How Not to Become a Sociopath: The "Rest of America" and the Role of Joy

Outspoken with Naomi Wolf- Substack ^ | June 2, 2023 | Dr. Naomi Wolf

[chickenlips]

Does having fun in your life protect you from becoming a sociopath?

Since 2020, we have witnessed charming, well-educated, “civilized” people all around us — especially from what my husband calls (as others do) “the laptop class” — reveal, during ‘lockdowns” and medical tyranny — a side that is, bare teeth and all, nakedly sadistic.

Now, as our stunned society slowly tries to set itself upright from having wallowed for nearly three years in an irrational, animalistic seizure of hatred and cruelty — as it struggles to settle its hat and to brush the dust and mire of the gutter off of its suit, and to straighten its necktie — few indeed from that group want to glance back at the Lord of the Flies-type scenes of savagery that these “civilized” people cheered on.

But we who were targeted know what happened and cannot forget it. We click, sometimes ruminatively, on compilations in social media of “respectable” politicians, comedians, talk show hosts, and thought leaders, avidly stating that they wished we would just die, that we should be denied medical care, that we should be locked indoors forever, lose our jobs, and so on.

We — the targeted — must reckon with the traumatizing fact that we were on the receiving end of cruelty which the perpetrators seemed really to enjoy.

[chickenlips]

This is a very refreshing story of the journey a liberal elite, Naomi Wolf, to becoming part of the "rest of America". In it she looks at the psychology of tyranny a little, but mostly she tells of her experience and how she moved away from the joyless liberal elite.

[BipolarBob]

I don't know nuthin' about being a sociopath, but my philosophy is "Kill 'em all, let God sort it out".

/sarc?

[Da Coyote]

To paraphrase an old defense phrase which should now be devoted to all located anywhere near an airfield where the “elite” meet in their private jets to discuss how the proles should not drive or eat meat...”Shoot ‘em all down, sort it out on the ground.” Die, elites, die.

[Twotone]

I also just learned a few days ago she’s converted & is now a Christian.

[BipolarBob]

Here I am, without an Afghanistan Taliban contact, and no way to buy a ground-to-air missile.

[Liberty Ship]

Brilliant. Thank you so much for posting. Not much to say — she said it all!!!!

[SE Mom]

This is a wonderful essay. I well remember her during her “laptop liberal” days when she worked at the New York Times. Occansonally she showed some independence of thought, but her lens was most often blurred by leftist thought. It’s been great watching her come to her senses- she’s seeing America and the left with clarity.

I enjoyed reading this- thanks.

[Sarcazmo]

“we were on the receiving end of cruelty which the perpetrators seemed really to enjoy.”

Indeed. I suspect there is more where that came from. Usually people don’t stop doing things they really enjoy.

[Dick Bachert]

It’s a disturbing look at what is happening in our once free, but increasingly authoritarian, nation. If you’re as concerned about this trend as am I, please take 30 or so minutes and watch this message.
https://www.djameskennedy.org/truths-that-transform

[GOPJ]

The world of liberal elites is one of workaholism, in which family life is often downgraded as a priority, and in which spiritual life has little focus on it at all; it is also made joyless by constant self-surveillance and self-denial.

It is a world full of opaque rules, and the rules constantly shift; some of the rules are about virtue signaling, so you don’t get kicked out of your tight, judgmental, privileged little society; but many of the rules are about maintaining a class status that feels, to members of this group, as if it is constantly in danger.

Not only are white liberal elites irrational they're also paranoid... Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse....

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

You might try and contact the Mexican Cartels. They have anti-tank missiles that were sent to Ukraine.

[thepoodlebites]

Should I forgive the CDC when they exaggerated the infection rate for Covid-19 and insisted that lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates were necessary? That the origin of SARS-CoV-2 was not from a Fauci-funded lab in China? That the vaccines were safe and effective and would prevent infection?
That only the unvaccinated could spread Covid-19? The CDC that misled the public about proper therapeutics (Hydroxychloroquine/zinc, Ivermectin) and instead pushed Remdesivir? I will never forget when I was denied medical services in August 2021 because I made an informed decision to remain unvaccinated.

The powers-that-be must be held accountable for forcing these insane lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates and for trying to blame the unvaccinated for their failures. Their attempt to gain money and power using the suffering of others will not go unpunished because, there is a higher court. May God have mercy on their souls.

[jmacusa]

I believe in winning hearts and minds.

Grab ‘em by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow.

[jimwatx]

Naomi has made quite the transformation as a result of all this covid nonsense and I’m glad she’s on our side now. I’m just surprised more libs haven’t opened their eyes after all this covid insanity.

[steve86]

Is there any evidence she’s become pro-life? And pro- traditional family?

[steve86]

Unless there’s dispositive evidence for what I said in #15 she isn’t.

[Twotone]

I’m not sure. People sometimes learn very slowly that we have traditions for a reason. I don’t expect her to suddenly overcome all of her liberal opinions. But we can pray that she fully ‘sees the light’ over time.

[steve86]

Yep.