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The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is important, but the unbridled enthusiasm has obscured a dark side. The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence In some jobs, being in touch with emotions is essential. In others, it seems to be a detriment. And like any skill, being able to read people can be used for good or evil. ADAM GRANT JAN 2, 2014 Some of the greatest moments in human history were fueled by emotional intelligence. When Martin Luther King, Jr. presented his dream, he chose language that would stir the hearts of his audience. “Instead of honoring this sacred obligation” to liberty, King thundered, “America has given the Negro people a bad check.” He…
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The Language of Psychopaths
Considering some of the unique aspects of psychopathic language, it might be possible to detect the psychopath in online environments where information is exclusively text based. The Language of Psychopaths New Findings and Implications for Law Enforcement By Michael Woodworth, Ph.D.; Jeffrey Hancock, Ph.D.; Stephen Porter, Ph.D.; Robert Hare, Ph.D.; Matt Logan, Ph.D.; Mary Ellen O’Toole, Ph.D.; and Sharon Smith, Ph.D. For psychopaths, not only a lack of affect but also inappropriate emotion may reveal the extent of their callousness. Recent research suggested that much can be learned about these individuals by close examination of their language. Their highly persuasive nonverbal behavior often distracts the listener from identifying their psychopathic…
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Narcissist or Sociopath in Your Life? Four Essential Answers
Borderline folks are at the mercy of their own pain, and have little energy left over to offer care for others. They are capable of both guilt and empathy, but often cannot access either. Narcissist or Sociopath in Your Life? Four Essential Answers By Jonice Webb PhD As a blogger on PsychCentral, I regularly read the most popular blog posts. I’ve noticed that articles that contain the words “narcissist, borderline or sociopath,” three types of personality disorders (PDs), are often the most read, liked and shared. I also notice that the folks who comment on those posts very often express a mixture of strong emotions like confusion, hurt, anger and…
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A Therapist Explains Why Everyone On ‘Game Of Thrones’ Has Serious Issues
Joffrey is very much a product of his parents, who have the most dangerous combination of disorders in a couple: Borderline personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. A Therapist Explains Why Everyone On ‘Game Of Thrones’ Has Serious Issues Westeros is basically a living, breathing manual for mental illness. by kat rosenfield 4/30/2015 If you watch “Game of Thrones,” you already know that Westeros isn’t exactly a hotbed of emotional stability or healthy relationships. And the reason why — apart from the fact that it makes for great drama — is that nearly everyone on the show suffers from major mental health issues. From depression to delusion to various personality…
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Why Borderlines are NOT Psychopaths
I have often heard Non-BPDs (or family and friends of those with borderline personality disorder – BPD) refer to their borderlines as “psychopaths”. There was the semi-famous story of the divorced husband who was running a blog called “the psycho ex-wife” (read more about that saga here) which had an “arm chair” diagnosis of this man’s ex-wife as having BPD. While she may or may not have BPD, the reference to the word “psycho” is a misnomer. There are several BIG differences between borderline personality disorder and psychopathy. One of the most important is the function of the amygdala – an almond shaped structure in the mid-brain that activates when…
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Happy Victimization: Emotion Dysregulation in The Context of Instrumental, Proactive Aggression
How the role of attachment, amygdala response and the mirror neuron system play out in aggression types in BPD and Psychopathy Here is a snip from a very interesting blog post by William Lu, who was a graduate student in psychology when he wrote it in 2010: I recently read a fascinating book chapter written by William Arsenio titled Happy Victimization: Emotion Dysregulation in The Context of Instrumental, Proactive Aggression. Early in the chapter, the author discussed how according to a study, 4-year-old children tended to predict that a bully would feel happy after pushing around some poor chump on the playground, aka happy victimization (Arsenio & Kramer, 1992). However, at age…
