A creepy reflection

Hollywood sociopath

Every so often, Hollywood produces a fiction film that accurately reflects what can, and does, unfold out here in the real world. And rest assured, I am no card-carrying film critic, but I can recognize a reflection of reality even on the silver screen.

That said, perhaps you by now also have seen the compelling film Nightcrawler. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a freelance crime videographer and overly ambitious and sociopathic wannabe "journalist" peddling his work to a Los Angeles TV station, in the process growing his business through lies and unscrupulous methods.

As an actor, Gyllenhaal for me delivers a stunning performance as the unbalanced, unethical narcissist. In fact, his acting in this role stuck with me long after the popcorn was gone and credits had rolled. If justice prevails, this actor with intense eyes ought to win an Academy Award for his work in the film.

It strikes such a chord with me because, over the course of living more than six decades, I've observed the methods of a number of sociopaths who so callously damage the lives of those around them.

I've no doubt most of you also have known your share of this ilk. Unfortunately, there's clearly an abundance of these shameless and any-means-to-an-end types influencing our ailing society today.

Some of those exhibiting sociopathic mental disorders are in high positions in both public and private venues. And it's not that difficult to identify them by simply observing their behavior and predictable personality traits.

Just a bit of research reveals the predictable traits of a sociopath, including: an oversized ego with a grandiose self-image; compulsive lying and manipulative and highly secretive behavior; incapability to show empathy; lack of shame or remorse; oddly calm in dangerous situations; high IQ; sensitivity to criticism; behaving irresponsibly or impulsively; disinhibited, bold behavior; having few close friends and using those around him or her for personal gain in a calculated manner; superficially charming; narcissistic; living by the pleasure principle; showing disregard for societal norms; having intense eyes.

Ross Rosenberg told the Huffington Post: "They are expert con artists and always have a secret agenda. People are so amazed when they find that someone is a sociopath because they're so amazingly effective at blending in. They're masters of disguise. Their main tool to keep them from being discovered is a creation of an outer personality."

M.E. Thomas, a diagnosed sociopath, said in a post for Psychology Today: "You would like me if you met me. I have the kind of smile that is common among television show characters and rare in real life, perfect in its sparkly teeth dimensions and ability to express pleasant invitation."

Finally, another essay on these folks said this: "Sociopaths of course vary in their symptoms and might act differently in different cases. However their main trait is presenting themselves as having the same empathy feelings and emotions as others when in fact they lack this emotional capacity. They are thus cold and manipulative and rarely see any problem with their actions.

"A sociopath is likely to have been a 'problem child.'... As they grow older they are likely to be highly successful which is a result of their willingness to get one over on their competition and colleagues, a desire and belief in success, and lack of risk aversion. Thus they are likely to be found in positions as stock brokers, as CEOs or even as politicians."

Now that you know about this condition, valued readers, as you carry on in this shared experience we've agreed to call life, remain aware and beware of those who Gyllenhaal portrayed so accurately and memorably.

I'd recommend seeing for yourself and drawing your own conclusions.

More scrutiny

Katarina Kosic, a Ph.D. candidate in geosciences at the University of Arkansas, has received a grant from the Cave Conservancy of the Virginias that will allow her to assist UA professor emeritus John Van Brahana in using innovative methods to determine the risk of pollution from the controversial Cargill-sponsored hog factory in the Buffalo National River watershed.

A pre-eminent hydrologist and karst expert, Brahana has been working more than a year with his team of fellow volunteers to employ dye and water-quality tests along Big Creek, a major tributary of the Buffalo National River. He said Kosic's involvement will help better pinpoint potential risks of hog-waste contamination from spray fields and the factory into groundwater that then flows through the limestone karst subsurface in the environmentally sensitive region.

He said Kosic's valuable additions should be complementing his efforts shortly after Christmas. The results will benefit other karst-laden regions in other states, including Georgia, West Virginia and Kentucky. Can't get enough relevant data on this controversial matter, can we now, fellow Arkansans?

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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at [email protected].

Editorial on 11/16/2014

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