Psychopath

[jerryf25]

So much hypocrisy – spouting platitudes and admonitions to followers while living as if he had no conscience. But then, that’s normal for a psychopath.

A chapter on the characteristics of cult leaders is in “Captive Hearts, Captive Minds” by Madeleine Landau Tobias and Janja Lalich.

The purpose of a cult . . . is to serve the emotional, financial, sexual, and power needs of the leader. (p. 65)

“Psychopaths are social predators who charm, manipulate, and ruthlessly plow their way through life, leaving a broad trail of broken hearts, shattered expectations, and empty wallets. Completely lacking in conscience and in feelings for others, they selfishly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.” (Dr. Robert Hare, p. 69)

Psychopaths see those around them as objects, targets, or opportunities, not as people. They do not have friends, they have victims and accomplices – and the latter frequently end as victims. For psychopaths, the ends always justify the means. Thus there is no place for feelings of remorse, shame, or guilt. Cult leaders feel justified in all their actions since they consider themselves the ultimate moral arbiter. Nothing gets in their way. (p. 74)

He presents himself as the “Ultimate One”: enlightened, a vehicle of god, a genius, the leader of humankind, and sometimes even the most humble of humble. (p. 73)

These are individuals whose narcissism is so extreme and grandiose that they exist in a kind of splendid isolation in which the creation of the grandiose self takes precedence over legal, moral or interpersonal commitments. (p. 71)

Characteristics commonly found in perpetrators of psychological and physical abuse: (pp. 72-79)

* Glibness/superficial charm
* Manipulative and conning
* Grandiose sense of self
* Pathological lying
* Lack of remorse, shame, or guilt
* Incapacity for love
* Callousness/lack of empathy
* Poor behavioral controls/impulsive nature
* Early behavior problems/juvenile delinquency
* Irresponsibility/unreliability
* Lack of realistic life plan/parasitic lifestyle
* Criminal or entrepreneurial versatility

- - - - - - -

According to various sources, Hubbard was into occult rituals. I can pretty easily imagine him invoking various spirits or demons for his purposes.

“Give me power and wealth.”
“Give me a way to control others.”

Dianetics and scientology were the answers to his pleas.

 

[lionheart]

Letting Hubbard win

So much hypocrisy – spouting platitudes and admonitions to followers while living as if he had no conscience. But then, that’s normal for a psychopath.

A chapter on the characteristics of cult leaders is in “Captive Hearts, Captive Minds” by Madeleine Landau Tobias and Janja Lalich.

The purpose of a cult . . . is to serve the emotional, financial, sexual, and power needs of the leader. (p. 65)

“Psychopaths are social predators who charm, manipulate, and ruthlessly plow their way through life, leaving a broad trail of broken hearts, shattered expectations, and empty wallets. Completely lacking in conscience and in feelings for others, they selfishly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.” (Dr. Robert Hare, p. 69)

Psychopaths see those around them as objects, targets, or opportunities, not as people. They do not have friends, they have victims and accomplices – and the latter frequently end as victims. For psychopaths, the ends always justify the means. Thus there is no place for feelings of remorse, shame, or guilt. Cult leaders feel justified in all their actions since they consider themselves the ultimate moral arbiter. Nothing gets in their way. (p. 74)

He presents himself as the “Ultimate One”: enlightened, a vehicle of god, a genius, the leader of humankind, and sometimes even the most humble of humble. (p. 73)

These are individuals whose narcissism is so extreme and grandiose that they exist in a kind of splendid isolation in which the creation of the grandiose self takes precedence over legal, moral or interpersonal commitments. (p. 71)

Characteristics commonly found in perpetrators of psychological and physical abuse: (pp. 72-79)

* Glibness/superficial charm
* Manipulative and conning
* Grandiose sense of self
* Pathological lying
* Lack of remorse, shame, or guilt
* Incapacity for love
* Callousness/lack of empathy
* Poor behavioral controls/impulsive nature
* Early behavior problems/juvenile delinquency
* Irresponsibility/unreliability
* Lack of realistic life plan/parasitic lifestyle
* Criminal or entrepreneurial versatility

- - - - - - -

According to various sources, Hubbard was into occult rituals. I can pretty easily imagine him invoking various spirits or demons for his purposes.

“Give me power and wealth.”
“Give me a way to control others.”

Dianetics and scientology were the answers to his pleas.

Very very interesting. It certainly seems to describe my knowledge of ol' Ronnie-boy!

I've been thinking lately about how we react to the abuse, exploitation and betrayal of our dreams.

From what I observed, most people were involved in Scn because it tapped into their desire for self-improvement, or spiritual awareness, or to help others, or to create a better world. Or a combination or variation of these.

Hubbard seemed to understand this and devoted many words to convincing people that that is what Scn would produce. I suspect all of us can remember some moments, at least, of our time in the CofS where we were really floating along, happily pursuing these ideals.

Given that he was a psychopathic predator, who fed on the noble aims of individuals in order to satisfy his emotional, financial and who knows what other needs, the question basically becomes, do we let him win?

Do we abandon all our hopes for self-improvement, spiritual awareness, helping others or creating a better world? If we do, if we decide any such attempts are foolish, impossible, or wrong, then we have let Hubbard's psychopathic betrayal defeat us.

Sometimes, while in Scn, we actually found ourselves working against self-improvement, suppressing spiritual awareness, really harming others or really creating a worse world. Do we let that fact cause us to abandon our original worthwhile aims?

Do we let his exploitation cause us to abandon the wonderful dreams that we originally joined Scn to achieve?

If we criticise other people's attempts at self-improvement, spiritual enlightenment, helping others or creating a better world, haven't we let Hubbard win?

If we allow ourselves to feel apathetic about these ambitions, haven't we succumbed to Hubbard's selfish motives?

One psychopath doesn't make us wrong to have tried or to have dreamed.

Outside of the CofS there are a myriad ways we can achieve self-improvement, spiritual awareness, help others or work towards a better world. Our CofS experience equips us to better judge promises.

I for one, will not let his psychopathic selfishness stop me or divert me from my goals. I love Ron for having taught me this wonderful lesson of discernment and fidelity to my dreams.

 

[jerryf25]

From what I observed, most people were involved in Scn because it tapped into their desire for self-improvement, or spiritual awareness, or to help others, or to create a better world. Or a combination or variation of these.

Hubbard seemed to understand this and devoted many words to convincing people that that is what Scn would produce. I suspect all of us can remember some moments, at least, of our time in the CofS where we were really floating along, happily pursuing these ideals.

. . .

Do we let his exploitation cause us to abandon the wonderful dreams that we originally joined Scn to achieve?

If we criticise other people's attempts at self-improvement, spiritual enlightenment, helping others or creating a better world, haven't we let Hubbard win?

If we allow ourselves to feel apathetic about these ambitions, haven't we succumbed to Hubbard's selfish motives?

One psychopath doesn't make us wrong to have tried or to have dreamed.

. . .

I for one, will not let his psychopathic selfishness stop me or divert me from my goals. I love Ron for having taught me this wonderful lesson of discernment and fidelity to my dreams.

Nice analysis and inspirational words, lionhart. It’s always helpful to be reminded of goals that one cares about but has drifted away from.

Some of the different types of goals to sort out:

One’s personal goals
Hubbard’s PR goals designed to attract idealistic people
Hubbard’s actual goals

 

[Alan]

One psychopath doesn't make us wrong to have tried or to have dreamed.

Outside of the CofS there are a myriad ways we can achieve self-improvement, spiritual awareness, help others or work towards a better world. Our CofS experience equips us to better judge promises.

I for one, will not let his psychopathic selfishness stop me or divert me from my goals. I love Ron for having taught me this wonderful lesson of discernment and fidelity to my dreams.

Man in the Arena​

?It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly!

So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.?

?Citizen in a Republic," Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

 

[beyond_horizons]

Sometimes, while in Scn, we actually found ourselves working against self-improvement, suppressing spiritual awareness, really harming others or really creating a worse world. Do we let that fact cause us to abandon our original worthwhile aims?

That’s because it appears as such that what the tech may givith in the beginning ... the ladder of escalating introversion takith away towards the end!

Their exist so many other wonderful perspectives, "Spiritual Pearls" if you will, outside the box!

For example and one of my favorites with a warning!;
“Every single thing that happens in life is a Spiritual Test”.

http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/ascension/spiritualtests_jdstone.htm

 

[lionheart]

Exactly!

So do we fail the test or pass it?

Do we confuse Mr H's PR goals and personal psychopathic goals with our own goals and therefore abandon them?

Or do we learn, discern and resurrect our goals, that he preyed upon, and stay true to them?

I suspect even Ron had his moments of glorious, clear dreams. He failed to overcome his psychosis and laid the trap for his failure in the pre-scn affirmations (admissions) that his insecure soul had created to solve his problems.

We each have the choice. This is what my poem in the Dear Ron thread (http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?t=371) tried to express. I shall not forget, neither the wonderful aspirations he stirred up nor his cruel dashing of them. I shall not forget the wonderful moments of joy nor the terrible moments of degredation.

 

[ron's hat]

Hi all. We really should start getting away from Ron. After all, he's dead and what happened to him is what will happen to all of us eventually.....whatever that is. He is at present a very small footnote in history..and not a very positive one at that...the greatest con man of the 20th century. I think we can just let him go.

Scientology itself has pretty much been relegated to that same footnote. It has not achieved any of its goals nor will it ever.

The necessity of achieving the goals that were supposedly espoused by scientology is as great now as it was 60 years ago. After all, it is true that this is an insane planet.........If anyone has another planet we can jump off to....please let me know.

 

[jerryf25]

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