Blog Burglary: Sociopathy in the spandex crowd

Sociopathy in the spandex crowd

verblog

June 30th, 10:57

Being popular has never been easy. I’ve been on demand so many times during my unemployment, whether it’s because they love me, hate me, or are just insecure and want to exploit how fragile I was last September, so that they could put me down constantly to make themselves look funny in front of the subject of their romantic desires.
Being popular sucks because everyone wants my time and very often weeks pass where I simply don’t get the time to myself that I require. And there are some things, such as tidying, applying for jobs, this blog, my animating, my novel, and many other things that require solitude.
Finding this solitude was hard enough unemployed. Now that I’m working, my time is a lot more valuable and so you can imagine having it eaten by people is a constant worry.
And it seems a lot of the time that the world just wants to distract me, from what I need to do.
But you can now follow me on Twitter- www.twitter.com/TheRealVerbish

I’ve been befriending more and more superheroes, because hearing of their antics is usually inspiring. But lately, I’ve been forced to realize that a lot of the superheroes are very petty people. There are those that seek to claim leadership or ownership of the superheroes and usually this involves making online registries and all that. But really, how can you lead something like this? I fought crime before I even knew it was being done by hundreds of spandex-clad Americans. It wouldn’t be so bad if these so-called leaders didn’t take it upon themselves to decide who is a superhero and who isn’t. Being humans, their judgements are often unfair and biased. If someone has methods or says something that one of the so-called leaders disagrees with, they’ll announce that this person is not a real life superhero but a fraud, even if this person happens to do a lot of good for the community. And the word “Community” is used frequently to describe the heroes. The leaders consider themselves to be the head of a community, and they get to decide who is in it and who isn’t, in a move that bears striking resemblance to teenage sub cultures, deciding who is Goth and who isn’t. You get the idea. But how can you make a sub-culture out of being a god person?

I find it stranger though, since they can’t be 100% sure of their control due to the secret identity thing. So they can kick one person out of their “Community” but what’s to stop them making a different costume, taking a few new pictures and rejoining? How can the leaders stop them fighting crime?

It hurt at first, seeing the people who inspire me to be good behaving in such a way. I mean, I know they’re only human, but aren’t they supposed to stand for something better?
Luckily, I spoke to a few superheroes, and they find it petty too. Most of them, whether they’re accepted by the “leaders” into the community or not really don’t care. They just do their own thing. I mean, I’ve spoken to the very eccentric but well-meaning Master Legend, who is one of the A-listers among the “community”, and a female called Apocalypse Meow, as well as a few superheroes from Australia who aren’t as well known. They, along with most others, find the so-called leaders petty, with most of them pointing fingers at this guy called Zetaman, from Oregon, who, from what I’ve heard, thinks he owns the entire superhero shizzle. But then, that’s what I’ve heard. I haven’t actually spoken to him personally but I’ve heard stories.
However, I have spoken to another so-called leader, Tothian. He’s also staggeringly unpopular by the more mature heroes, and I can see why. When I spoke to him, he came across as a very strong Christian. I mean strong in the sense that if you disagree with a single word he says, he’s likely to tell you that you’re going to Hell. That kind of Christian. The sort that even Christians hate.
Another hero, however, called Drago Hammer (I’m completely unfamiliar with him) goes so far as to call Tothian a sociopath, and that really caught my attention.

You see, sociopaths are one of the things that make me very afraid. I’ve encountered a few in my time, and they have a goal in their minds, and they see anyone as either a pawn to help them obtain that goal, or an obstacle to remove. They can be very manipulative, very crafty, and very hurtful. We’ve all dealt with them.
Drago Hammer was kind enough to post the symptoms of Sociopathy on his Facebook, and I was given shivers reading it, and the resulting conversation, because even though it was written about Tothian, it could easily have been written about people I know. It hit very close to home, and I know that some of my readers will also find similarities, much as it upsets me to admit it, sociopathy is quite common, it seems.

Drago Hammer lists:

1-Glibness and superficial charm,
2-Manipulative and Conning,
3-They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviours as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
4-Grandiose Sense of Self,
5-Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
6-Pathological Lying. They seem incapable of either knowing or telling the truth about anything.
7-Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities.
8-Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt. They often see themselves as victims, and lack remorse or the ability to empathize with others.
9-A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
10-When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
11-Callousness/Lack of Empathy
12-Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
13-Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
14-Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed. They are incapable of either having the insight or willingness to accept responsibility for anything they do. Whatever the problem, it is always someone else's fault
15-Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them.
16-Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them.
17-Secretive and paranoid.
18-Goal of enslavement of their victim(s), Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life, Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim.
19-Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
20-People with this disorder appear to be charming at times, and make relationships, but to them, these are relationships in name only. They are ended whenever necessary or when it suits them, and the relationships are without depth or meaning, including marriages. They seem to have an innate ability to find the weakness in people, and are ready to use these weaknesses to their own ends through deceit, manipulation, or intimidation, and gain pleasure from doing so.
The good news is I now have a word for numerous people I know who are scum. The bad news is, Drago is trying to describe someone else, and it’s worrying that in doing so he’s describing someone on the other side of the world at the same time.
Sadly, according to Drago’s study “There currently is no form of psychotherapy that works with those with antisocial personality disorder, as those with this disorder have no desire to change themselves, which is a prerequisite. No medication is available either. The only treatment is the prevention of the disorder in the early stages, when a child first begins to show the symptoms of conduct disorder.”

The following is a conversation between a load of superheroes, in regards to the allegation that Tothian is a sociopath. Again, the words said bear a striking familiarity with my own life.
To be fair, Drago does come across as a bit of a whiner, but lets look at the sociopathic side of this conversation and tell me if any of it sounds familiar.
Apocalypse Meow did contribute but deleted her messages so at times, they’ll appear to be responding to words nobody has said. It’s a shame because she made some good points. I don’t know much about the other heroes mentioned here, except Old Superhero and Master Legend who are A-Listers in the superhero community, and Captain Ozone who is actually an environmental activist and quite awesome.

Arsenul: I don’t know him that well.

Drago Hammer: read the note I wrote yesterday... I included an email exchange we had. He is potentially a very dangerous individual once he finally cracks.

Lucas Adams: photo copy the conversation and post it on your wall I do that to all people who threaten me open for the public for all to see

Drago Hammer :In the note I wrote yesterday, it is way to long to post to my wall.

Misery White: I don't criticize you for feeling this way Drago Hammer, but from what I know of real sociopaths their behavior is Tothian times a thousand. Do you truly think there's something to this? We're all a little eccentric and many may fit a lot of the characteristics mentioned. This is all just my opinion of course, but I also think true sociopaths aren't going to spend a lot of time on the computer. Their real charge lies in the visualization of the reactions of the victims and experiencing it with them for the thrill. We're never all going to get along all the time and some of us will really get under the skin of another. I think to do this we have to be fairly confident, passionate ppl who aren't afraid to be "odd"... If we can't embrace our differences, or even tolerate them, best to just block and forget unless true harm is being done. (Which I sincerely hope is not the case for you.)

Drago Hammer :Yes I feel strongly that Toth is two marbles away from becoming something that could be extremely dangerous... Read my last note, he is without a doubt a pathological liar. And he certainly has no remorse for toying with things that are extremely sacred.
This is not being odd, this is shadow one of it's worst forms.

Kory Schaubhut: Sure, but there are a lot of sociopaths in the world. Why particularly fixate on this one? I'll stop trying to suggest you don't waste your time at this point. Good luck with whatever you do.

Ant: Dragos Hammer has fallen and it is mighty!! You know who your true friends are here. Forget the stupid RlsHosers and focus your incredible mind on more positive things...We've all been there with these types...

Drago Hammer: I am a citizen vigiliant and that includes watching after my mask peers... I am focusing on Toth because he choose to cross paths with me. Toth choose to not back off when I confronted him with the fact that I knew based on my family that... he was lying about the Marine Corps... and finally he crossed a very personal line that set off a very alarming note with me when he proclaimed me to be a demon.

Ant I have high hopes for many masks within the community, some I do find entertaining more than anything else. Toth unfortunately has chosen this community to hide like some parasitic organism and I can not stand idly by while I have this gnawing feeling that something awful is possible, and research to back it up... I hope all he remains is a joke, but I sense that he has already done a lot of damage, and is most likely plotting against me as I type....

As I stated in my first letter, I have to be able for my own sanity's sake to be able to say at least I tried.

Jack Cero: Real quick because I don't want to get into this too deeply... I'll present two sides.

1. Toth is a danger, yes. He did call Oldsuper Hero's job and told them that he was going to come in and shoot everyone... so he has taken his issues past eccentricity.

2. The more attention you give him, the more he wheedles his way into your life. The more you post about him, the more power he feels he has over you.
If any of you have a serious, real world, life threatening issue with Eric Toth, you just let me know. He knows how close I am and how far we're willing to go to shut him down. We've already "warned" him.


Drago Hammer: Thank you very much Cero, I have decided to take some time to mediatate on this and get the recommended R and R that I am so found of telling people they need to get when they're stressed.

Oldsuper Hero: I "Knew" Eric fairly well & actually met him & patrolled with him when he was in Florida. He does exhibit the signs of Sociopath stated above & fits it to a tee. Fortunately for me nowadays he's pretty much left me alone so I grant him the ...same. I'm very uncomfortable with the fact Master Legend keeps such close contact with the guy knowing what a threat he is to our team & our personal well beings. Master Legend states "Well Superhero all he did was try to get you fired from your job...and he said he was sorry." I guess in Master Legend's eyes that's enough. the problem Master Legend doesn't realize is a Sociopath can say 'Sorry" or "Piss off" neither statement really means anything to them.
Oh & to clear something up about Jack Cero 's statement. Eric Did NOT get the chance to call the threat into my work because of quick acting Members of the RLSH community who rushed to inform me his intentions. They saved my career & I've never forgotten their having my backs that day. The actual statement made by Eric if I remember correctly was along the lines of "Superhero had BETTER be friends with me or I'll get him fired from his job." and then proceeded to tell people his plan. If that statement does not spell Sociopath what does?
Oh & since I know he'll read this somehow he should realize that those RLSH also saved him that day as well. I don't work at DQ, I work for a Federal Broadcast Facility (They are all considered federal) and he'd have really stepped in it had they not acted.

Drago Hammer: i will be forever in gratitude for sharing your experiences Cero and Super Hero, I have recieved some flak from various folks for choosing to stand up for what I knew in my heart was right, thank you for standing beside me in this time of ugliness.

Master Legend: since this has been put on my page.i just noticed.this really has nothing to do with me but since my opinion seems to be asked in this manner.first off for Drago.did you know Rev'd Tothian goes by another name ? it is " The Obsession" , novels are being written about him all the time.as for my great friend SuperHero.my side of the view/ undistorted.Tothian was drunk and mad,felt betrayed and said some dumb things to a few of us and you were warned just in case. later Tothian realized that was a bad idea and never called... anyone.i told him myself that is not right and to not do that.i realize that was uncool and caused a disturbance but never carried out.he realizes the trouble he caused because i told him.now he's sorry and regrets the mistake.i can't keep condemning him as many have done to me and actually do everything they can to ruin what i have going.way worst then Tothian ever thought about being.he is only one .i am up against many.

Drago Hammer: Master Legend and ApoC, thank you so terribly much as well for sharing. I did not come upon this point on these two notes I wrote lightly, as I know what I say is quite damning and quite serious to the reputation of Tothian. And quite possibly dangerous to myself.
I regret reacting in anger and not taking a step back before deciding how to properly handle this situation, and most importantly discussing this amongst friends. Again I am very sorry for reacting in anger and not handling this matter in a delicate matter. I will do my best in the future to not react with such serious action in a state of passion... Ive seen what anger is capable of (Momma Bears side of the family is Scotch/Irish.) and even though it can accomplish quite a bit...haste makes waste.

Master Legend: the novels being written about Tothian are the ones i'm reading right here.i need to quit talking in metaphors.

Drago Hammer: Regrdless of how famous, or how many novels are being written about Tothhian the issue is how disturbed he is. I know Tothian is not as much of a problem as say Manson or Hitler. But they are both examples of very famous people for very dubious reasons.
'The bigger the lie, the easier it is for the people to swallow.'-Adolf Hitler
Also Legend I have to speak up here, because I know you have a big heart, I know you mean well, and I think you have done some very good things. So please know I say this with great respect for your positive contribution..
However threatening someones job cannot be simply excused as saying stupid stuff, that is threatening someones lively hood, thats like holding someone at gunpoint so that they may take something that does not belong to them. That is blackmail and that is the talk of the worst kind of criminal, one that takes the greater side of someone, or for us spiritual types this is taking from someones soul, as apposed to giving. This is Shadow and not of love, and must be taken seriously.
I do not beleive the excuse of being drunk excuses someone from blackmailing someone from there job. No more excusable than say killing some one by driving drunk.
Much L.U.wV. though Legend, much LUV...
I know your doing your best, and I have faith you will continue to grow into a better person with each passing day.

Master Legend: Tothian did make an uncarried out threat and i don't approve of it. i know he won't do that again.i have bigger problems to deal with but i will deal with them.

Drago Hammer: Legend to qoute Ben Franklin...loosely: 'an ounce of of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Please take your time with this, I know Toth seems like he is your friend, but I believe he's taking advantage of you and using your reputation to take advantage of others....
All I ask is to please spend some time with this with an open mind, I gain nothing but critics myself for the most part in my recent actions regarding Toth. Again I regret not handling this more delicately, but I stand tall knowing it was the right thing to do.

Oldsuper Hero: I was "warned just in case" ML? you do realize what you just typed there right? So I was told "Be his friend while he hacks peoples boards, Tries to pick up underage girls, and threatens others as well or else I'd be losing my career. Gee that's wonderful. And once again he's just Sociopathically lying anyway ML. I was told by other RLSH, Took his personal info to the company and he backed down once he knew it wouldn't work. As for the "Army" you're against all they did was call you out on your Drinking which you've now stopped. If anything if you look at the 12 steps of what your doing you owe them a apologly....which more than I ever got from Eric.
And as you're aware of now as well ML...Being drunk is no excuse for anything.
You know I look back over these posts & can't believe we're talking about the actions of a Grown man here....
Beating a dead symptom here...the fact he'd even put out a comment threatening somebodies career if he had no intntipns of doing it with the Intention of scaring them into either stop challenging their grotesque behavior or scare them into remaining friends with them is just more evidence of the condition that's real focus of this discussion. It just keeps piling up.

Master Legend: p.s you really have to know the whole story but as i predicted you will see.

Oldsuper Hero: I won't see anything involving Eric Ml because I'm never going to have any contact with him again. Once was enough & (Drago pay attention) the further I got out of his orbit the better off I was with the least amount of (Internet) drama. I should probably not even be posting on this thread due to my "ignore him rule" and how well it worked. Your friends came to you when they felt you needed support. Perhaps you should do the same for him? The problem is if drago is right ( I think so) there's no cure.

Master Legend: i wasn't talking about Tothian i was talking about the evil ones.as for Tothian ,by me not abandoning him and showing him the word of the good book is really the best i can do to help.the more people try to play psychiatrist on him are the ones stirring the trouble.thats why i say you need to know the whole story.people need to leave him alone and he will not bother them.always remember there is never a cure for a problem that don't exist.

Oldsuper Hero: I think it's actually he has a problem & there's no cure. But it's irrelevant, Drago...Avoid, block, ignore. Whatever you choose it's all good.

Drago Hammer: If he stops claiming to have been active marine, then I may be inclined to put things to rest.... as it stands, I am still wrestling with myself to put certain things in action that will make Toth greatly regret toying with things that are deeply sacred to many.

Crow Man: If that's the traits of a Sociopath then there's quite a number of them in your rlsh community. This note was worth reading

Oldsuper Hero: @ crow man: a lot of people that do this are a mucking fess. Me included. But the bulk of them are generally helpful. Not deliberately harmful, no matter what they profile as.

Drago Hammer: ML I deleted a comment about picking fights with people whom 'call you out' #1 to get angry at people for trying to call your attention to negative things that you could grow from is your buisness, however I encourage you strongly to take ...a step back and really look critically at your actions and those around you. Especially those that multiple people have come forward to you about. Perhaps even with angels, God: the Power Cosmic speaks through other people. I believe to call the majority of people that have concerns for your actions and those around you as evil is a huge mistake.
Legend, with respect I will not tolerate anyone talking about picking fights, or threatening people physically on my page. Please refrain from doing so when commenting on my page in the future.

Captain Ozone: Tothian was the very first RLSH to ever communicate with me three years ago via MySpace. We had a lot of interesting conversations and he seemed like a pretty thoughtful chap. Remember that funny YouTube video of Tothian attempting to save a mentally retarded pigeon's life? Or the video of him serenading a real-life superheroine?
It's truly sad that it's come to all this now. If only there was something we could do to help the guy.
--------------------------------------

See, Captain Ozone’s comment is the saddest one, because I can relate to this subject a lot. It would be easy to swap names around and make this look like it’s about my life, and I’m sure you, the reader, know a sociopath too.
If you do, and you are the victim, take my advice, and take Old Superheroes advice and just get out. Get out and stay away. Life only gets better afterwards.

Meanwhile, I stated before that I was hurt that people I looked up to were behaving in such a petty fashion... I take that back. True, there are some idiots there but to lose faith in them for the actions of a few is the same as hating me because Lewis Moore makes you angry. Do you see what I mean? I don’t know about Drago Hammer, or many of the others who posted, but Old Super Hero and Master Legend genuinely do good things, and any flaws they display are human flaws. Real-life superheroes should not be condemned for their flaws. If anything, they should be congratulated for doing the right thing and persevering in spite of their flaws.

Think about it.

Verbish
xxx

Shameless Screen Grab courtesy of Verblog

One isn't sure of the protocol for Blog Shameless Screen Grabbing - and hopes no boundaries of good (Evil) taste or courtesy have been breached. The post IS worthy though. It pokes fun at our usual adversaries and is an outsiders somewhat unbiased opinion. It's Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle that concerns me though. To look close enough at something is to change it, and in changing it, do we not also change? As Nietzsche pointed out; 

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you". 

It becomes important that as we work in Villainy we not lose our sense of ourselves. That we while trying to Control, Eliminate, and Rule the superheroes, do not become as they are. 


Weak.

There are worlds of Evil that Villains may explore beyond superheroes. To dislike them intensely does not require a Villain to work at their elimination. Simply by creating a better Villainy achieves that task equally.


Tothian is a piece of work. So is Cloud Starchaser.






We must rule ourselves before we can rule the World,
-Lord Malignance