like “I know I’m smarter than everyone else” is a little excessive but it is funny😂
This is a part that I also wanted to share because of how it made me think “EXACTLY!”
”When you grow up as a girl, it is like there are faint chalk lines traced approximately three inches around your entire body at all times, drawn by society and often religion and family and particularly other women, who somehow feel invested in how you behave, as if your actions reflect directly on all womanhood. These chalk lines circumscribe the manner in which you interact with the world, are the source of the implicit "for a girl" that seems to trail every compliment ("tough, for a girl"). You want to wave your arms around as hard as you can to wipe them away and scatter them to dust, but the chalk lines just follow you around, always keeping you inside that constant three inches of space.”
This was soooo like beyond relatable as a woman😅😭 and so nicely put into words and I have never heard anyone express it like that before.
Two things that I didn’t like as much in the book was first: She repeated herself so many times, so much so that it became very tedious at one point. She told us the same thing over and over every like 20-30 pages or so. That not every sociopath is the same and that they are misunderstood, over and over and over but in different words. That’s what almost made me throw the book away😅
Then the other thing was that she wrote a great deal about her religion. I’m not religious, I’m born and raised as a Christian but I’m not a believer. Reading about religion is not fun for me because of personal reasons. So I did not find that piece in the book enjoyable but I’m NOT discriminating. You are of course allowed to believe in what ever you want.
I enjoyed this non the less, it was very informative and really made my brain work. It feels like I have studied for a really challenging test all day while writing this review. My brain is fried😅 3,5/5⭐️ but rounded up to a 4⭐️
I would recommend this but only if you have an open mind! As there are many things that can trigger you in this book.
August 23, 2013
Okay, how do I begin? First, without truly knowing who this person is, as she remains anonymous, I really have no way of knowing if this is even true. I am incredibly skeptical, to say the least. The scientist in me wanted to know all the references to these studies she kept writing about because she refers to so many with very little frame of reference. Every once in awhile, she will drop a doctor's name, or a prestigious school name to make it all more authentic, I think. Maybe she is a sociopath. Or maybe she just wants an excuse to be different with a label. Or maybe she just wanted to write a book. Who am I to know? What I do know is she kept explaining how awesome she was and how much people like her, regardless of how she treats them, but I certainly did not like her and really don't know the attraction. I think that's just simple narcissism, which is really nothing new and certainly annoying, but not much else. I found her incredibly tiresome. How could she be such a great college professor, or a great lawyer, yet be fired all the time? I felt like the "proof" was just all over the place. There was so many things that didn't add up here. I think I was supposed to be shocked in the beginning that she let a baby opossum drown in her pool and went for a drive instead of saving it. Does that make her a sociopath? She refers to her blog a lot, with excerpts from other self diagnosed sociopaths, but I just didn't feel it at all. I kept thinking that this is the "popular" diagnosis now, so she and all her blog friends must have it to prove somehow that they have little emotional intelligence, or they are ruthless workers, or can't keep a relationship or do but feel nothing. One thing that did stir me up was her chapter on having a child. Good grief. I'm not even sure how I feel about that. Was this just another, I'm Okay, You're Okay book? Or was it, I am a Label, But Should be Loved Anyway book? or was it "You Should Hate Me Cuz I'll Sleep with Your Husband, But it's Not My Fault book? I never figured out the angle, but, well, if she truly is a sociopath, I guess that was the point. My true thought? Whatever. Next.
June 6, 2014
Other people's reviews of this book are hilarious. They don't like that the author is self-absorbed/obsessed, thinks she is smarter than anyone else and talks herself in circles and navel gazes. Um, she's a SOCIOPATH. That's the point. I found the book to give a fascinating portrait of a high functioning sociopath. It's not just what she writes, but how she writes it. The super logic that completely misses reality, repeatedly. (one fascinating bit is how she describes an abusive childhood but emphasizes, repeatedly, that she had a very good upbringing)
I enjoyed it. *shrugs*
I enjoyed it. *shrugs*
May 27, 2013
Being a psychology and english major has some serious advantages, especially when it comes to reading. So what better book is there to read than a book about a Sociopath that is actually decently written?
M.E. Thomas is a female sociopath and this book really looks at different aspects of her life and how she navigates life as a sociopath. We quickly learn there is a cultural difference between psychopaths and sociopaths. Sociopaths actually can follow the rules and are rarely violent. They are capable of love (though their love is selfish), highly successful (it is thought that many CEOs are actually sociopaths), and quite intelligent. I realized after reading this book and doing some research that I have a sociopath in my life, my sister.
All joking aside, reading this book I truly did feel like I was partially reading about my sister. Selfish. Successful (she did get my brother-in-law to be a success), she can be charismatic and loveable when she chooses, she likes relationships on her terms, she thinks of herself first, she loves albeit selfishly, she is not truly empathetic and rarely shows grief. That said she is one of my favorite humans on the planet and no one can make me laugh like my sister but after reading Thomas' book, I think I have an understanding of my sister and why she is the way she is. I think it actually makes it easier to love her too.
M.E. Thomas books part memoir, part cultural study, part scientific observations is a great read and incredibly fascinating, even if you do not have a loved one with this condition. I think with shows like Criminal Minds and CSI we think of sociopaths as violent killers or Dexter's. There really is more to them though. They can love and they can be the best to love you because they have a good sense of loyalty and they have the ability, if they choose to exercise it, to be the most fun people to hang around. While they lack empathy they have a very straight forward sense of justice. They think with their heads and not their hearts. Probably the person I would want defending me in court or sitting on the jury when it came time to decide if I was going to be sent to jail or not. They are real people. They still have feelings, those feelings just do not dominate them like they do "normal" people or empaths.
It is definitely work a worth reading if you are looking to get outside of your comfort zone and learn about a group of individuals who gets badly misrepresented or if you just need something fascinating to read.
M.E. Thomas is a female sociopath and this book really looks at different aspects of her life and how she navigates life as a sociopath. We quickly learn there is a cultural difference between psychopaths and sociopaths. Sociopaths actually can follow the rules and are rarely violent. They are capable of love (though their love is selfish), highly successful (it is thought that many CEOs are actually sociopaths), and quite intelligent. I realized after reading this book and doing some research that I have a sociopath in my life, my sister.
All joking aside, reading this book I truly did feel like I was partially reading about my sister. Selfish. Successful (she did get my brother-in-law to be a success), she can be charismatic and loveable when she chooses, she likes relationships on her terms, she thinks of herself first, she loves albeit selfishly, she is not truly empathetic and rarely shows grief. That said she is one of my favorite humans on the planet and no one can make me laugh like my sister but after reading Thomas' book, I think I have an understanding of my sister and why she is the way she is. I think it actually makes it easier to love her too.
M.E. Thomas books part memoir, part cultural study, part scientific observations is a great read and incredibly fascinating, even if you do not have a loved one with this condition. I think with shows like Criminal Minds and CSI we think of sociopaths as violent killers or Dexter's. There really is more to them though. They can love and they can be the best to love you because they have a good sense of loyalty and they have the ability, if they choose to exercise it, to be the most fun people to hang around. While they lack empathy they have a very straight forward sense of justice. They think with their heads and not their hearts. Probably the person I would want defending me in court or sitting on the jury when it came time to decide if I was going to be sent to jail or not. They are real people. They still have feelings, those feelings just do not dominate them like they do "normal" people or empaths.
It is definitely work a worth reading if you are looking to get outside of your comfort zone and learn about a group of individuals who gets badly misrepresented or if you just need something fascinating to read.
May 30, 2018
(c)
Вы легко отвлекаетесь? Это всего лишь умение ориентироваться в ситуации. Вам постоянно нужна стимуляция и вы обожаете игры? Значит, вы любите риск, что часто вознаграждается в бизнесе. Если вы соединяете в себе склонность к манипулированию, нечестность, черствость, высокомерие, неумение справляться с инстинктивными побуждениями и другие черты социопата, то вы станете либо социально опасной личностью, либо великим предпринимателем. Роберт Хиар говорит, что самый верный признак «успешного социопата» – «хищнический дух», сопутствующий удачному бизнесу.
✦✧✦
К счастью, у социопатов есть хорошее качество – оптимизм и несокрушимая вера в свои силы, а также убежденность, что почти все в этой жизни можно исправить.
✦✧✦
Я испытывала неведомое раньше умиротворение. Такое чувство, что я наконец нашла надежную гавань, где можно укрыться от бури, бушевавшей вокруг меня так долго, что я уже не представляла себе, что значит плыть по морю в хорошую погоду и ощущать под ногами твердую почву. Оказавшись на уютном берегу, я отчетливо увидела, какой жалкой, продрогшей и промокшей была я, лишенная нормального человеческого общения, и мне очень не хотелось снова оказаться в бедственном положении. Вспоминая первые дни и недели с Энн, я всякий раз ощущаю острую боль. Одиночество никогда не бывает более невыносимым, чем когда оно заканчивается, потому что, борясь с ним, одинокий человек не замечает ужаса.
Вы легко отвлекаетесь? Это всего лишь умение ориентироваться в ситуации. Вам постоянно нужна стимуляция и вы обожаете игры? Значит, вы любите риск, что часто вознаграждается в бизнесе. Если вы соединяете в себе склонность к манипулированию, нечестность, черствость, высокомерие, неумение справляться с инстинктивными побуждениями и другие черты социопата, то вы станете либо социально опасной личностью, либо великим предпринимателем. Роберт Хиар говорит, что самый верный признак «успешного социопата» – «хищнический дух», сопутствующий удачному бизнесу.
✦✧✦
К счастью, у социопатов есть хорошее качество – оптимизм и несокрушимая вера в свои силы, а также убежденность, что почти все в этой жизни можно исправить.
✦✧✦
Я испытывала неведомое раньше умиротворение. Такое чувство, что я наконец нашла надежную гавань, где можно укрыться от бури, бушевавшей вокруг меня так долго, что я уже не представляла себе, что значит плыть по морю в хорошую погоду и ощущать под ногами твердую почву. Оказавшись на уютном берегу, я отчетливо увидела, какой жалкой, продрогшей и промокшей была я, лишенная нормального человеческого общения, и мне очень не хотелось снова оказаться в бедственном положении. Вспоминая первые дни и недели с Энн, я всякий раз ощущаю острую боль. Одиночество никогда не бывает более невыносимым, чем когда оно заканчивается, потому что, борясь с ним, одинокий человек не замечает ужаса.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2017
DNF
I just can't. I can't finish this.
I was gonna make myself pull through but this book infuriates me.
Lemme just say I made it to like page 30 and than started skimming because I couldn't deal with it anymore.
Even reading JUST 30 pages I went on a rant on my bookstagram because it just ticked me off.
Now I love psychology and really want to explore it more, so I was excited for this. I had high hopes and it sounded really promising.
My problems...lets go...
I get many sociopaths tend to be egocentric but she brought it to a whole new level. Constant lines of,
"I am probably smarter than you"
"oh how smart I am"
"I was already too smart for the therapist"
Like I don't get it... it's irritating just stop. It's not because my pride hurts but the mere fact that I just don't care.
She was constantly claiming she is a non-violent sociopath but in just under 40 pages tries to kill a possum, almost kills a human, and states
"I intentionally hurt people sometimes but don't we all?"
like um no not really...
She claims she is not sadistic but than goes on to say:
“Ruining people. I love the way the phrase rolls around on my tongue and inside my mouth. Ruining people is delicious. We're all hungry, empaths and sociopaths. We want to consume.”
and
“I regularly comment on my desire to exploit my admirers or to kill babies and cute animals, and I don't even need to laugh or smile for people to think I am joking.”
and
“People sometimes say that we lack remorse or guilt like it’s a bad thing. They are sure that remorse and guilt are necessary to being a “good” person.”
I also something that IRKED me was that she refers to people with Down-Syndrome as "Downs" throughout this book. LIKE YOU TALK ABOUT SOCIOPATH STEREOTYPES BUT YOU GO ON TO CALL PEOPLE "DOWNS". Than she begins to compare a sociopathic spectrum to the down-syndrome spectrum... though I am not totally educated on either, I just hated the way she put it. That egocentricium, sociopaths, and psychopaths are compared to people with down-syndrome??? like no sorry. I do understand they are both illnesses but that's about it for similarities sorry.
She constantly tries to tell you that YOU there are probably a sociopath too. By saying things like:
"Welcome Home"
and
"You might even find that the way I think is not that different from your own"
She also has a popular website called Sociopathworld.com . Which I was shocked by... yay a community of sociopaths who are taught to hide for help and doctors. Like really?!!
On the website there are some interesting articles such as:
"How to fight a sociopath -- and win!"
"Am I a sociopath? (part 1)"
"Sociopath test: How to spot them before they target you"
"A comprehensive beginner's guide to becoming a sociopath"
"Sherlock Holmes: high-functioning sociopath?"
I don't think people should be self diagnosing themselves and proceeding to make a community of people. Than telling her own story of her "hiding in plain sight". I didn't finish this so I don't know if she is even in treatment as the moment?
Leaving you guys with one more nice quote:
“Manipulation is where the traits of a sociopath take a distinct turn for the nefarious in a lot of people’s minds, but I don’t see why. It is just fulfilling an exchange. People want a particular thing—to please you, to feel wanted or needed, to be seen as a good person—and manipulation is just a quick and dirty way to get both people something they want. You might call it seduction.”
I just can't. I can't finish this.
I was gonna make myself pull through but this book infuriates me.
Lemme just say I made it to like page 30 and than started skimming because I couldn't deal with it anymore.
Even reading JUST 30 pages I went on a rant on my bookstagram because it just ticked me off.
Now I love psychology and really want to explore it more, so I was excited for this. I had high hopes and it sounded really promising.
My problems...lets go...
I get many sociopaths tend to be egocentric but she brought it to a whole new level. Constant lines of,
"I am probably smarter than you"
"oh how smart I am"
"I was already too smart for the therapist"
Like I don't get it... it's irritating just stop. It's not because my pride hurts but the mere fact that I just don't care.
She was constantly claiming she is a non-violent sociopath but in just under 40 pages tries to kill a possum, almost kills a human, and states
"I intentionally hurt people sometimes but don't we all?"
like um no not really...
She claims she is not sadistic but than goes on to say:
“Ruining people. I love the way the phrase rolls around on my tongue and inside my mouth. Ruining people is delicious. We're all hungry, empaths and sociopaths. We want to consume.”
and
“I regularly comment on my desire to exploit my admirers or to kill babies and cute animals, and I don't even need to laugh or smile for people to think I am joking.”
and
“People sometimes say that we lack remorse or guilt like it’s a bad thing. They are sure that remorse and guilt are necessary to being a “good” person.”
I also something that IRKED me was that she refers to people with Down-Syndrome as "Downs" throughout this book. LIKE YOU TALK ABOUT SOCIOPATH STEREOTYPES BUT YOU GO ON TO CALL PEOPLE "DOWNS". Than she begins to compare a sociopathic spectrum to the down-syndrome spectrum... though I am not totally educated on either, I just hated the way she put it. That egocentricium, sociopaths, and psychopaths are compared to people with down-syndrome??? like no sorry. I do understand they are both illnesses but that's about it for similarities sorry.
She constantly tries to tell you that YOU there are probably a sociopath too. By saying things like:
"Welcome Home"
and
"You might even find that the way I think is not that different from your own"
She also has a popular website called Sociopathworld.com . Which I was shocked by... yay a community of sociopaths who are taught to hide for help and doctors. Like really?!!
On the website there are some interesting articles such as:
"How to fight a sociopath -- and win!"
"Am I a sociopath? (part 1)"
"Sociopath test: How to spot them before they target you"
"A comprehensive beginner's guide to becoming a sociopath"
"Sherlock Holmes: high-functioning sociopath?"
I don't think people should be self diagnosing themselves and proceeding to make a community of people. Than telling her own story of her "hiding in plain sight". I didn't finish this so I don't know if she is even in treatment as the moment?
Leaving you guys with one more nice quote:
June 5, 2013
M.E. Thomas (a pseudonym) is a self-confessed sociopath, and she has written this memoir with the goal of educating the public about what it's really like to be a sociopath. Thomas tells us that she writes under a pseudonym because she fears that were she outed as a sociopath, it could hurt her professional career (she is a professor of law) and adversely affect some of her personal relationships.
I was somewhat disappointed in this book: it's poorly written, and it fails to provide a detailed portrait of the psyche of a sociopath--or maybe it does succeed in this latter effort, but I just can't see it because I can't believe that anyone--even a sociopath--is really as shallow, superficial, uninteresting, and unlikable as Thomas.
Thomas is concerned mainly with immediate pleasures and following her own impulses. She admits to being lazy, to caring very little for others' feelings (save her immediate family and a very close circle of friends), to experiencing no negative emotions related to her actions (no feelings of guilt or regret), to enjoying exploiting others either for her own ends or simply just because she can, to fantasizing about and even seriously considering carrying out criminal violence against others, and to being callous and indifferent to the suffering of animals and most other people. Now, these are all classic traits of a sociopath, and if Thomas truly possesses these traits, then she is a sociopath. But in telling her story, we really don't get a good portrait of her beyond this listing of traits. Thomas does provide a few examples of some of the mean and nasty things she has done, but she never really shows us who she is as a person. There is no fine-grained detail that draws her out as a character.
Thomas seems more of a caricature than an actual human being. Perhaps, though, sociopaths are just this--caricatures--and Thomas says as much on a few occasions: she claims that sociopaths don't have a strong sense of self and largely assume personas that fit whatever situations in which they find themselves. If this is the case, then maybe sociopaths are just caricatures.
In any case, after finishing this book, I had no sense that I now know what drives a sociopath or what creates a sociopath.
I also found Thomas's prose to be rather disjointed and amateurish: it's clear that she is not a polished writer. Moreover, the book is structured very poorly. I would have expected a better written book from a writer who brags throughout about her intelligence and who is a member of a profession (law) that requires excellent communication skills.
Another problem is that one of the main conceits of the book is the importance that Thomas places on remaining anonymous to protect herself. However, she provides many clues that would make it fairly easy to identify her if one were so motivated, and if someone who knew her already were to read this book, that person would almost certainly be able to identify her as the author. Most ridiculously, at the end of the book, she invites readers who want to know her real identity to email her, advising that she will respond to them and identify herself. Really? Now, is this just a sociopathic ploy? She admits to being a liar. Is she really going to tell us who she is? Or will she email back the name of some rival that she hates? If she is being truthful, then why does she not just come out as who she is and dispense with writing under a pseudonym. It would be all too easy for her identity to become known widely if, say, one of her law students or professional colleagues read this book, suspected that they knew who she was, and emailed her to confirm the suspicions.
Finally, Thomas tells us that she is a devout Mormon and makes significant reference to how important her faith is to her, but she never tells us how she reconciles her faith with her self-confessed evil acts.
If Thomas is being honest about being a sociopath and is describing what life as a sociopath is really like, then she is an immensely unlikable person, and there is really not much of a person there at all to get to know. I have to think that sociopaths are a bit more psychologically complex than the picture of them with which we are presented in this book.
I was somewhat disappointed in this book: it's poorly written, and it fails to provide a detailed portrait of the psyche of a sociopath--or maybe it does succeed in this latter effort, but I just can't see it because I can't believe that anyone--even a sociopath--is really as shallow, superficial, uninteresting, and unlikable as Thomas.
Thomas is concerned mainly with immediate pleasures and following her own impulses. She admits to being lazy, to caring very little for others' feelings (save her immediate family and a very close circle of friends), to experiencing no negative emotions related to her actions (no feelings of guilt or regret), to enjoying exploiting others either for her own ends or simply just because she can, to fantasizing about and even seriously considering carrying out criminal violence against others, and to being callous and indifferent to the suffering of animals and most other people. Now, these are all classic traits of a sociopath, and if Thomas truly possesses these traits, then she is a sociopath. But in telling her story, we really don't get a good portrait of her beyond this listing of traits. Thomas does provide a few examples of some of the mean and nasty things she has done, but she never really shows us who she is as a person. There is no fine-grained detail that draws her out as a character.
Thomas seems more of a caricature than an actual human being. Perhaps, though, sociopaths are just this--caricatures--and Thomas says as much on a few occasions: she claims that sociopaths don't have a strong sense of self and largely assume personas that fit whatever situations in which they find themselves. If this is the case, then maybe sociopaths are just caricatures.
In any case, after finishing this book, I had no sense that I now know what drives a sociopath or what creates a sociopath.
I also found Thomas's prose to be rather disjointed and amateurish: it's clear that she is not a polished writer. Moreover, the book is structured very poorly. I would have expected a better written book from a writer who brags throughout about her intelligence and who is a member of a profession (law) that requires excellent communication skills.
Another problem is that one of the main conceits of the book is the importance that Thomas places on remaining anonymous to protect herself. However, she provides many clues that would make it fairly easy to identify her if one were so motivated, and if someone who knew her already were to read this book, that person would almost certainly be able to identify her as the author. Most ridiculously, at the end of the book, she invites readers who want to know her real identity to email her, advising that she will respond to them and identify herself. Really? Now, is this just a sociopathic ploy? She admits to being a liar. Is she really going to tell us who she is? Or will she email back the name of some rival that she hates? If she is being truthful, then why does she not just come out as who she is and dispense with writing under a pseudonym. It would be all too easy for her identity to become known widely if, say, one of her law students or professional colleagues read this book, suspected that they knew who she was, and emailed her to confirm the suspicions.
Finally, Thomas tells us that she is a devout Mormon and makes significant reference to how important her faith is to her, but she never tells us how she reconciles her faith with her self-confessed evil acts.
If Thomas is being honest about being a sociopath and is describing what life as a sociopath is really like, then she is an immensely unlikable person, and there is really not much of a person there at all to get to know. I have to think that sociopaths are a bit more psychologically complex than the picture of them with which we are presented in this book.
December 4, 2013
Whether Thomas is likeable or not, whether she is a reliable narrator or not, this was a good walkthrough of the inside of a person whose behavior is regulated by self-interest without a veneer of sentimental plausible deniability to protect her from her own motivations.
I enjoyed her speculation as to the best way to nurture children with her predispositions, including her desire for more people like her to have had positive EMPATH role models. Perhaps things would be easier for everyone if more such children had it demonstrated to them that it's possible to be both sentimental and consistent, emotional and rational. Perhaps people like her would be less inclined to see sentiment as nothing more than dishonesty, self-deception, and sloppy thinking. Maybe they'd learn earlier to see empaths as deserving of trust, and therefore easier to connect with.
Looking at these reviews, though, we aren't there. Is it customary to give a memoir a low rating because we don't like the person it presents? Is that usual, or is it happening here because they don't like how empaths look from the outside? Is that really a problem with the narrative? Or is the issue with us?
I enjoyed her speculation as to the best way to nurture children with her predispositions, including her desire for more people like her to have had positive EMPATH role models. Perhaps things would be easier for everyone if more such children had it demonstrated to them that it's possible to be both sentimental and consistent, emotional and rational. Perhaps people like her would be less inclined to see sentiment as nothing more than dishonesty, self-deception, and sloppy thinking. Maybe they'd learn earlier to see empaths as deserving of trust, and therefore easier to connect with.
Looking at these reviews, though, we aren't there. Is it customary to give a memoir a low rating because we don't like the person it presents? Is that usual, or is it happening here because they don't like how empaths look from the outside? Is that really a problem with the narrative? Or is the issue with us?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,296 reviews