I came to that conclusion around 13 or 14. It's been a very pleasant and if I had to put it one way or the other, I'd say most people do like me.
> Now, respect is another matter. If I had to choose, I'd rather be respected than loved.
Love is good, respect is great, but fear is the one that gets results!
The whole idea of having a good friend is that there are no "results". Its someone you know, that knows you, that you can feel comfortable hanging out with and spending time with, that you want nothing from and that wants nothing from you.
It's more amazing that the majority of people, both online and in meatspace, prefer to sweep reality under the rug.
What's sociopathic about being able to recognize and deal with these types of situations as they come up in your life?
What amazes me is that you are open about it. Most sociopaths try to hide that fact, because once people realize they are being manipulated you lose control.
> What amazes me is that you are open about it. Most sociopaths try to hide that fact, because once people realize they are being manipulated you lose control.
Ha! Who said I'm like that?
I'm talking abstractly. When your circle of friends intersects with a friends circle, you get to see a lot of interesting dynamics. One of those is fear and, speaking frankly, it's pretty disgusting. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
I'd give the parent commenter the benefit of the doubt that they're sharing an idea to debate (which we are), or just being facetious by quoting Machiavelli.
I'll charitably presume you have a medical education and are qualified to make that diagnosis up close.
It doesn't take special qualifications to make a basic observation.
I don't think I've done anything of this sort. My comment is based on observations of the world around me. Not just me and my friends, but them and their friends, their interactions etc.
In the corporate world, I've seen fear be a very motivating factor. Whether it's keeping your job, keeping your bonus, being assigned to a team, or avoiding a crap assignment, fear is definitely a factor. You can see it people and it's not uniform.
In the social world, I've seen people extend invitations out to parties to people they genuinely cannot stand. Not because they want to, but because if they don't, they're afraid the person is going to talk shit about them.