Sources and Research (1)

I found a marvellously extensive resource here:

http://psychopathyawareness.wordpress.com

Amongst the many gems to be found at this site, Claudia Moscovici offers the following:

                              The Tools of a Psychopath

                              Glibness and Charm

                             Analogies and Metaphor 

                             Slander 

                            Circumlocution and Evasion 

                            Pointing Fingers at Others 

                            Fabrication of Details 

                            Playing Upon Your Emotions

                                Moscovici, C., Accessed 18/3/13, 

http://psychopathyawareness.wordpress.com/category/information-about-psychopathy/

A quote I have come away with from this very interesting site is as follows:

"Self-respect is essential for survival. It is a form of self-love that solidifies our identities and protects us from dangerous pathologicals. Self-respect gives us definition and boundaries. Unlike the absolute narcissism of toxic indviduals, self-respect (and self-love) does not entail the exploitation of others nor is it a total self-absorption.  It is also very different from the idolatry that psychopaths commonly engage in during the luring phase of the relationship, when they flatter and love bomb you, in order to manipulate and control you . . . 

"Knowing yourself, in my estimation, means using your strengths to improve your life and the lives of others rather than to appear superior to them or to gain their approval. Being an artistic or mathematical “genius,” or being very popular and beautiful–however exceptional you may be in some respects–doesn’t entitle you to special treatment. It also doesn’t justify you mistreating others in any way. In other words, your strengths shouldn’t feed your vanity, as they do for narcissists and psychopaths, just as your weaknesses shouldn’t cripple you.

"Reaching an inner balance also requires having the right motivation for your endeavors. For instance, don’t create art to impress others or to become famous. Create to offer yet another instance of beauty and meaning to enrich your life and perhaps also the lives of others. Don’t write books to become rich or consecrated. Write to express a talent that makes you happy and that may contribute some human wisdom that is best expressed more creatively. Don’t give to charity or behave nicely to others to be considered generous and kind. Help those in need and be a genuinely decent human being.

 "If you have a healthy self-image, your strengths and talents will radiate primarily from within. They will give energy to others rather than being absorbed from without, by depending upon their external validation. Similarly, having a healthy self-esteem entails working on your weaknesses without allowing them to haunt you, to become deep-seated insecurities that malicious individuals can exploit. Such a healthy attitude towards yourself and your life therefore implies some detachment from the views of others: from how they perceive you, what they expect from you and what they say about you. "

Claudia Moscovici, psychopathyawareness, accessed 18/3/13, http://psychopathyawareness.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/instead-of-the-cult-of-self-improvement-cultivate-self-respect/