• There’s def that too, but bear with my purely anecdotal experience for a moment. I’ve been around a lot of psychopaths in my life, and after a while you seem to get this sense for when they’re putting on the mask they want you to interpret as something more innocent. I’ve heard that being neurodivergent also helps with this sense, idk I just post here. Anyway, to me I see indignant anger saying “how dare you try to shame me”, and at the same time he’s fighting for it to cover his fear that he knows he’s done wrong - hand in the cookie jar if you will. But under that, what I see is hatred for anything that does not praise him and a willingness to harm. See that “how dare you” bit to me is also a genuine emotion for him. With that, he knows he has power, and he is willing to use it to harm his detractors. Not for vengeance, but for cruelty sake and the exercise of power itself. To me, the love of power like that has always felt spiritually evil. Thanks for coming to me HexBear talk.

        • silent_water [she/her]@hexbear.net
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          1 year ago

          I’ve heard that being neurodivergent also helps with this sense, idk I just post here.

          that would explain some stuff. anecdotally, I have a shaaarp sense of when someone is trying to manipulate me. like the hair on the back of my neck stands on end.

          • I usually feel a laugh welling up, but I stop myself because it takes a moment for me to realize that they’re being serious. I routinely feel like it’s so ridiculous on its face that they can’t be serious… Oh wait, this isn’t some kind of a bit?