Ugh. Salon article on psychopathy gets it SO wrong..

Ugh. Salon article on psychopathy gets it SO wrong..
Posted May 14, 2012 - 11:24pm
0

I haven't read the NY Times article that this piece is referencing, but the author of this Salon article clearly doesn't get it. She labels psychopathy a misunderstood "mental illness" and refers to people's criticisms as the "predictable demonizing and shunning" of psychopaths. While I don't disagree that more compassion for the parents of psychopaths is needed, I had to call her out on her blatant misunderstanding of the condition.

Please feel free to comment, too.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/05/14/unlike_others_who_suffer...

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Hunter's picture

What?? I think we should show

May 16, 2012 - 3:59pm — Hunter

What?? I think we should show the Psychopath a little love..

WTF?

Hunter

dulcinea441's picture

What a bunch of malarkey:

May 15, 2012 - 2:29am — dulcinea441

What a bunch of malarkey:

"The whole situation is deeply depressing, but ever the optimist, I'm going to pull out a silver lining. Even though the initial reaction to Kahn's piece is a whole bunch of predictable shunning and demonizing of psychopaths, aided by claims that people with other biological mental illnesses are somehow more deserving, maybe it will open up a cultural conversation about how our society still has a long way to go when it comes to mental illness. We still tend to rank the sufferers according to how they make us feel, and end up shunning people who need our sympathy because they make us incredibly uncomfortable. Exposing the logic hole is hopefully the first step towards fixing it."

This writer is completely naive. One has to wonder why she was assigned to write on a topic about which she clearly knows nothing.

Emmy's picture

wow. (article)

May 15, 2012 - 1:42am — Emmy

OMGosh.. I did not get past the first paragraph because the writing is soooo bad.

How about this sentence??

"Many people probably aren't even aware that "psychopath" isn't just a term for someone with a crappy personality, but is a disorder that's believed to be biological in origin, where the sufferer just basically can't feel empathy."

Uhhhh -crappy personality? aren't aware it isn't? gadzooks. Back to playing mindless online games for me.

goldie's picture

Lol Emmy, Crappy P. That is an Understatement

May 15, 2012 - 3:34pm — goldie

It takes all kinds to make the world go round, WTF.

God bless,
Goldie

Lucky Escape's picture

This lady clearly needs to do

May 15, 2012 - 1:24am — Lucky Escape

This lady clearly needs to do a bit more research??? Maybe read Dr Sam V's and Lisa's books?

What is interesting is that it seems as if she wants to convince people that this disorder is as treatable as autism - whilst the characteristics maybe similar - lack of empathy, autism is a completely different ballgame - someone who suffers with autism would never be able to weave the web that a p does!

Shocking and naive piece of journalism in my book.