[TT] Sociopathy & Psychopathy: Why Should We Care?

Having watched Elementary last week, I was fascinated with great the impact of genetic sociopathy among characters. In this blog entry, I'll try not to bore you all with facts from academic articles that are better suited for those aiming to study Psychology and/or Criminology. What I really want to focus on today is how important it is to know whether sociopathy is coded in our genetics or learned. What's terrifying about psychopaths and sociopaths is that they are not only the few Ted Bundys and Paul Bernardos that exist in the headlines of the media, but they could be our co-workers, our friends, and even our family members. I don't want to scare anyone with this post, because it is rare for psychopathy and sociopathy to manifest into horrible and inhuman crimes, but we should take the time to educate ourselves and ask ourselves why it would be important to understand sociopathy and psychopathy.

Sociopathy is, according to MedlinePlus, known as someone with antisocial personality disorder, long-term problems with behaviors-often criminal in nature-that "manipulate, exploit or violate the rights of others."


Sociopaths and psychopaths are usually clumped together when they are addressed in the media, but those who study the phenomenons know that there are differences. Although the differences are still being debated, social scientists agree that there are distinguishable differences in labelling someone as a psychopath or a sociopath. These terms differ in the origins of the phenomenon. Generally, it is considered that psychopathy is characterized in an inborn temperment and external factors affect a psychopath's behaviour, whereas sociopathy is characterized by environmental stressors and they are born with a normal temperment.
According to David T. Lykken, psychopaths are born with a disorder that detaches them from feeling. They often do know what they are doing, but lack empathy and care for any harm caused. Hence, any crimes committed by psychopaths are generally committed on those they feel close to. Sociopaths are capable of being emotionally attached to individuals, but like psychopaths, will lack empathy and lack the ability to feel shame. In crime, sociopaths will be capable of committing crimes against strangers and will less likely commit crimes against someone they deeply care for.
Although both sociopaths and psychopaths manipulate themselves to become charming and/or intimidating in order to con others, there are differences in how they both present themselves. Psychopaths are very methodical and they maintain themselves in order to commit crimes. Even in the most pressured situation, psychopaths are able to maintain an emotionless mindset. Sociopaths, on the other hand, are less organized and often act impulsively, without thinking about the consequences.

Here's an interesting article that gives you a glimpse on the phenomenon of sociopathy and psychopathy!
Here's another article addressing how you can spot a sociopath/psychopath, named The Psychopath Next Door.

Sometimes I wonder if I, myself, am a sociopath or a psychopath. I had asked my dad one time whether he thought I was capable of killing someone...either in the context of pre-meditated murder or "in the heat of the moment" murder. He had sad no, because I was inherently a good person. I chuckled because I was glad dad didn't think I was a nut case, but deep down I realized I didn't know the answer myself.

Social scientists believe that both hereditary and environmental factors influence whether a person is a sociopath and a psychopath. Of course it is easy to say that a personality disorder, that is considered hereditary in the medical world, would be one major influence in a person's sociopathy. Hence, knowing ancestry would be a good indicator of whether a child will be a sociopath and potentially a psychopath. Advocates for the learning perspective trace a sociopath and psychopath's evolution from birth to criminal activity. They say that the amount and quality of care a child receives when they're young greatly affects how they'll become when they are older.


The reason why I don't know the answer of whether I am a sociopath or a psychopath is because of my family dynamics. There is no way that my traditional Chinese family will tell me whether our ancestors are criminals. My family doesn't believe in personality disorders. Well, they do...but they don't believe that our family is capable of having it...since none of us have had a severe enough traumatic experience. Hence, there is no way they would believe that I would be a sociopath or a psychopath. I'd like to believe them, but it is good to keep yourself in check and make sure that the next person who pisses you off isn't going to get a knife in their back.

Coupling all the things that I mentioned above, I think it's pretty safe to say that there is an element of community awareness as well as personal reflection that can shape and influence the future of sociopathy and psychopathy studies. The whole nature and nurture debate is like asking whether the chicken or the egg came first. We're never going to get one right answer. I hope that people do not take this blog entry as a way of me simplifying a sociopath or psychopath's situation. The two terms are so complicated that there are factions of study dedicated to it. All I'm trying to say is that these things exist, and it's interesting to think about how this knowledge affects us. So what if there are sociopaths and psychopaths? Do we live on just crossing our fingers that we don't encounter any? Or do we actively seek them out and treat them like guinea pigs in a lab?

[WW] Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple

A few weeks ago, I was studying for one of my courses when I was once again reminded of Jim Jones, a man whose charisma had led 909 people to their death, making it the largest mass suicide ever in history. This is not current news, but I want to share with people what I've learned from researching about Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple.


These two documentaries depict the chilling stories of the people in Jonestown, under the lead of Jim Jones. Both can be seen on YouTube:

PBS Documentary - Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
and
Jonestown: Paradise Lost (2007)
*NOTICE* I have to warn you all that after watching these videos, I became really angry and life suddenly seemed a little dimmer. Do not watch these videos expecting to see a happy ending.

The Peoples Temple was formed in Indiana in the mid-1950s, led by a man named Jim Jones, with its purpose to spread "apostolic socialism". In other words, they were considered a faction of Christianity with an integrated political belief that socialism (an economic system characterised by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy) would lead them to enlightenment. In the early 1970's, former Temple members had raised media awareness of the Temples' practices and demanded that there be an investigation done on allegations that were made (there were claims that some members were murdered when they had announced their desire to leave the Peoples Temple, among other allegations). Coupled with the political tide change, these events led to the creation of the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in Guyana, where there was no extradition laws with the United States.

Guyana was inhabited by a majority of English-speaking Indians and the climate was socialist. According to Jim Jones, the mass migration to this rural area was necessary for their salvation and the United States was no longer a suitable place to be because of the dominance of multinational companies and racism that thrived there. There, the Peoples Temple built a village from the ground up. A village with no contact with the outside world. A village so rural that it would be extremely difficult to return back in the United States. As media coverage of the Peoples Temple rose, former members spoke out against Jim Jones and the abuse and brain-washing they had endured while being apart of the Peoples Temple. Family members of those in Jonestown worried about their relatives who they had no contact with. Feeling the pressure of the public to take action, Congressman Leo Ryan (of Northern California) was sent to investigate Jonestown. Along with worried family members, journalists, and camera crew, the Congressman managed to visit Jim Jones and his followers at Jonestown.

Fearing investigation and the decline of the Peoples Temple, it was believed that Jim Jones planned the murder the Congressman and his crew. This led to the events of November 18th, 1978 when Jim Jones gathered his followers and spoke to them about the "enemy" (we don't know whether this is the United States or just some anti-Christian figure) that would descend upon them and kill them mercilessly unless they bravely took their own lives. You can hear his final speech before the tragedy on what is known as the "death tapes". On the day of November 18th, 1978, Jim Jones led 909 followers to their death by poisoning. This event is often referenced by the phrase, "drinking the Kool-Aid", because of the fruity drink that was mixed with an assortment of poisons used to kill the people of Jonestown.


As you will see in the documentaries, Jim Jones had a way with words. He, like Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, spoke of hope during a time where people needed it most. What shocks and horrifies me about this event is how one man, like so many before him, could create such a vision and achieve so much control over such a large group of people. The extremity of this event leads one to wonder how, despite the threat to safety, the people of Jonestown could look to Jim Jones as a saviour. This was a man who moved the people of Jonestown to forsaken their families and their lives to follow words of salvation and miracles. One of the theories I've heard about why Jones instructed the mass suicide was because his own time was nearly up (because of lung cancer) and his fear of dying alone led him to convince his followers that the end was near and that there was no way out but death. If that is so, it sickens me that this selfish man, that so many people depended on, could consider himself holy and morally just.

Religion scares me. Extremist beliefs scare me. It's because of people like Jim Jones, the people of Jonestown, and even the Westboro Baptist Church, that I am scared of Faith. I know that my religious friends are going to pat me on the head and tell me that those are cults and that their god (small g) would never preach and desire such evil things, but why should I believe them? Having been in touch with Christians and the church before, they will tell me that faith is a blessing bestowed by God (big G). I will tell you now that having the knowledge and capacity to think for myself is the biggest blessing. Humans are capable of the most wicked things, turning friends on friends, turning family on family. There is no right answer when it comes to belief. Like an election campaign in any democratic nation, we should all be allowed to be free-thinkers and to find information when we seek it.

I hope that despite this depressing lesson, people will learn that there is no stronger will than your own. Be the one to make your own decision. If you are religious on your own free will, kudos to you. If you believe in a strong political stance, kudos to you. But your beliefs are strictly your own. What good has harm ever done? Threat of physical violence or death should not stem from a faith that focuses on love. The choice has always been yours. Never let anyone take that away from you.

[FF] Disclaimer to Fashion Fridays?

Photo courtesy of Olivia Palermo.

When it comes to following fashion trends, the thing I quickly found out was that fashion never sleeps. One moment you think you’ve gotten every major trend predicted for the upcoming season and the next season is already walking down runways in major fashion capitals. Hence, by the time fashion news comes to my attention and I can safely use images that won’t have me dragged off to copyright prison, the news is considered late and outdated. This is why I feel that this post is necessary before I am criticized for my choice in post topics.

First and foremost, I do not claim to be a fashion guru of any sort. I am merely someone who loves fashion...from the art it produces and the clothes I put on myself. I do not claim to follow and agree with every trend and will only showcase those that appeal to me.

Having said that, I am debating whether I should just rename Friday blog entries to "Fancy Fridays", allowing myself the freedom to post about any beautiful thing that has been brought to my attention. My prior intention was to showcase Look of the Days and/or share what fashion knowledge I have accumulated over the past week, but this has been proven difficult and filled with self-conflict.

Any comments and suggestions would be deeply appreciated. Thanks everyone and I apologize for the lack of continuity in blog entries.

[TT] Relaxation My Way

So it's currently midterm season for us University folk and all my friends and I are sending "ughs, arghs, and why's" each others' way. What's interesting about stress is that it is all in the mind. A wise [make-up] guru once told us that her way of biting through stress is to not allow the mind to think about how stressful something is. Just do it. No emotions attached. There are a lot of things in life that we will not enjoy doing, but if you let your mind process that what you're doing is going to be very aggravating...the task at hand will be. As Dan Millman put it:

Pain is a relatively objective, physical phenomenon; suffering is our psychological resistance to what happens. Events may create physical pain, but they do not in themselves create suffering. Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is... The only problem in your life is your mind's resistance to life as it unfolds.

Since everyone deserves to feel relaxed and happy and hopeful, I thought this would be a perfect time to write an entry on relaxing, my way.

Okay seriously...how could you not feel relaxed and all gushy looking at this kitten picture?

Finding inner peace, when your mind is swimming with the load of work that is piling up, is difficult...but let's start this entry with an open mind and these following instructions:

1. Close your eyes and lean back into your chair.
2. Count to 20 but by counting up to five only (aka. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...repeat til you hit 20).
3. If you aren't feeling a little more relaxed, then feel free to shout one word really really loud. Extra brownie points if your word is 'penis'.

Not a kitten/cat fan? Here's a puppy!

Nothing relaxes me more than music, but it is incredibly stressful to finish one song and scramble to find another one. This is why websites like Songza and SoundCloud are my new best thunder buddies. On these sites, you can access playlists and mixes that others have made. Songza is pretty awesome because their lobby offers music catered to specific moods and situations. SoundCloud is a good hub for mix-junkies and also for people who produce their own music, so there are some gems waiting to be discovered.

Here's a mix I recently found out about by Eton Messy via SoundCloud. Each of his mixes generally go for about an hour so that means no muss no fuss and jams galore!



For me, the worst part about stress is that it comes in the weirdest forms. Stressing over school or work seems like a natural thing for most people, but for me I tend to stress about things when there's nothing substantial to be stressed out about. Stress may be a burden of sorts, but it constantly keeps me on my toes and allows me to enjoy the relaxation time I feel I deserve.

Here are a few easy (and free!) methods that I use whenever I feel incredibly stressed and need to wind down:

1. Browse Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest. Pretty pictures and things such as D.I.Y. projects definitely give me some hope for the future. I tell myself I will do a D.I.Y. project after I complete a certain stressful task. Another website I frequent often for pretty pictures and clothing combinations is LookBook. This site quenches my fashion thirst and allows me to be creative with my existing clothes without breaking the bank!

2. Watch a disgustingly fake drama/sitcom/tv show. I am a sucker for shows that are obviously scripted and revolve around petty dramas and women. I don't like to be a part of drama, but these shows definitely make me grateful that I'm not in their shows. The two shows I am currently sucked into are YouTube's GregoryGorgeous' series The Avenue and my beloved city's version of the hit TV series, Real Housewives of Vancouver. Both shows are currently on their second season! Click on the links and it will take you directly to where I go to watch the shows.

3. Write a TO-DO List. This stress reliever kicks ass because, not only am I being productive by sorting out my priorities, but it allows me to objectively look at all the things I need to do. Not to mention crossing out completed tasks feels incredible! The boyfriend loves this one, so we make Dating Lists [of what we need to do and where we'd like to go] together as well as separate ones of our own!

4. Have a hot beverage. Heck, poor yourself a glass of wine if that's your thing! Just don't overdo the alcohol or else you'll dehydrate yourself and that will be another thing to stress out about!!! My hot beverage of choice is coffee. I say this, not only does the caffeine rejuvenate me, but  because my mom drinks it as well. I love it when mom and I each pour a nice cup of java (mine with a dash of milk, hers two sugars and milk just until you see it swirl up to top) and sit at the dinner table. The aroma of coffee relaxes both of us and we just spend the time catching up on life or gossiping about others. Having said that, you don't have to enjoy your beverage with someone for it to be relaxing. Chamomile tea, for instance, is well known for its calming affects. My tea of choice is peppermint, because it aids in digestion and calms one thing that gets affected when I'm stressed...my stomach.

5.Clean. Your. Room. Some people may find this incredibly odd because we've spent our lives telling our moms to get off our case when it comes to cleaning or tidying up our rooms, but trust me...it works. It may be difficult to get started but once you chuck out all the garbage and vacuum up all the dust-bunnies, you'll start to feel like you have a clean environment to achieve great things in! De-cluttering your room is like a projection of de-cluttering your mind. Also, who says you can't do anything? You just cleaned your room! And now everything looks spectacular so go out into the world and achieve anything you want!

These are only some of the ways I choose to relax whenever I feel stressed out. I hope some of you found my tips useful! Good luck to all those with exams and other deadlines!

Now it's your turn: What are some of the ways you relax or de-stress? Remember: sharing is caring!

[WW] Cecil Hotel and Elisa Lam

I debated about writing on this particular subject because it is still recent and raw but I feel that this is a good opportunity to see what type of lessons we may learn from something that hits so close to home.

*Disclaimer: This post was not meant to speak ill of Elisa Lam or her families. For that reason, I will not to disclose pictures of Elisa or her family members, although they are available on other websites.*
For anyone who hasn't been following the story, Elisa Lam, a 21 year old UBC student, had gone missing since the beginning of February. Her last known location was the hotel she was staying at in Los Angeles. The reason why this is such a big deal? Because, yesterday, a young female's body was found in a water tank above the hotel where Lam was last seen. Although there is no positive ID (according to my forensics class, this mean they don't have any characteristic that would uniquely link the body to Elisa Lam) on whether the body belongs to Lam, I feel this topic can serve as a valuable lesson and a nice jump-off point for people if they are interested in following this case.

[*UPDATE* I wrote this entry early yesterday and the investigators had not confirmed the identity of the body, but breaking news shows the LAPD have identified that the body found in the water tank above Cecil Hotel is Elisa Lam. My deepest condolences to Elisa's family and may they find closure despite this tragic incident. R.I.P. Elisa Lam. Read more here.]

I decided to research Cecil Hotel, where Elisa was staying at and the place where she was last seen.
A quick Google search of Cecil Hotel showed that it was a popular destination to stay at when travelling in Los Angeles because of its cheap lodging fees through Expedia and TripAdvisor. Now, I assume, the hotel is popular for all the wrong reasons. The hotel is more of a hostel, in which most patrons had to share a communal bathroom. Reviews from 2012 up to the present have stated, "you get what you pay for", elaborating that the accomodations were filthy and service was unfriendly. I was looking for indications that the hotel was situated in an unsafe location, but many had said that the area had been cleaned up and they had felt safe during their stay. So imagine my interest when this website covered the dark history of Cecil Hotel!



The history of past serial killers and ghosts at the Cecil Hotel truly does not sit well with any viewer following the Elisa Lam case. Another website (here) touches upon the known patrons who have died on the grounds of Cecil Hotel. After the video of Elisa Lam's last known appearance surfaced on the internet of Lam acting strangely in an elevator, it is not surprising that viewers would think the worst. Some speculated that there were ghosts occupying the elevator that stopped the doors from closing or that Lam was trying to lose someone who had followed her into the hotel. Some were quick to say that Lam was under the influence of a hallucinogen. Some lighter-hearted folk believed she was merely being playful with someone she knew. Whatever the reason, I feel as if the investigators involved are withholding information from the public and it will be interesting to see how everything pans out.

Many questions arose from Elisa Lam's situation. Why was she travelling alone? Why was she staying in Los Angeles? Why did she stay at Cecil Hotel despite the many negative reviews on the internet? I feel as if we will never know the entire story, but that is not the point of this blog entry. Despite all these personal factors we will never know and perhaps never understand, there are a few things we can learn from this incident. This is not some fool-proof method to stay safe because there are people who care not for the lives of others, but we should nevertheless do our part to educate ourselves and those we love.
I understand that many young people want to travel and some may not have the necessary funds to do so, but I stress that is of the utmost importance to always do your research. Whenever travelling, be it alone or with friends, one must always know what type of situation they are getting themselves into. A quick search over Google showed that Cecil Hotel, although cheap, had a dark history and was in a  "recovering environment". One might say that it is all in the past and that they don't believe in ghosts, but take it from one blogger who refused to stay at the "hotel" for even one night (read his blog entry here).
Also, according to reviews on hotel websites, Cecil Hotel is a frequented hotel for those who book accommodations last minute. I think it is plain stupid to go somewhere with no prior planning of where you're going and where you're staying. Sure, you can slap me on the back for lacking spontaneity, but you shouldn't be sacrificing your safety for fun. The world is not what it was before. I don't even mean "you'll get it" in any criminal sense either, because there are just a lot of things that you need to be prepared for, such as loss of accommodation (the people in Hong Kong travelling in China would love to tell you about that one) or any type of emergency. I don't mean to put a dapper on things, but it seems ludicrous for people to not think about the possibily of these things happening while on vacation!

I hope this article sparks some interest in viewers to follow this case. I feel that, out of this incident, we can learn from those involved and just be a little more aware. I sincerely hope that Elisa Lam is found and returns home safely, but only time will tell how this story will continue.

Happy Valentine's Day!

"Love consists in overestimating the difference between one woman and another."

- George Bernard Shaw

check out this easy diy chocolate strawberries here.

 

Instead of telling you what you should buy or do to your loved ones this Valentine's, I want people to take a step back and take a look at why we do all these things. I spent my afternoon watching a few videos on TEDtalks, specifically here and here. If you have an hour or so, I recommend watching them just for some insight on relationships, regardless of whether you're in one or not.

Love and relationships are interesting because there is so many compounds to it. Romanticism and eroticism seem to complicate any notion we have of any Disney happily ever after. There is that want of another person to be everything and nothing. From Esther Perel's talk, people desire predicability and surprise in a sexually committed relationship. We must be able to understand why we love and charge into relationships with such conflicting notions. It is unrealistic to go to one person and demand everything that "only a village could provide". We demand belonging and yet desire our own identity; we want commitment and continuity, but also want awe and mystery. No amount of sex toys and lingerie can save that way of thinking...unless we take a step back and realize what we are doing in our modern relationships.

From Dr. Helen Fisher's talk, Fisher states that when we are in a relationship, the person becomes just "better" than anything else. For instance, your car is just different than any other car in the parking lot. This is a fascinating notion because animalistically, we are designed to love more than one person. Yet, monogamy is (believe it or not) a rather recent notion, which she claims is fueled by female roles changing in modern society. I've yet to come to terms with the idea that we are innately programmed to love more than one person, sexually or emotionally. I'm not negating the idea of family and friendly love, but there is a historical idea that cheating wasn't once as taboo as it is considered now. Reading on why humans cheat, there are explanations besides "that dude was a jerk" and "sex just wasn't good" as reasons for adultery. Call them excuses, call them lies...people are researching and that's what they found and believe, so might as well take a gander and learn something.

This Valentine's, not only should we need to ask ourselves why we love, we should also ask how we love. This year, I have been hearing about Love Languages and other personal loving style articles. Just to share an interesting video, featuring Dr. Helen Fisher:


What's your personality type? What is your ideal type? What is your Significant Other's type? I believe that compatibility in a relationship is not only based on coincidence and fate. It's based off hard work and perseverence. How often do you fall in love with someone who is 100% exactly how you envisioned your lover to be, right?

There is also the idea of the Love Language. My understanding of love language is that it is how we understand and feel love. It's like understanding a language in which only certain things pertain or "click" with us. I know there are many versions of this test, but I googled it and decided to do the first test that appeared in my search results. Take this short personality test (30 questions) and you will receive points (highest being 12) on a scale to which is most likely your "love language".

For anyone who is curious, I scored the highest in Words of Affirmation, which roughly translates to, "I need compliments to feel loved and I can't take criticism very well." Which is actually very true and having done this test, I'm surely going to be more aware of how it affects me and my relationships.



let me know what you got in the comments below!

So in conclusion to my lecture on Love 101, here are a few lessons to be learned: Love is an extremely abstract notion, riddled with terms like romance and sex, which really needs to be understood in many contexts to grasp onto how to thrive in a modern relationship. Too often we are just thrown into heats of passion and rarely take a step back to see why and how we are doing certain things. Love, with its ability to make a martyr out of anyone, should not be taken lightly. Having said that, love is already programmed into us and we are surrounded with it, not only on Valentine's day. Why does anyone need to be confined by one day and to suddenly realize that they haven't shown a person that they love them? That they care? That they appreciate them? That they desire them? We should be making every day...Valentine's Day.