Freedom from Conscience

international | elections | opinion/analysis Tuesday July 12, 2011 23:22 by Michael Cross psychogovmike at hotmail dot com

Psychopaths in government and finances.

Are traits associated with psychopathic personality actually assets to an ambitious politician or highly driven member of the corporate world?

Due to the theory of Gestalt linguistic perception you probably read the title and interpreted it as "freedom of conscience," a noble-sounding state of being where one can aspire to grow emotionally and intellectually. However, the actual title is "Freedom from Conscience" which is the title of a novel I recently was able to publish titled in full: "Freedom from Conscience -- Melanie's Journey." The book revolves around a gifted young woman who happens to be psychopathic -- and explores how her state of reasoning, and how she interprets the world, helps to propel her in her goals and aspirations.

The reason I chose the title is that psychopaths are actually not burdened by such aspects of general human nature as guilt, remorse or empathy. You may be asking yourself what I mean by "burden" and I will attempt to answer that question in reference to the political world.

While many psychopaths are quick tempered and unable to set goals this is only the group that generally gets in trouble with the law and rarely amounts to anything. However, the other type of psychopath, the one who can set a goal and is so determined to attain all he/she wants, and who will ruthlessly plow through anyone who gets in their way, is the focus of my analysis. These people are the politically ambitious or business-driven psychopath.

Just to set things straight, these psychopaths are rarely delusional loners living in their mother's basement. In fact, the narcissistic nature of the psychopath almost demands an audience or group of adoring acquaintances. They have a desire to be recognized as the center of the world and expect people to see them as God's gift to humanity. In fact, their grandiose sense of their "destiny" is aided by their ability to analyze individuals or groups, determine what they want to hear, and then charm their way into the hearts of their target(s). Their lack of empathy and guilt means they have no problem manipulating those around them to attain what they want.

Psychopaths are known for having shallow emotional responses to events, are easily bored and need constant stimulation, and have very little fear as we might recognize the word. So the competitive jungle of the corporation or the world of politics provides them the jungle for which they can cut their way through to the top.

In fairness, the psychopath is not incapable of love -- but that love is quite conditional and is usually reserved for first-degree relatives. And while the psychopath may destroy anyone who hurts their wife/husband, mistress or children, they may have a hard way of showing other aspects of loyalty -- such as sexual faithfulness. Ironically, the impulsive aspect of the psychopath may be tempered by a wife/husband who can cause them to focus on their goals and not fall by the proverbial wayside.

So all in all please look at what traits can make for a perfect candidate for higher office, or to fill a post in a corporation, and then compare them to the accepted checklists for psychopaths. Maybe once can better understand politics or the modern business environment if they delve into a study of political psychology. For further details please check my YouTube video, "Freedom from Conscience -- Psychopaths."

Michael (author of Freedom from Conscience - Melanie's Journey) about psychopaths part 1