SUB-CATEGORIES AND RATIONAL SELF-INTEREST

“The pursuit of his (man’s) own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.” Ayn Rand. 


Scoiopaths, pure and simple are happy as long as they get what they “deserve”, it doesn’t matter what happens to anyone else or whether through unethical and/or immoral means that they engage to get it.  Looking deeper into the Anti-social Personality(sociopath) disorder it is interesting that the main classification is broken down into five sub-types:

• covetous antisocial – variant of the pure pattern where individuals feel that life has not given them their due.
• reputation-defending antisocial – including narcissistic features
• risk-taking antisocial – including histrionic features
• nomadic antisocial – including schizoid, avoidant features
• malevolent antisocial – including sadistic, paranoid features

Assessing the characteristics of many of the sociopaths that I have experienced being acquainted, they each tend to fall into one of the sub-categories.  Only one that I have had the mispleasure of knowing actually has characteristics of all five.  He is definitely covetous feeling as though the forces of the universe are designed to "short change" him.  He is highly narcissistic in that he frequently states that he, "answers to no one" and from time to time will perform some insignificant act of generosity (from which he is seeking to personally gain if just simply to maintain his facade and further his con on some unsuspecting female) and play it up as if he personally provided a kidney to allow for their survival while highlighting the evils of those in authority for placing the person/people in a hardship.  The Risk-taking antisocial category is interesting and seems to fit him more than the the others especially in relation to histrionic features.  People with HPD have a high need for attention, make loud and inappropriate appearances, exaggerate their behaviors and emotions, and crave stimulation. They may exhibit sexually provocative behavior, express strong emotions with an impressionistic style, and can be easily influenced by others. Associated features include egocentrism, self-indulgence, continuous longing for appreciation, and persistent manipulative behavior to achieve their own needs.  This would also fuel his motive to occassional "do something for someone else' in search of appreciation.  He routinely posts what I believe he thinks to be "orginial" poetry and writings but are in reality plagerized from no known amateur poets/writers and little heard of song lyrics.  He knows no relationship boundaries and many of his intimate encounters with the opposite and same sex(new little tidbit that made its way to me) begin in bars and clubs.  Also he exhibits strong traits from the nomadic antisocial category to include rare occassions of schizoid behavior that are more than likely instigated via alchol abuse.  He is highly avoidant in that he hides behind alias's and on FB frequently changes the city which he currently resides.  One would think his history of paranoria as is characteristic of the final category of malevolent antisocial would have led him to understand that regardless of what city of residence you choose the IP address used for posting relays the correct city of residence.  He has a long history of sadistic behavior to include assault and battery on females.
So in evaluation, he has characteristics from all groups but he more neatly fits into the risk-taking (with histrionic features) and nomadic ASPD sub-groups.  What a sad existence it must be.  However, even through the disorder, correct choices and decisions can still be made.  The problem is that his covetousness is the strongest characteristic that drives him to believe that he "deserves" whatever he desires and will, without regard for the pain of others, strive to take and do what he chooses.  Then when caught he once again shouts from the roof tops that he is the "victim" and bemoans the individual or authority that stopped and stomped him for his moronic decisions.  Truth is, Ayn Rand's opening quote is an excellent descriptor of a sociopath.  Fact is, even if and when the sociopath is successful in his pursuit of whatever solidifies his moral purpose, he will never be happy.