Audrey Pafunda
asked
Phil M. Williams:
No Conscience really got me thinking. I lived with someone like Mary. Unfortunately it took years before I actually realized what was going on. I blamed myself for not seeing this behavior sooner. Your novel had me thinking that it is not easy to see through the manipulations of a sociopath. I was just wondering if you had a personal experience that made you choose this topic?
Phil M. Williams
Audrey,
Many people never identify the sociopaths in their lives. And for good reason. Like you said, they are difficult to spot. Sociopaths are very different from each other. The tie that binds is the lack of a conscience. It is not easy to see through the manipulations of most sociopaths. These people spend their entire lives honing their craft. They are very good at blending in and charming, using flattery to win favor. Low level sociopaths that aren't as bright are a little easier to spot, but even those have learned to blend in as best they can. One of the most common tactics they use is to play the victim.
Martha Stoudt estimates about 4% of the population to be sociopathic. If that's true, chances are we've all known quite a few. I'm no different than most. I've known my share of sociopaths.
I chose this topic because I think sociopaths do untold damage to people and most people have no idea how prevalent they are. Most people think of the sociopath that's a serial murderer, but that's very rare. The manipulative liars that will destroy you for fun--these people are ubiquitous. I wanted to create awareness because one sociopath can make a good person's life a living hell.
Thank you for your questions, and thanks for reading!
Phil
Many people never identify the sociopaths in their lives. And for good reason. Like you said, they are difficult to spot. Sociopaths are very different from each other. The tie that binds is the lack of a conscience. It is not easy to see through the manipulations of most sociopaths. These people spend their entire lives honing their craft. They are very good at blending in and charming, using flattery to win favor. Low level sociopaths that aren't as bright are a little easier to spot, but even those have learned to blend in as best they can. One of the most common tactics they use is to play the victim.
Martha Stoudt estimates about 4% of the population to be sociopathic. If that's true, chances are we've all known quite a few. I'm no different than most. I've known my share of sociopaths.
I chose this topic because I think sociopaths do untold damage to people and most people have no idea how prevalent they are. Most people think of the sociopath that's a serial murderer, but that's very rare. The manipulative liars that will destroy you for fun--these people are ubiquitous. I wanted to create awareness because one sociopath can make a good person's life a living hell.
Thank you for your questions, and thanks for reading!
Phil
More Answered Questions
A Goodreads user
asked
Phil M. Williams:
I just finished What Happened at the Lake. It was amazing. What prompted you to write a novel with this storyline? I am always fascinated when authors are able to write a novel that is uncomfortably shocking, but also shows that uncomfortable topic in a REAL light.
CJ
asked
Phil M. Williams:
Is Redemption part of a series? On goodreads it doesn't look connected to anything, but amazon had a "more in this series" link that lead me to other books by you with (twisty crime thrillers) after the name. Though from the synopsis they don't seem to feature the same characters. Are they related?
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