Socialized Psychopath Taking Questions

[Lentitudo]

With my first thread here I believe I should allow a glimpse of my mind to you, for I am in fact a psychopath. Now it may seem unlikely to many of you that I should wish to reveal my guise but the intellectual and the philosopher within me have tempted me to do so. Originally I assured myself that I completely understood my mind but as of late it appears I was wrong, I wish to discover as much of myself as I can. However I will ask you to remember that it is my hardware which is damaged, not my software. I am perfectly capable of philosophical and intellectual thought.

That should be enough explanation, ask whatever questions you wish and I shall answer.

[Lentitudo]

So, what makes you think you're a psychopath apart from the formal testing for this sort of thing that has been developed?

Well I've been scrutinized using the Hare PCL-R twice now with two different individuals. However it seems to me that you're asking what makes me believe that I am a psychopath, well long story short I've always had difficulty understanding certain emotional displays put forward by people(fear, compassion, etc.) but also I've recognized complete apathy within myself towards others, I'm extremely prone to boredom(insatiable need for excitement, risk), I know myself to be an extremely smooth and charismatic speaker, have difficulty putting myself in an others shoes, I'm often extremely impulsive, and quite honestly the means are of no importance in regards to the end and I have no problem manipulating to get there.

Just wanted to note that I'm self aware and I can see my narcissism as well but it's justified.

Funny, on tv last night I watched a little of a program called "I psychopath"

I watched a few minutes of that once, fairly sure that man is not a psychopath. Much more likely that he's a narcissist.

[Lentitudo]

What is your experience with illicit drugs? As I understand it, from what you've written, this 'condition' is not a problem to you apart from the boredom. I don't imagine music would do much for you.

Boredom leads to drugs, I've tried most things however they don't really do much for me. Apart from the boredom I have a tendency to be vile to people though I've become very good at smoothing it over, I also have taken quite a liking to telling the blunt truth. Music does very little for me, I have difficulty appreciating the genius that some see in certain figures (Bach, Mozart, etc.). In fact if I have my ipod in chances are that I'm listening to a debate of some sort (currently listening to Atlas Shrugged after having read it).

[Lentitudo]

I guess death would be the next big thing for you, after tiring of manipulating people.

There's not a lot to it though. The only thing I can recommend is more interaction with people (that doesn't include killing them) and drugs like you wouldn't believe.

Death eventually I suppose, I'm indifferent to the concept really. First I want power, control, and prestige. It's difficult to explain but manipulating people is an addiction of it's own, you become more and more apt at it. I have however become obsessed with the human psyche, I believe I can come to fully understand how emotions influence an individuals train of though. Something I will easily be able to turn to my advantage.

Though my life holds no compassion, can you really miss what you have never had? I have interests, things in which I have become obsessed with. They take the place of what I believe is love. Also, regardless of my misanthropy I can enjoy the company of others, more then sexually that is. There's a connection of some sort.

[Lentitudo]

Manipulating people towards their pleasure is ultimately more rewarding (self-gratifying) than to your own satisfaction in the act as interest and experiment, The difference being in the feeling of the result. A more difficult challenge if you like. Prestige will be cheap no matter what you manage, and there will always be an end beyond yourself so long as you're after control anyway.

To be truthful, you will have grave problems being unable to command desire without manipulation. Physical beauty always rests on the emotions.

I'm tempted to manipulate someone towards their own pleasure now, I doubt it will be rewarding to me though. But I wish to see how much control I can exert. The end is not beyond oneself if the control they're seeking is over oneself.

Do you have political aspirations?

No, I'm considering medicine or physics(not much power here but it is of great interest to me).

[Lentitudo]

The end is not beyond oneself if the control they're seeking is over oneself.

This is quite true. I had taken you to solely mean control over others in your speaking of manipulation as addiction.

Self-control will give you power over all others whose intellect is not equal to your own, but I'm sure you know this already.

Self-control to me isn't about enjoyment or addiction, it's discipline. If I lose control over myself then people see what I am and then It becomes extremely difficult for me to do what I enjoy. I already have a competitive advantage when it comes to terms of working logically towards self-advancement but control over myself allows me to augment it so much further. I see only in terms of myself, what I need to advance myself, it's a game theory problem, Logic reigns.

[Lentitudo]

Logic doesn't reign so much as persuade. Evolution begins unconsciously. You will acknowledge that for a non-psychopath like myself, it is natural to see the competitive advantage in terms of self-advance to lie in a comprehensive understanding of the emotions (in other words, the ability to experience them first-hand.) It is possible you may not fully understand how this ability, at its height, provides the position where one may best be informed in all aspects of the logic of advance itself.

The way I perceive it logic is completely free off all irrationalities(emotions), I think logic and I forsee quantitative order to my actions.

[Lentitudo]

For that to be the case, it would have to be free of us as well

This is true, emotions expended on the behalf of others are a variable which always has to be considered.

So do we all

Also true though In my world it's my only thought process, from what I've observed you will all first have your thought process influenced by emotion and it is only when you have had time to mill over it that you will resort to logic.

It seems to me that there are only 2 people who may escape the human condition, the genius and the psychopath.

[Lentitudo]

I wouldn't call it escaping it, rather the capacity to retain self-identity in its extremes.

What is the value of self-identity? It seems to me that it is something people work the entirety of their lives to maintain but have no application for.

[Lentitudo]

Self-control if nothing else. Fear of the loss of sanity is a powerful drive.

Would you call a psychopathy sane? I don't feel fear, but apprehension.

Now that I ponder upon it, it seems to me that I have no true self-identity. I'm but an actor on the stage of life. Though when you think of it psychopaths are naught but the most convincing actors.

[Lentitudo]

Would you call a psychopathy sane? I don't feel fear, but apprehension.

A nervous excitement at any rate. It would depend upon your actions ultimately as to what I, or humanity at large, would call you.

Now that I ponder upon it, it seems to me that I have no true self-identity. I'm but an actor on the stage of life. Though when you think of it psychopaths are naught but the most convincing actors.

For there to be an act at all, there must be that which is to be acted upon.--Wisdom from the operating theatre of life.

It is difficult to be judged upon ones actions when humanity has such a preconceived notion towards psychopaths. There is a reason we keep it to ourselves, even those of us who function within society.

For there to be an act at all, there must be that which is to be acted upon.--Wisdom from the operating theatre of life

Does it not follow then that psychopathy demonstrates all that is to be viewed in humanity? All that may be seen from the audience?

[Anders Schlander]

Observation; If you actually label yourself as a Socialized Psychopath, what is it that makes other, average people, less psychotic?


note: To me, most people are chasing something they love like maniacs, they're nutters. And though you may talk about manipulating others, there is no shortage of manipulations, constantly going back and forth in groups of people.
Essentially, it seems psycopaths are 'merely' doing a form of social manipulation and narcissism to a higher degree with more consciousness. How do you think of that? The trick is, if you become more conscious, then you also start losing the need for love, or narcissism, and then the act of trying to be socially manipulative becomes less of a selfish motive.

[skipair]

Originally I assured myself that I completely understood my mind but as of late it appears I was wrong, I wish to discover as much of myself as I can.

So, what's on your mind?

However I will ask you to remember that it is my hardware which is damaged, not my software.

Frankly, you seem 100% reasonable to me.

[Alex T. Jacob]

Lentitudo wrote: "However it seems to me that you're asking what makes me believe that I am a psychopath, well long story short I've always had difficulty understanding certain emotional displays put forward by people(fear, compassion, etc.) but also I've recognized complete apathy within myself towards others, I'm extremely prone to boredom(insatiable need for excitement, risk), I know myself to be an extremely smooth and charismatic speaker, have difficulty putting myself in an others shoes, I'm often extremely impulsive, and quite honestly the means are of no importance in regards to the end and I have no problem manipulating to get there.

"Just wanted to note that I'm self aware and I can see my narcissism as well but it's justified."

I would tend to place this 'position' you find yourself in, as one stemming from a 'universal' nihilism. A gorgeous, pristine, shiny, deadly, cruel nihilism. And who would think that such a narcissistic nihilism should not be completely articulate and calmly rational? The real mad activity for the true narcissist psychopath would be literal torture of those who have not (yet) been utterly consumed by the dark fog (with torture devices, please note) of nihilism. Such narcissim MUST become consciously and rationally vengeful and destructive of anyone who still has little glimmers of 'life' left in them. Well, you know: 'Life' in the sense of pretty little flowers, little (ridiculous) all-too-human smiles. Hopes. Idealistic visions. Kindness and all associated etceteras.

I would simply say: Welcome! It is, after all, Providence that brought you here! You know, 'invisible forces that guide those who belong together to find each other'.

The world is always ready for any false solution to Nihilism, and you must understand how people suffer under the pall of invisible and intangible nihilism. It 'kills them softly'. Oh they'll drink down false cures by the bucketful. And---mark this---there's money to be made in the process. Truckloads, brother. Surely you'll agree that the Crown for bona fide narcissistic psychopathological nihilism is all the world's riches, right?

When we lose our soul---thank God for this---we do gain the whole world. Tit for tat. There has to be a pay-off.

Again, welcome brother. I want to know all about the poisons that course through your veins...

[Loki]

With my first thread here I believe I should allow a glimpse of my mind to you, for I am in fact a psychopath. Now it may seem unlikely to many of you that I should wish to reveal my guise but the intellectual and the philosopher within me have tempted me to do so. Originally I assured myself that I completely understood my mind but as of late it appears I was wrong, I wish to discover as much of myself as I can. However I will ask you to remember that it is my hardware which is damaged, not my software. I am perfectly capable of philosophical and intellectual thought.

That should be enough explanation, ask whatever questions you wish and I shall answer.

Lentitudo, you say your hardware is damaged. Can I ask you, were you born this way? Or was the damage to your hardware the result of some kind of accident or childhood illness? If not, does your condition run in your family? Do you have relatives who are psychopaths?

Secondly, what's the worst thing you've ever done to someone? You say you are vile to people, but I've been vile to a lot of people in my life, and have had vileness done unto to me, but I just consider that normal. Humans generally have a vile aspect to them, especially has children and teens, not to mention the way most people behave on internet forums.

You don't really strike me as a psychopath. You may have difficulty with empathy, but I don't think that's uncommon with Aspergers types, and I think Aspergers is just an aspect of masculine psychology, rather than some disorder.

[Lentitudo]

Observation; If you actually label yourself as a Socialized Psychopath, what is it that makes other, average people, less psychotic?

I'm not psychotic, you must understand that psychopathic and psychotic are not interchangeable words. Psychotics experience a break with reality, I am fully in touch with reality. Though to answer your question, the way I see things is that if anything is psychotic it is to allow a qualitative feeling towards others cloud your judgment, that is when a break with reality occurs.

Essentially, it seems psycopaths are 'merely' doing a form of social manipulation and narcissism to a higher degree with more consciousness. How do you think of that? The trick is, if you become more conscious, then you also start losing the need for love, or narcissism, and then the act of trying to be socially manipulative becomes less of a selfish motive.

It's true that manipulation manifests itself in every facet of society so should the possibility that psychopathy is an evolutionary change? Psychopaths are becoming more and more common in today's world. Although I suppose that in order to answer this we must ask ourselves if evolution designed to benefit the entire species or solely the one who these genetic traits present in?

I would tend to place this 'position' you find yourself in, as one stemming from a 'universal' nihilism. A gorgeous, pristine, shiny, deadly, cruel nihilism. And who would think that such a narcissistic nihilism should not be completely articulate and calmly rational? The real mad activity for the true narcissist psychopath would be literal torture of those who have not (yet) been utterly consumed by the dark fog (with torture devices, please note) of nihilism. Such narcissim MUST become consciously and rationally vengeful and destructive of anyone who still has little glimmers of 'life' left in them. Well, you know: 'Life' in the sense of pretty little flowers, little (ridiculous) all-too-human smiles. Hopes. Idealistic visions. Kindness and all associated etceteras.

Who is to say that he who is not biased but merely sees things as they are is he who adopts a "cruel" universal view? Though as you said narcissism such as this will eventually become...I should like to say envious of those who have life, it seems a simpler thing, an enjoyable thing, but yet a thing which I love yet despise.

Truckloads, brother. Surely you'll agree that the Crown for bona fide narcissistic psychopathological nihilism is all the world's riches, right?

I should like to agree, however I have nothing but envy for material needs. Something I yearn to have I may obtain, but once it is within my grasp it becomes worthless to me.

Lentitudo, you say your hardware is damaged. Can I ask you, were you born this way? Or was the damage to your hardware the result of some kind of accident or childhood illness? If not, does your condition run in your family? Do you have relatives who are psychopaths?

I believe I was born this way, though it is hard to say what I experienced mentally at younger ages. It is possible I suppose that as a young child I may have been involved in some sort of incident which may have induced this but I think it unlikely. No, the condition isn't prevalent in my family and as far as I know I have no relatives who have been diagnosed with advanced ASPD. I have in fact only ever had the opportunity to speak with one other person who I believe to also be a psychopath in my life.

Secondly, what's the worst thing you've ever done to someone? You say you are vile to people, but I've been vile to a lot of people in my life, and have had vileness done unto to me, but I just consider that normal. Humans generally have a vile aspect to them, especially has children and teens, not to mention the way most people behave on internet forums.

I have never done anything which you would consider horrendous onto another. Physically I have broken several bones while fighting, I find it harder to control myself when fighting. It's not a frenzied state that I enter though, so I am able to maintain control in the name of self-preservation. Emotionally I have brought people to their knees, entirely upset their mind state. I agree that everyone can be vile, it is certainly something humanity is capable of. However It has come to be something which I enjoy, something I thrive on. It also helps me to understand you though, the way people react to my behavior gives me a much more "personal" glimpse of which I look for. The thing I find absolutely hilarious about the entire thing is that I can do onto people things that greatly damage them in one way or another but will easily be able to charm myself back into their lives, so that I can further use them.

You don't really strike me as a psychopath. You may have difficulty with empathy, but I don't think that's uncommon with Aspergers types, and I think Aspergers is just an aspect of masculine psychology, rather than some disorder.

That's not surprising, as I have said before "we are the ultimate actors on the stage of life". Even more so with charismatic psychopaths, we'll appear to be the most kind, caring, considerate, funny, and intelligent people you have ever met. When you say difficulty with empathy what exactly do you mean? I have none, I can even remember episodes before I hit puberty where I did things which I believe would cause most people to feel remorse or guilt, even empathy and I can remember feeling none of this.

[Loki]

Emotionally I have brought people to their knees, entirely upset their mind state. I agree that everyone can be vile, it is certainly something humanity is capable of. However It has come to be something which I enjoy, something I thrive on.

Do you find the internet a satisfactory arena for your habit of inflicting pain on others? The internet has always struck me as a breeding ground for psychopathic psychology with it's prevalent "Ownage" culture, which is culture oriented around a very concentrated effort at emotionally harming people. Have you spent much time on the internet abusing people? Or is that less satisfying than messing with people in real life?

It also helps me to understand you though, the way people react to my behavior gives me a much more "personal" glimpse of which I look for. The thing I find absolutely hilarious about the entire thing is that I can do onto people things that greatly damage them in one way or another but will easily be able to charm myself back into their lives, so that I can further use them.

I had a friend who seemed to go to great lengths to damage me and others, and like you, he would then try (and usually succeed) at charming himself back into good graces. But he always seemed driven by jealousy, envy, revenge, and personal insecurity. To what degree are the malicious things you do driven by such emotions?

You don't really strike me as a psychopath. You may have difficulty with empathy, but I don't think that's uncommon with Aspergers types, and I think Aspergers is just an aspect of masculine psychology, rather than some disorder.

That's not surprising, as I have said before "we are the ultimate actors on the stage of life". Even more so with charismatic psychopaths, we'll appear to be the most kind, caring, considerate, funny, and intelligent people you have ever met. When you say difficulty with empathy what exactly do you mean? I have none, I can even remember episodes before I hit puberty where I did things which I believe would cause most people to feel remorse or guilt, even empathy and I can remember feeling none of this.

When I said "difficulty with empathy" I just meant that you have a hard time feeling it. But maybe that's not the right way to put it, as this implies you actually try to feel it, when in fact, perhaps you have never made the effort nor had any inclination. You simply don't feel it, and have no intention to ever feel it?

[Lentitudo]

Do you find the internet a satisfactory arena for your habit of inflicting pain on others? The internet has always struck me as a breeding ground for psychopathic psychology with it's prevalent "Ownage" culture, which is culture oriented around a very concentrated effort at emotionally harming people. Have you spent much time on the internet abusing people? Or is that less satisfying than messing with people in real life?

No, I don't find the internet does much for me so far as inflicting myself on others. It seems to me that the people who enjoy attacking others via the internet are simply insecure and using the mask of anonymity to do this. It is far less satisfying, the thing about the internet is that you/they can walk away at any moment. There's something about having them know what you did but being able to charm them into overlooking it. Very good choice of words though, satisfying is the perfect word. It isn't what I think you would call happiness, more so contentedness.

I had a friend who seemed to go to great lengths to damage me and others, and like you, he would then try (and usually succeed) at charming himself back into good graces. But he always seemed driven by jealousy, envy, revenge, and personal insecurity. To what degree are the malicious things you do driven by such emotions?

Personal insecurity I would say plays almost no factor, as I've already admitted I'm extremely self-aware...thusly I can admit that I find most people to be inferior to myself. Jealousy, from my personal experience...very little. But yes revenge and envy do play a role but not such a large role as you may think, revenge especially plays upon it very rarely as I am for the most part unconcerned with the opinions/thoughts of others. More so I would say that I am driven by boredom, an emptiness of some sort.

When I said "difficulty with empathy" I just meant that you have a hard time feeling it. But maybe that's not the right way to put it, as this implies you actually try to feel it, when in fact, perhaps you have never made the effort nor had any inclination. You simply don't feel it, and have no intention to ever feel it?

I'll put it this way, If a man with no sense of smell has been told that the entire world has taken on a wretched smell, does he still wish to smell? Though in all honesty I have tried to feel it, to no avail of course but I have tried. I think it would be interesting to have it as a controllable on/off thing. In my eyes it is a competitive advantage to lack empathy, so I'm not sure if I would relinquish it should a cure of sorts be found.

[Alex T. Jacob]

You have a glorious road ahead of you: the torture of other living entities. This reminds me of Castaneda's 'Perfect Petty Tyrant'. The real cruel master is life itself, which inflicts so many horrible tortures. Life is the real Tyrant. But there are 'cheap imitations' so to speak.

You have appeared here as an 'excelerator'. To make what is really a rather bad deal for most, worse. But, unless you had an endless supply of victims you could only feed on the corpse of your victim just so much. You couldn't drive them, say, to suicide---you'd no longer have a body to feed on! Think of your position as a Duty. You are in service!

Confronting a sociopath, there is a method. There IS a way to defeat a sociopath.

If you were to describe the means of defeating your own self, how would you do it? (And I don't mean shooting you, that is too easy and not artistic. I mean utterly defeating you at a fundamental level. Rendering you incapable of doing anymore what you do). It is an interesting question. Care to take a shot at it?

By definition, you can't change or be cured. In that sense, your quandary is like that of an alchoholic or addict. No one can help you, and in a certain sense you can't help yourself either. Only 'God' can help you, but that old Devil tends to remain so frustratingly absent, so frustratingly out of reach. (Which in itself is a technique of torture you'd have to admit).

In a more primitive culture, a lawless culture, you would have been eliminated of course. (In my neck of the woods most certainly). Or, you would have risen to the top as a survival mechanism, there better to engage in sadism. There are some truly horrible sociopaths in political history. Maybe a career in law is in order and then graduation to political endeavors? If you had the tools of law in your hands just think of the damage you could do! And if you had no feelings! (I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it). Machiavelli could be your spiritual guide! (WWMD? your Eternal Question).

Since Life is an open drama and anyone, by their own choosing, can arrive on-scene and participate in the drama, I only suggest that you get a move on. You are really just wasting time here when there are people to torture, whole personal realities to disrupt.

Unless perhaps, instead of offering yourself and politely answering questions---as if someone asked---you rather need something from us? Some energy perhaps?

Petty Tyrant

[Lentitudo]

You couldn't drive them, say, to suicide---you'd no longer have a body to feed on! Think of your position as a Duty. You are in service!

Not necessarily so, to drive someone to suicide is quite the accomplishment for a career manipulator but to do so without implicating one self is an accomplishment all the greater.

If you were to describe the means of defeating your own self, how would you do it? (And I don't mean shooting you, that is too easy and not artistic. I mean utterly defeating you at a fundamental level. Rendering you incapable of doing anymore what you do). It is an interesting question. Care to take a shot at it?

This is a very difficult concept to explain. Though the term "Staring Contest" comes to mind, you must beat me at my own game. Render me completely incapable of not only controlling others but also of controlling myself. If another were to cause me to lose control over myself I should consider myself defeated at a fundamental level. For I live discipline, breathe it. It seems likely to me that were I to lose control I should not in all likelihood ever regain it.

By definition, you can't change or be cured. In that sense, your quandary is like that of an alchoholic or addict. No one can help you, and in a certain sense you can't help yourself either. Only 'God' can help you, but that old Devil tends to remain so frustratingly absent, so frustratingly out of reach. (Which in itself is a technique of torture you'd have to admit).

I like to think of it as bait and release. You draw a person in until they become almost intoxicated with the concept of you, then you relieve yourself of them. It's an interesting thing to observe when a human is released from something they had become so attracted to, how they wander.

In a more primitive culture, a lawless culture, you would have been eliminated of course. (In my neck of the woods most certainly). Or, you would have risen to the top as a survival mechanism, there better to engage in sadism. There are some truly horrible sociopaths in political history

It seems to me that in more primitive cultures psychopaths very often exceeded. When I look back through history I can see similarities between myself and other great men(Alexander of Macedonia, Ghenghis, Atilla, Hitler, Paublo Escobar). Something that has led me to the conclusion that psychopathy is indeed a competitive advantage. Truly the wolf in sheep's clothing is given a beautiful opportunity to become the shepard.

Since Life is an open drama and anyone, by their own choosing, can arrive on-scene and participate in the drama, I only suggest that you get a move on. You are really just wasting time here when there are people to torture, whole personal realities to disrupt.

Unless perhaps, instead of offering yourself and politely answering questions---as if someone asked---you rather need something from us? Some energy perhaps?

Psychopathy is merely a part of me, it does not define me entirely. I believe I have been given a relatively unique perspective on life. I wish to use it to both a philosophical, scientific, and pathological means. I'm indifferent to whether other people agree with my views, but that I should agree with my own concepts is something I yearn for.

It is however a release for me, this is something you can't tell people in reality. I suppose it's very similar to when a serial killer has been caught, they're glad they no longer need to maintain the charade. Truthfully, I tire from my assumed guises very quickly.

[skipair]

What are some goals you're working toward?

For example, where do you see yourself in 10 years?

[Lentitudo]

What are some goals you're working toward?

For example, where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I have no specific goals in reality, just wants. I want power, I want control.

Quite possibly I may be dead in 10 years, I rarely sleep(maybe every 2nd or 3rd night) and verge on delirium often. This in conjunction with the risks I take in order to relieve myself of my boredom may lead to this.

[skipair]

I have no specific goals in reality, just wants. I want power, I want control.

Are there not a few favorite ways you envision yourself getting more of that?

This in conjunction with the risks I take in order to relieve myself of my boredom may lead to this.

Like what?

[Nick]

Lenitudo,

I think you are absolutely right that you're a psychopath. I've known a couple people who behave like you, I was best friends with one through out high school, and I think I know exactly what you're pointing to. You people are fascinating in a way, but I'm even more surprised by your ability to be open about it. Most psychopaths don't show any signs that they are actually aware of why they do what they do, and if they are aware they would never actually be open about it because it could potentially ruin their ability to manipulate and exploit as many people as possible, just because they can. I believe psychopaths are at base a reflection of the lowest common denominator in society and are driven by the impulses derived from it. Have you talked to anyone else about this? And since you're able to recognize psychopathy in yourself, you must be able to recognize it in others; so I'm wondering how do you deal with or handle other psychopaths when they are in your presence?

[Nick]

In some ways I think I'm attracted to psychopaths and vice versa, not sexually, and maybe not so much anymore. But looking back on the friends who I went months and years being around everyday, looking for something, anything to get into, I can definitely see a trend of psychopathy in them. I could sense they ultimately had no values in the traditional sense, a sort of emptiness. I'm not even 100% sure why we enjoyed (although the enjoyment, if we can even call it that for the psychopath, that we experienced was of a very different nature) each other's company so much, because in reality I had an absolute sincerity to me, and they were ultimately a facade. I think it had something to do with the adrenalin rush I'd get from the risky situations we would get ourselves into and their disregard for social norms that entertained me to no end, and I think in my sincerity I provided them with some of the most invaluable tools for manipulation and control over others. I think I served as a kind of catalyst that provided them insight into the values and emotions of "normal people" that they couldn't identify, relate to, or understand on their own. Does this make sense to you?