Another Classic Case of

An

Antisocial Personality.

A

leading psychiatrist writes about another classic case of an Antisocial personality. He was a 20 year old person Mr. X, whom the Psychiatrist met in a prison. Mr. X had planned, conspired and helped commit a double murder with ruthless disregard for the consequences of his action. In a very businesslike way he had persuaded a companion, a schizophrenic, who happened to be the only son of two physicians, to poison them by having them drink champagne, which the instigator had filled with Arsenic, on the parents’ wedding day anniversary night at a celebration by these four people. The police listed their death as a double suicide for more than a year. Meanwhile, a life Insurance policy of US $ 1, 50,000.00 was shared by the two youth. The reason for their eventual arrest was the need of Mr. X to impress his girl friend, by constantly boasting of his role, in killing his friend’s parents. She eventually informed the police about the crime. As a result both young men were placed on the prison ward for examination and observation. The couple’s son was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and Mr. X as a Psychopathic Personality or Anti-social personality.

During his interviews with Mr. X, the psychiatrist observed that Mr. X neither showed conscious remorse, guilt, shame nor anxiety, nor did he admit the feeling of any of these emotions. He admitted his part in the murder which, he said, was to him, an experience similar to Oscar Wilde’s, “In search of a new experience.” He did not have any remorse about his actions, except the regret he felt about being apprehended and imprisoned. He admitted seeing no wrong with the murder, stealing, or any other immoral or amoral actions, provided he or anyone else could get away with it. He showed no psychotic illness or symptoms. Hereunder I submit certain statistics and characteristics of these Antisocial Personalities (ASPs).

   1.The most disruptive of all the personality disorders is    

      this Antisocial Personality Disorder. 

2.3% of the human population has this disorder.

3.Six times as many men as women are ASPs.

Their Characteristics:

1.  Lack of remorse, guilt, or a sense of shame pertaining   

   to antisocial acts.

2. Inability to see self as others do (lack of insight), failure    

    to learn from experience.

3. Irresponsible in marital or parental roles; repeated

    failures   to achieve lasting success in school, on the job,   

    or in personal relationships.

4. Intelligent, superficially charming and likable, but   

    underneath this façade, there is a profound poverty of   

     deep and lasting emotions, particularly those involving    

     tenderness and nurturance.

5.  Often combines intelligence and charm to con and  

     manipulate others for personal gain.

6.  Extremely egocentric and self-centered.

7.  Can pretend to love or care for others but appears to be  

     lacking in genuine capacity to love.

8.  Absence of any of the classic symptoms of psychological  

     disorders such as excessive anxiety, depression,   

     irrational thought process, or hallucinations.

9.  They seem to express the attitude, “You cannot hurt me

     because I have little fear of pain.”

10.They may have far less anxiety about the possible

     consequences of punishment than most people do.

11.They act impulsively and repeatedly manifest antisocial

     behavior.

12.They like to satisfy id (id is life instincts like hunger,

      thirst, sex) instincts without regard for social mores

      (customs) and unhindered by guilt or shame. In the   

      course of their early personality development, they fail

      to acquire a superego, which causes the growth of the  

      sense of right and wrong, and the moral arm of the   

      personality. ( Freud’s theory)   

A Classic Case of

An Antisocial personality

This is in continuation of my earlier article on psychology, where I had just described the personality. Hereunder is a classic case of the same.

A person aged 40 was arrested for forgery of Cheques, and embezzlement. He was arrested along with a young woman, aged 18 years. He had married her bigamously, and she was not aware of his previous marriage. The person was already convicted twice for two previous bigamous marriages, and 40 other cases of encashing fraudulent cheques. 

He had got a job to manage a small restaurant. The complete restaurant was kept at his disposal. The owner used to stay in a neighbouring place, and would visit the restaurant at the end of every week to check on the progress of business and collect the income. He was given a quarter right on top of the restaurant, and was fixed a small salary, and a share in the income. Every night he was to deposit all the day’s collection in the bank. He did not do that. At the end of the week, just before the owner arrived, he departed with all the money. He left a series of vulgar messages scribbled on the wall, saying he had taken the money because the salary was too low. He did not make any serious attempt to escape detection. He took a lodging hardly a few blocks away from the restaurant and moved in there with his so called wife. Just a few days later he was arrested. 

During the inquiry it came to light that he had spent past few months cashing cheques in departmental stores in various cities. He would write the cheques and send his wife for encashing. He said that she was very innocent, and was not aware that he does not have any bank account. So her conduct never aroused any suspicion. He never cared to use a false name in writing the cheques or for signing the bigamous marriage contract. But he looked surprised that the police could trace him so fast. 

  

On inquiry, it came to light that his parents were financially well-to-do. He had his school education in very good private schools. They wanted to send him to the college but his academic record was not good (although on examination he was proved to be having superior intelligence). He started working as an Insurance sales-man trainee and did very well. He was a smart young man and an exceptionally fluent speaker. 

Just as he was coming up in this line he ran into trouble because he failed to deposit the premiums collected from customers. He admitted to having used up that money and spent on clothes and liquor. It did not occur to him that, in no time, the embezzlement will be noticed by the company. He grew angry as to why the company did not realize that he was planning to pay back the same from his salary. No legal action was taken. The amount was imbursed by his parents. 

Then he joined the army and underwent training. He was allotted to the infantry unit, where he again ran into trouble, for minor misconducts like drunk on duty, smuggling women into his quarters. Then he committed major misconduct like cashing fraudulent cheques. He was court- martialed and discharged from the army. 

From then on, his routine was to find a woman to support him (with or without marriage) and then running off with money to the next woman when life became too tedious. 

When his case came up for hearing he gave a long and articulate speech, pleading clemency for the young woman, who was tried with him, expressing repentance for ruining her life and and stating that he was glad to repay the society for his crimes.

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God

Rewards

Thankfulness

O

nce upon a time, there used to be three persons from amoung the Children of Israel. One of them was a leper, another was a bald person, and the third was a blind one. God wanted to test them, and sent one angel. The angel first went to the leper, and asked him, “What is the thing that you like the most?” He replied, “I should get back my complexion, and get a beautiful skin. And I want this curse of mine to be removed from me, because of which, people do not allow me to sit with them, and hate me. The angel rubbed his hand on his body. He recouped, and his skin became bright and beautiful, and he turned into a fair-complexioned person. Then the angel asked him, “What is the wealth that you like the most?” He replied, “I like a camel.”  The angel gave him a pregnant she-camel, and prayed to God to bless his camel with abundance.

Then the angel went to the bald person and asked, “What do you like the most?” He replied, “I should get very good hair on my head, and I should not remain bald. I should be relieved of this curse, because of which, people do not like me.” The angel moved his hand on his head. His baldness was gone and beautiful and profuse black hair appeared on his head. Then the angel asked him, “What wealth do you want?” He asked for a cow, and the angel gave him a pregnant cow, and prayed to God to bless his cow with abundance.

Then the angel went to the blind person and asked, “What do you like the most?” He replied, “I want that God should give me eyes and bless me with sight, such that I can see all people.” The angel moved his hand on his eyes. His blindness was gone and he was able to see with his eyes. Then the angel asked him, “What wealth do you want?” He asked for a goat, and the angel gave him a pregnant goat, and prayed to God to bless his goat with abundance.

God blessed the animals of all three people so much that their respective fields were full of their cattle,  in a very short span of time, and they all became highly affluent. Then, by order of God, the angel went to the leper with the same face, with which he had met him earlier, and said to the leper, “I am a poor person and I lost all my wealth and luggage in my journey. I have no means to reach my place other than God and you. I beg of you, in the name of the God, who blessed you with a bright and beautiful skin, to give me one camel such that I return to my place riding on it.” He said, “Get lost. I have so many obligations on me and have to take care of so many people, and there is no provision to give you anything from me.” The angel said, “I think that I know you. Were you not a leper once, because of which people used to hate you? And were you not a poor and indigent person, and then God blessed you with lot of wealth?” He replied, “What nonsense! My wealth has come to me from my rich and affluent ancestors. My father and forefathers used to be very rich people.” Then the angel said, “If you are lying, I pray to God to revert you to your old position.” Immediately God retuned him to his original position. Then the angel approached the bald person, and begged similarly, and he too gave the same answer. And the angel said, “If you are lying, may God, the Almighty, return you to your previous condition!” Instantly, he too lost his everything and was back to his original status.

The angel, then, approached the blind person, with the same face, with which he had met him first, and said, “I am a traveler and wayfarer. I lost everything of mine on the way. I have nobody to fall back upon, except God and you. I beg you in the name of the God, who restored your sight, to give me one goat, such that I can sell it and with that money commence my journey and reach my place and my people.” The blind person said, “Indeed I was a blind person. God has, out of His utmost kindness and Mercy, blessed me with sight again. You take as much as you want, and leave as much as you want. By God! I shall not deny you anything you want.” The angel said, “You keep all your wealth with you. I do not want anything from you. God only intended to test you. You came out successful and God is happy with you.”

God says,

 “For those who are thankful to Me, I give them far more.”

This story was narrated by Prophet (p).

MYSTERIOUS REWARD

A person was going in a forest. Suddenly he heard a voice in the cloud above, saying, “Give water to the garden of a Mr. X.” The cloud followed the voice; it rained very heavily in a land where there were only stones. All the water accumulated into a stream, and the stream moved ahead. This person followed that stream. At the end of it, he found that there was a person standing in his garden and collecting this water with a shovel and watering his garden. He met that person and asked him, his name. He told the same name as he had heard being told to that cloud. The person, in the Garden, asked as to why he inquired his name. He replied, “In the cloud, from which this water has come, I heard a voice which instructed the cloud to give water to your garden. Please tell me what do you do that you have become so dearer to God.” He replied, “Now that you have asked, I am compelled to tell. I take stock of the complete produce from this garden. I divide it into three parts. One third of it, I give away in charity to the needy. One-third of it, I keep for myself and my family. The remaining one-third, I use for sowing in the same garden.”

God is great! What a surprise that God, by his Kindness and Mercy, arranges for the needs and accomplishes the works, of the people, who are obedient and devoted to Him, mysteriously, without the knowledge of anybody, and even the devotee himself! 

This was a story narrated by Prophet(p).

Fervor Of Faith

The city of Madina was under an impending attack from the King of Rome. The financial position of the people of Madina was very weak. Prophet (p) gave a call to all the people of Madina to make contributions in the cause of God, such that they can buy the arms and equipment needed for facing the attack of the Roman king on the city of Madina, and protect Madina and its inhabitants - the men, women and children. This expedition is called Expedition of Tabook. Everybody contributed far beyond his capacity. Usman (r), one of the companions of Prophet (p), was one of the richest persons those days. He contributed 900 horses, and a lot of gold. Omar (r), another close companion of Prophet (p), had just then got lot of money from out of his business. He thought that this time he would definitely excel Abu-Bakr (r), a very poor, but very dear, companion of Prophet (p). Omar (r) divided his complete wealth and monies into two parts; kept one half for his family and brought with him and contributed the other half in the cause of God. Having made the contribution, when he was going, Prophet (p) asked him, “O Omar! What did you leave for your family?” He said, “O Prophet (p)! I left half of my wealth and monies for my family, and the remaining half, I contributed in the cause of God.” Just then Abu-Bakr (r) also happened to come and bring his contribution. He made his contribution and was going. Then Prophet (p) asked him, “O Abu-Bakr! Tell me, what did you leave for your family?” Abu-Bakr (r) said, “I left only God and His Prophet for my family.” Omar (r) heard these words of Abu-Bakr (r), and said to himself, “I can never excel Abu-Bakr (r), because his faith in God is far more superior to that of mine.”

One thing that is worth noting here is that, what Abu-Bakr (r) contributed, was, in quantum terms, no match to the contribution of Omar (r). Omar’s contribution must have been at least 100 times more than that of Abu-Bakr (r), but even then, it was only half or 50% of Omar’s wealth. What Abu Bakr (r) contributed was full, or, whatever he had, or it was full 100%.

- A Rejoinder -

With Abu-Bakr (r), it so happened, that he had packed up everything that he had in his house, to contribute in the cause of God; and he was left with a woolen blanket to cover himself. There was not even a pin available to pin the blanket after covering his body with it; because even up to the pin, everything was packed towards the contribution. Then he went out and brought some thorns from the nearby bushes, and pinned it to the blanket to cover his body. It was in this dress that he came to submit his contribution. After that Prophet (p) had called him and asked the above question, and Abu-Bakr (r) gave the reply as above.  Just then Gabriel, the Arch Angel of God, who brings God’s Revelations and Messages to the Prophets, came to Prophet (p). He was wearing the same dress of a woolen blanket tied with the thorns. Prophet (p) wondered and asked Gabriel about the unusual dress, he was wearing that day. Gabriel replied, “Not only myself but, as per the command of God, all angels in the Heavens are wearing the same dress as that of Abu-Bakr (r) today. God has so much of liked the contribution, the spirit and faith of Abu-Bakr (r), that God not only ordered all angels including myself to wear this dress, but has also sent a message to you to convey to Abu-Bakr (r) that God is very happy with Abu-Bakr (r), and God wanted to know from Abu-Bakr (r), whether Abu-Bakr (r) is happy with God or not.” Prophet (p) conveyed to Abu-Bakr (r), “ O Abu-Bakr (r)! Gabriel has come to me now and is conveying to you that God is very happy with you for your spirit in making 100% contribution in the cause of God, and the faith you have shown in God. And God also wants to know from you whether you are happy with God.” On hearing this, Abu-Bakr (r) was in tears of joy; went into a trance and went on repeating again and again, by raising his hand, pointing his index finger towards the Heavens and rotating his hand, “ I am happy with God ! I am happy with God !! I am happy with God !!!”            

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