#empathy Deficiency Disorder

[ice-cap-k]

So... Unstable Universe Parrot. I've got thoughts I want to get off my chest about his character, so I'm here to ramble about it.

Parrot kind of drives me crazy. I know I'm not the only one upset by some of his choices throughout the series. But something kind of dawned on me that put the guy in a new light.

Spoilers ahead. Tldr at the end.

Parrot's regularly proven himself to be a hypocrite, what with telling Wemmbu off about how stealing is wrong and you shouldn't stoop to your enemy's levels, only to immediately turn around and talk about stealing from Reddoons the next video later BEFORE he even realized there was anything wrong with Red or Capitol City's way of business. Then there's the blatant killing off of Dean and Wifies' pets while arguing it's fine for him to have an allay just to make it super obvious that, yes, he is a hypocrite.

Then there's the entire mess with Wifies during their fight. They "broke up," sure. Parrot ran away despite Wifies begging him to come back and then later accused Wifies of being the one to leave. Wifies has since apologized profusely and no longer made any attempt to argue with Parrot on the matter of his own safety because he fears Parrot will leave again. Parrot has not yet apologized as of the time I am writing this. Wifies may have overstepped by burning the compass, but Parrot refused to hear him out on a very real concern that Parrot is throwing himself into danger, and Wifies just doesn't want to lose him. Considering Parrot's hero complex, as shown by repeatedly jumping into fights that aren't necessarily his with little to no regard for personal safety, this is a very real risk.

And, you know, also hypocritical on Parrot's behalf for refusing to listen when he himself has expressed one-sided concern for Wifies' well-being during the entire confrontation with Clown. A scenario where Parrot literally refused to let Wifies help despite Wifies wanting to because he did not want to risk Wifies safety.

I think Parrot was telling the truth. He doesn't understand.

And that, when I really thought about it with this last episode, is kind of fascinating. Even when Parrot has lived through an exact scenario beforehand where he felt the desire to keep someone he cared about safe, he refused to listen when the situation was reversed. In fact, Parrot said his usual "I don't understand" multiple times after Wifies burned the compass and explained he wanted to keep Parrot safe.

He doesn't understand, despite having been in a very similar situation before.

The more I thought about Parrot's actions throughout the entirety of Unstable Universe, the more I realize that Parrot doesn't seem to experience empathy. At all.

He feels sympathy. He feels bad for the people forced to mine for ores to line Capitol City's koffers. He feels bad for Wifies being chunk banned and missed him dearly because he does care about him. He felt bad for Dean's predicament with the mafia and took him under his wing. He has a strong sense of justice. He helps people. He knows what's wrong and fights for what is right. In fact, Parrot is an objectably good guy. But he can't put himself in someone elses place. And when he does end up in the other person's shoes, he can't handle it.

Just look at how freaked out he was over Clown saying they were a lot alike. Something that had a profound impact on one, possibly more videos. Let's ignore the moral high ground Parrot tried to scrape together at the end that was absolutely unjustified and focus on Parrot's actions after Clown said that for the moment. Even after getting Wifies back from the threat of Clown almost killing his friend, Parrot STILL wanted to go after Branzy again despite very clearly seeing what that kind of a hostage situation would lead to. Even after experiencing the same threat to a loved one that he was trying to hold over Clown's head, Parrot could not make the connection that Clown may feel the same. That history would just repeat itself.

Heck, he doesn't even care that he's planning on dragging into a war a bunch of innocents who had only been trying to escape the mafia when he went to the Farlands. Despite the fact that he had his own civilization already taken over by the mafia.

Parrot has his hero complex and acts narcissistic and hypocritical because he can not make the emotional connection between his own feelings and others.

I'm no psychologist, but he strikes me as someone with Empathy Deficiency Disorder. People with this disorder tend to criticize or blame others without understanding where they are coming from, don't take responsibility for their own actions, have little to no patience, rarely show any appreciation for others, and regularly put themselves first and foremost.

Sound familier?

You could probably consider someone like Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean as someone with something similar to this disorder. That or more of a narcissistic disorder, but those tend to go hand in hand.

I don't know if this was the content creator's intention as he wrote up his character, but it certainly helped me put Parrot's actions into perspective. It's really cool to think about watching a character go through the hero's journey without something as basic as empathy. While it's too early to tell, the only other character that might come close to such low empathy is Ash, who is literally the big bad. Then again, we see so little of Ash and his spoken word makes him an unreliable narrator regarding his own goings-ons. Not even Clown, who we've seen has plenty in common with Parrot. Clown experiences empathy, because he knew how upset Parrot would be if Wifies was threatened. Just as upset as Clown would be if Branzy was threatened.

Parrot has changed a lot as a character through the series, but his ability to empathize has remained static. I imagine at the true climax of the story whenever that may be that Parrot will somehow come to understand that other people can and do feel the same. And I'd like to say that will be a satisfying moment, but who knows what it might take to reach that point. A lot has been lost already.

(Tldr: I think Parrot's character has Empathy Deficiency Disorder and that's why he does the most frustrating, seemingly selfish things.)

[thousandyearphantombunker]

"we want more mentally ill/disabled characters with ugly symptoms!"

You guys can't handle lapis lazuli tony stark or hank pym! You guys can barely contain your ableism toward the hulk! You guys hate the good doctor for all the wrong reasons! You made fun of his speech patterns and his meltdowns wtf like I'm sorry the only autistic person you've supported have been the perfect non annoying type- but too many of especially as children are like shawn- they talk weird and don't understand what's so offensive about what they said

You guys keep saying Lapis should just be rewritten into a villain! I don't like how the show handled her but like your really gonna make the girl who shows ugly bad symptoms of ptsd into villain? You guys keep trying to make hank into a villain or rewrite his past- god forbid a character have really sevre ugly symptoms that causes them to make decisions that permanently effect the story but have them still be heroes! God forbid Ironman have npd and be a hero! Let's shame MCU Bruce for his mental illness for being unable to do things because of it! God as soon as a character with a mental illness or developmental disorder or low IQ shows actual symptoms and behaviors (ei: acts like how someone with the disorder in question acts- you know the main part of having a fucking disorder) you get pissy and pile on the shame- yeah jen you do control your anger better than bruce- you can also stand better than Charles fucking Xavier! Yeah your smarter than a guy with a low IQ want a cookie?

I'm never gonna be one of those people who tell others to stop writing disabled villains or that writing a character that deals with internalized ableism (disabled people like any group of people can be total prices of shit, and I'm sorry not everyone is content and accepting of their disabilities and some of us take comfort in characters that struggle with being angry because of their problems) but Jesus Christ when a heroic character with ugly symptoms who makes cruel decisions or has 'bratty' or 'immature' moments can we let them stay heroes? Can we let them have a disorder without piling on the shame that we are inferior because we can't do something everyone else can- because that's literally what a disability is! Can they still be heroes?

Do we have to use intellectual/developmental disability as a shorthand for anti intellectualism and being a gross annoying psycho

Do we have to make every heroic character with aspd or npd into a villain or change their disability to autism because it's 'more sympathetic' as if lack of empathy isn't a goddamned symptom of many disabilities like PTSD and autism- You can headcanon tony as having autism- that's cool by me but it's clear some of y'all do it to make him a 'woobie'- which is infantalizing btw but also it's because some of y'all are ableist toward people with npd

I hate that the only acceptable 'ugly symptoms' are things like forgetting to shower or brush your teeth every once in a while or being a bit irritable and not stuff like burning bridges or having explosive outburts

Also it's not a mental illness unless it effects your behavior?

Im not saying that we should just accept and allow mentally ill/intellectually disabled people/characters to get away with bad behaviors unpunished but can they stay heroes? Can they still be respectable?

"we want more characters with ugly symptoms"

Yet

You people get offended by low functioning autistic people existing! You get mad at them for being incontinent or nonverbal/making strange noises or having scary anger issues or IQs low enough that they will never be independent you get mad at them for not showing the 'appropriate' reactions to things they may or may not fully understand- you hate people with sensory issues -

You don't want mentally ill/disabled characters- you want characters with the labels of mental disabilities without any of the ugly strange or off putting behaviors mental/intellectual deficiencies/issues cause- you want a romantic tragedy!

You shame people with Alzheimer's for FORGETTING stuff and LOSING SKILLS 'yeah yeah you are superior to your uncle because you can remember stuff but can you remember it's a fucking disease! you people are cruel

Yes you are technically superior to disabled people because you are capable of things we aren't and you have better character and you can control yourself but guess what? Those people you hate for being incapable of that shit have disabilities it's not our faults! It's the fucking definition of a disability! Like yeah it is a skill issue and we're just 'worse' than nondisabled with us lacking self control and having lower IQs and bad mental processing- yeah it is because we're lacking in some capacity that's like the definition disability you can't say you support disabled people and then turn around and say shit about how your better than these people because you can talk or take care of yourself

Hank Pym and Lapis Lazuli should get called out for acting like assholes and pieces of shit but I am firmly against turning one of few heroic characters who actively struggle with psychosis and delusions into another 'psycho' villain and I'm firmly against saying Lapis is just as bad as Jasper and using symptoms of her PTSD as signs she should be rewritten into a villain- I want them to be held accountable not turned into straight up evil guys or dear god washing out their problematic qualities until they're palatable/relatable to a neurotypical audience to make them good guys when they are already good guys!

Can people who do bad things because of their disabilities still be heroes? Can they be allowed to get better or do they have to accept that having ugly symptoms means being the bad guy? Fucking hell this is why I side eye anyone who acts like mental illness/developmental/cognitive or mental etc disabilities are more destigmatized than physical disabilities (trust me they aren't)

Tldr let characters with ugly symptoms be heroes let your characters with mental disorders act like they have a disorder and let said characters be heroes inspite of it!

[sourveggies]

🎨🖌️ i n k 🌈📝 — Headcanons! :

꒷︶꒷꒥꒷˚꒷︶꒷꒷︶꒷꒥꒷︶꒷ ˚ ꒷︶꒷꒷︶꒷꒥꒷꒥

🧠 Diagnosis/Disorders:

Autism

ADHD

Nihilophobia (Fear of nothingness)

A weak stomache (or whatever a magical skeleton monster has- as he throws up from feeling extreme emotions & sensations)

🌈 Sexuality & Pronouns:

Aro-Ace spec. (Canon)

Pan

He / They (Canon)

✒️ Other! (detailed bc uhh I’m very cool & smart or something-):

Ink’s lack of empathy isn’t due to his soullessness or a disorder that affects his empathy level, but a lack of social understanding, Autism & is used as a subconscious coping mechanism (Some with Autism have a more difficult time understanding others. This does not necessarily mean they have a deficiency in empathy, but may have a few more hoops to leap through to understand it in certain regards)(It’s also important to note his past, immortality, job, probably witnessing numerous deaths daily & the fact he’s an Out!Code as factors on his outlook on AU’s & its inhabitants). (P.S. I just think it’d be extra fascinating!)

Ink has a secret envy for childhood (as he’s never been a child before).

Ink’s vials are like meds! (As he needs them to function, survive & regulate him & his emotions!) (I, however, do NOT view them like a drug addiction! That would imply those on meds who use them to simply function are addicted to drugs)

He has a contradictory, simultaneous inferiority/superiority complex to cope with his isolation (he still feels isolated as he’s still “outside the box” from others, more “knowing” than them, like his past in his original, unfinished AU; even if he doesn’t remember it. It still greatly affects who he is today & why he may not see others as real as himself).

He constantly paces around!

He’s a total theatre kid

He collects things he doesn’t need (plushies, shiny things, art, etc!)

His memory issues are due to his ADHD & the mental break he experienced when he tore his soul apart in the past as some can get brain damage from having a break. Also, I would imagine that tearing one’s soul would probably cause some sort of damage to someone’s being somehow.

He indulges & enjoys child-like activities whether it be for fun or to calm himself down (cartoons, plushies, etc.)

He likes the taste of burnt toast!

He’s a complete dumbass in social situations (States the obvious, can’t read the room most of the time, will crack jokes at the worst times possible, embarrass others on accident, blurt, fall on his face, break things, uncomfortable silences, talks over others, talk about things that are unrelated to the topic being discussed, etc.)

He likes clowns & mimes & doesn’t understand why anyone would be afraid of them

He has a secret “Turning Red” - like sketchbook & would die of embarrassment if anyone found or read it (Reference to the movie when Mei was under the bed)(LMFAO-)

Ink belongs to @comyet

🌈🎨🎭🗯️🖌️

꒷︶꒷꒥꒷˚꒷︶꒷꒷︶꒷꒥꒷︶꒷ ˚ ꒷︶꒷꒷︶꒷꒥꒷꒥

[cyrusclouds]

mental disorder headcanons for dsaf characters because i'm bored!! (I KNOW IM NOT A PROFESSIONAL OBVIOUSLY im just here to have fun y'all :3) dave miller - aspd, bpd, cptsd + autism henry miller - aspd, npd, ocpd, bipolar 1, ied, cptsd + autism :3 martha miller - gad jack kennedy - bipolar 2, npd, cptsd + adhd-i dee kennedy - gad, ptsd + adhd-c peter kennedy - ptsd caroline kennedy - mentally stable queen steven stevenson - ppd, gad, ptsd jake wilson - clinical depression, ptsd roger jones - ocd, ptsd rebecca - mentally stable queen walt - ocpd, gad, panic disorder, cptsd, schizophrenia + autism harry - npd, cptsd + autism joe - edd (empathy deficiency disorder), ptsd terrence - mentally stable king (somehow) everett - bipolar 1, ptsd + autism & adhd-c abel - clinical depression, ppd, cptsd matthew virginia - ppd + autism & adhd-h all of these hoes have ptsd. ANYWAYSS i think i got basically everybody... (please mind that 1 in 8 people suffer from mental health disorders and literally most of these characters have been through intense trauma)

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hi mbti-notes, I don’t know what to do about my long time friend, so I reach out to you for help. Your insights are always spot on and I want to thank you for this blog, I’ve learned a lot thanks to you. I’m xnfj, my friend is infp and likely autistic, we’re both 27.

She is really sweet, but I feel confused. The thing is that she doesn’t greet my family or people in general. When we were younger, it felt so surreal that I didn’t know how to react – so I ignored it even if it made me feel terrible. Later I asked her multiple times to greet at least my family members, as it makes me feel weird, she started greeting but only sometimes.

Not only she won’t greet first, but even when someone greets her, she won’t reply, which feels extremely inappropriate, especially when it is my family. It happens all the time when we go places, she won’t greet the host, etc. When I asked her why, she said it costs her too much energy to say hello.

Recently, me and my parent ran into her twice on the street. One time I think she was pretending not to see us, the other time she said hi only to me and quite literally ran away. (Yet I know that saying hi is not such an issue for her when it comes to people she likes, that’s when shouts hello even from across the street, which makes me feel twice as offended – to see this extreme difference of behavior towards some people that oftentimes she barely knows.) Then she acts as if nothing happened. Anytime I touch the topic, she denies it, explains it etc. and doesn’t understand that her behavior affects others – or she just doesn’t care.

I understand that with autism greeting can be difficult, but it doesn’t work for me – also when I made it clear that it makes me really uncomfortable. I feel like I have accommodated a lot of her issues out of friendship, so I am taken aback to see it is one-sided. I really wish we could continue being friends but I can’t imagine hanging out with her without feeling angry deep down.

And even if she started to greet, I would feel like it is forced and insincere. So my question is, what do I do? I am so confused and full of conflicting feelings. Break up? Distance? Explain myself? Or not? If you have any insight, I will really appreciate it. It’s been a month that I haven’t talked to her as I literally don’t know what to say or do. Thank you so much in advance and wish you a pleasant weekend!

----------------------

You say you understand that it "can be difficult" for her but it doesn't sound like you actually do understand. You might feel bad to hear that, but this is not about assigning blame. I'm attempting to pinpoint the source of the problem in order to discover the best solution. As far as I can tell, there are two aspects to this problem:

Problem #1: Lack of Understanding

When someone's psychology is very different from yours, it's going to be very difficult for you to understand each other, because the other person's experience is simply too alien to "make sense" to you. I always say: Just because it doesn't make sense to you, doesn't mean there's no sense to be found. This huge gap in understanding is not an insurmountable problem, but it is a significant challenge to grapple with. It requires you to push your empathy skills to the max.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder. "Neurological" means that a person's brain is literally wired differently than the average neurotypical person, which is why we use the term neurodivergent to indicate the difference. "Developmental" means that typical psychological development is somehow interrupted, so autistic people will exhibit some deficiencies in information processing and difficulties with everyday functioning.

Perhaps an analogy can make it more clear: Imagine that a friend was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and was gradually losing muscle mass and control of their lower body. Even though they can still walk, they need a wheelchair most of the time because it quickly becomes painful to use their back and legs. Would you say to them, "Hey, I'm throwing a big party and since you can walk, I hope you will stand up and greet every person properly when they arrive at the door, otherwise they'll think you're rude and I'll feel uncomfortable and embarrassed by you"? I hope you would never dream of placing such a demand on someone with a physical disability.

A neurological and developmental disorder is not as visible as a physical disability, but it is just as real and can be just as painful. There are certain kinds of information that autistic people simply cannot process very quickly or at all, which means that their mind can easily get overwhelmed by sensory/information overload.

Unfortunately, being different from the norm, whether physically or psychologically, presents a lot of challenges in life. Since you've never had to deal with the kinds of challenges your friend faces, it might be hard for you to understand just how difficult it is to live in a world that not only doesn't accommodate you but actively pressures you to erase yourself. You are very lucky to have the ability to learn and adapt well in social situations. Please recognize that not everyone is equally endowed with this ability at birth.

New situations, by definition, present more unknowns, which makes them more unpredictable. Meeting someone new, in an unexpected time or place, means there's a lot more information to process and keep track of. In the best case scenario, an autistic person can push themselves through a new social situation with certain coping strategies, but it will exhaust them and perhaps ruin their day. In the worst case scenario, they will get overloaded and experience a mental breakdown, which would not only be deeply embarrassing at that moment but could damage their self-esteem in the long term if it happens again and again.

Since there is a lot less information processing to do when interacting with known people in predictable situations, it is quite logical for autistic people to prefer familiar social contexts. If they can feel comfortable, relaxed, and prepared enough, they might even be able to get energized and feel some joy in socializing, which could be a rare occurrence for them. It's possible that you have seriously misunderstood your friend's motivations.

Problem #2: Unreasonable Expectations

You fear the relationship is "one-sided", but that would only be true if the other person were actually quite capable of doing what you requested of them yet still chose not to. She's been trying to tell you that she isn't capable but you don't want to believe it. It seems you are viewing ASD as a psychological problem of "bad choices" or a personal "character flaw", since you still judge her by your own neurotypical standards. If you truly understood ASD, you would see how unreasonable and unfair it is to expect your friend to be like you.

Having unreasonable expectations means you are the primary source of the conflict. The discomfort and embarrassment you feel is yours, generated by you, which means they are your responsibility, and you need to learn to handle them better. Other people bear no responsibility for your feelings unless they have gone out of their way to make you feel a certain way. Is your friend purposely trying to inconvenience you or embarrass you? If not, why do you respond as though being personally attacked? Being NFJ, it's likely that Fe and Ni are playing a significant role in your negative reaction to the existence of someone who doesn't meet your expectations.

For example, due to Fe, it isn't uncommon for FJs to:

believe that similarity/commonality is the backbone of successful relationships, which leads to low tolerance for difference and even approaching differences with skepticism or contempt

believe that "successful" socializing involves everyone following the same social rules and customs, which means feelings of discomfort, embarrassment, or shame are easily triggered in social situations that stray outside the norm

believe that there is something "off" or morally "deviant" about people who don't follow social rules and customs, which leads to boundary violating behaviors that try to change, eliminate, or punish such differences

believe that individuals should downplay, even deny, the things that make them different for the sake of everyone else's comfort

For example, due to Ni, it isn't uncommon for NFJs to:

get stuck with one very narrow point-of-view, which leads to being too close-minded to see, let alone accept individual differences

hold themselves to high standards, which easily morph into unreasonable expectations of others

believe that they know what is "better"/"best" and try to remake the world to match their idealistic (read: unrealistic) vision

Every personality type has its set of common flaws, so it is likely that you have exhibited the above personality flaws unless you've undertaken some serious type development. If these flaws get in the way of your relationships, then you have a choice to make: i) Are you going to address the flaws, which would make you a much more open-minded, adaptable, and compassionate person in all your relationships? Or ii) are you going to decide that it's not worth changing for this one person and that it would be easier to only make friends with neurotypical people from now on?

Your question is about "what to do" in this situation. It's not my place to tell people what to do. I can help you understand the problem and even get to the bottom of it, but the solution should be chosen by you, based on what you believe is best for you.

[cauliarty]

Kirby Headcanon: The Three Matters

Every living creature is made up of three distinct forms of matter. These are Heart, Dream, and Soul Matter, and they exist in careful equilibrium in most creatures.

Heart Matter: The Body Heart Matter is the physical body of a being. The Heart of a creature influences their physical appearance, strength, and toughness.

Dream Matter: The Mind Dream Matter is the mind and autonomy of a being. The Dream of a creature contains their memories, personality, and ambitions. Magic is primarily drawn from a being's Dream.

Soul Matter: The Core Soul Matter is widely believed by scholars to be the being themself. The Soul of a creature is its very lifeblood. It connects and commands the other two Matters. At the end of a creature's physical or spiritual lifespan, a reaper will collect the Soul and bring it to the Underworld.

-

Some living beings may be born with a Matter deficiency disorder, which can impact their way of life. The severity of the disorder depends on the severity of the deficiency.

Heart Deficiency can cause weakness, chronic pain, and problems with organs and the immune system. Heart Deficiency shortens the physical lifespan of a creature through long-term health degeneration. It can be managed with synthetic Matter substitutes.

Dream Deficiency notably causes a being to feel apathetic towards everyone and everything in their environment. Dream Deficient beings tend to act recklessly or amorally and have very little spatial awareness. Dream Deficiency does not impact a creature's empathy, nor does it remove their need for social interaction.

Soul Deficiency does not occur naturally. A living creature always has a complete Soul. A being without a Soul is nothing more than a husk without any significant purpose. This disorder can only be caused by severe magic overuse. If a mage somehow runs out of usable Dream Matter to fuel their magic, they would be forced to draw from their own Soul. Cases of Soul Deficiency are thankfully very rare, but the end result leaves behind a hollow, uncaring husk of a person.

[melonnabar]

Idk how to reply to blog reposts but uh here

Addressing this, from what I can remember from bullseye, I think they didn’t do too much of a bad job on him. Keep in mind that he was mentioned to have pretty severe psychopathic tendencies, so ASPD comorbidity is a factor to consider.

I think if he wasn’t mentioned to have said tendencies, I’d be a lot more upset because then they’d be playing into the stigmatism where people treat us as if we are malicious and purposefully manipulative. People also cannot treat ASPD and BPD as the same. Whether they exist separately or are comorbid, they function differently.

Both ASPD and BPD exist on spectrums, like all personality disorders, so not every person with ASPD is a monster, and not every person with BPD is abusive.

People cannot choose to feel a certain way. Some people never chose to be born with an empathy deficiency. Same with sadism + the desire to manipulate and hurt people. However, acting upon those feelings is a choice, which is what makes Bullseye a terrible person. He is in waaay to deep.

Sorry for the long text 😭😭 I like talking about these topics

[neotrances]

Do you have Empathy Deficiency Disorder? It’s mainly found in boomers, but the way you interact with other people makes me wonder.

now what are you on about darlin?

[sycsubs]

[ENGLISH TRANS] SOOYOUNG ON ELLE KOREA AUGUST ISSUE INTERVIEW

Q: We were entering the countdown of ‘Not Others’.

Sooyoung: It’s been a long time since i’ve waited for my own work. After I finished filming i’m the type to let go of it cooly but ‘Not Others’ is different. I hope a lot of people will watch this mother-daughter story and this female narratives drama.

Q: On our last interview, you said “Even if the script is fun i don’t feel attracted to female character that’s being wasted” and we thought that ‘Not Others’ is the best match for that.

Sooyoung: Yes. There’s not much drama that Mother and Daughter is the main character in Korea? ‘Not Others’ is a drama that lower the barrier to entry with a heart touching story that brings out our empathy.

Q: How did you interpret character of the Daughter Jinhee? We thought you must have worries since there were some differences from the original.

Sooyoung: When i first heard that i’m going to do it with Hyejin unnie I thought “How am i going to style myself so that i could look more like her daughter?”. I reflected on myself right away. I realised that trying to look like a daughter is not the result that this drama wanted. So i focused on what a child will look like if she was raised by a cool and hip mother like Eunmi. She’s a faithful woman and won’t lack anywhere she goes but when you get to know her she secretly makes you turn around? (Laughs) i tried to draw a figure that makes you say ‘As expected of Eunmi’s daughter”.

Q: We heard that you’re a fan of Actress Jeon Hyejin.

Sooyoung: The reason i chose this drama was 80% to meet Jeon Hyejin. I met the actress i was a fan of in a drama and that’s not as boss or older sister but as my mom. I thought myself as lucky. If she didn’t have me when she was in high school i think this combination won’t even happen. Every moment on set with her was like a dream to me.

Q: Among the movies and dramas with mother-daughter relationships, such as Greta Gerwig's <Lady Bird> and Michelle Yeoh's <Everything Everywhere All At Once> which ones left an impression on you?

Sooyoung: Mother-daughter stories told by Go Dooshim and Go Hyunjung in <Dear My Friends>, the conversation that Jung Yumi had with her mother who had panic disorder in <Live>… and i like the mother-daughter stories drawn by Writer Noh Heekyung. Even though it’s not a mother-daughter story, i’d like to mention a work called ‘Hillbilly Elegy’, it’s about a mother-son relationship.

Q: Are you talking about Ron Howard’s work?

Sooyoung: Yes. The process of overcome the deficiencies of our parents generation was passed on to their children and the process felt like a growth drama to me. I think we are almost the same. Our parents' parents' generation went through war right? My parents generation grew up embracing the trauma of the war. As the parent generation went through the internal trauma of the IMF, our generation was placed in that lullaby. So I guess certain insecurities and deficiencies have been passed down from generation to generation. Me too. My parents also went through that process, and i tried to be a good daughter but at the same time I tried to treat it as a growing pain. I could relate to that point because it was incorporated into the work.

Q: Oh, you tend to appreciate a work deeply.

Sooyoung: I like that work as a book but i think the film is also well made.

Q: If we look only at the debut, Girls’ Generation activities and acting starts at the same time. However, the break in acting is a bit longer, since when did you feel comfortable and confident as an actress?

Sooyoung: I think it was about 2 years. The time i felt the set as ‘a failure place’ to ‘it’s okay for me to fail here’ took a long time to accept it. I always tried to be perfect. I had an obsession to do better than anyone else since i knew the way an idol turned actress was looked at. I went to an audition once, a casting director said to me ‘you are good but you seems like a person who’s afraid of not doing good’, that’s when i got chills..

Q: You’ve got the point.

Sooyoung: I always afraid of not doing well. I couldn’t focus on my acting since i was afraid that people would say something about my attitude. I was always anxious, conscious even though nobody cares I was wrapped up in the sense of a victim and couldn't be free. I think I trained myself to collect all that waste of energy into one place. So I thought let’s get hate for making up my mind, let’s get some swearing! Let’s be a bit bolder even if my shortcoming goes into the ears of people around me, i’ve been thinking like that for around 2 years now. After I finished <If You Tell Me Your Wish> and <Fan Letter, Please> I gained a little bit confidence. I think ‘Not Others’ is the highlight.

Q: Even though you were expressing your shortcomings, you have so many talents such as singing, dancing, being social and acting. Where does that DNA comes from?

Sooyoung: My mom did some music in the past. My dad is good at talking but i feel like it’s the Girls’ Generation DNA. I realised it recently, the vaguely experiences in my 20s has naturally been embodied into me. So now when i look at the society, in variety shows and on stage i can see myself move automatically because of the things I’ve experienced. In fact, I thought if hadn’t done this work I might be missing out the feelings of my peers. Of course there won’t be a part like that but i get it now. I’m also learning my own experiences and emotions. I feel that my 30s is the time to expand myself by using my past experiences.

Q: It is such a great realisation

Sooyoung: In the past I won’t be able to talk like this. Because my lack of confidence. But now that I’m about to accept failure i just throw it away. (Laughs).

Q: At 2022 MBC Drama Awards, when you received an awards and Yoona in the audience seat was on the screen, you said ‘Yoona, do it now. You have to cry.’ That was a spontaneous comment and it became a huge issue.

Sooyoung: Haha yes. In the past, a single word from an idol would be evaluated as a strict standard. Now, i think the public’s taste has broadened and they accept it in variety ways.

Q: Anyway, because you were born in the early year, you were called as ‘the family tree (age) breaker’ right? Do you have any special feelings as the early year born since the counting age system has disappeared?

Sooyoung: So Yoona who was born in the same year as me won’t have to call me as ‘Unnie’ anymore? And the members in 89line became my Unnies? Uhm.. Even without the counting age system i think we won’t change the way we call each other. Isn’t it great to be a year younger?

Q: You must have many experiences in human relationship since you started your social life early. Who did you trust in that process.

Sooyoung: Someone who’s consistent. Trust someone who has their own beliefs and standards. Taste may change often but I believe beliefs are not easily shaken.

Q: Do you consider yourself as someone who has her own beliefs?

Sooyoung: I’m so consistent that it became a bit boring (laughs). Someone need to have the charm of ‘don’t know where she’ll go’, but I can’t do that.

Q: What is the motto of the consistent Sooyoung?

Sooyoung: These days, i think about the word of ‘Failing Forward’ a lot. Let’s move forward while failing. In the past, i was a hesitant character. I had a lot of worries and anxieties. Now, even if it’s just not good, i’ll go forward no matter what anyone says.

Q: While filming <Not Others>, you must have thought a lot about your family, is your family a someone else?

Sooyoung: Family is a thorough another person and someone else. It’s not someone else in a negative way, but someone else who we need to be the most considerate, the most careful and the most caring in the world. Before i was the opposite. I was more busy taking care of other people than my family. I started living alone in my mid 20s, i think that’s when i started to think about my family again. The person you should respect the most is your family.

Q: We agreed with you. Are many people rude to their families just because they are close?

Sooyoung: Yes. That’s why it’s a problem.

Q: This is the last question. Where is the 33 years old Sooyoung standing now?

Sooyoung: I feel like i’m standing at the starting line. Did it feel like a full zero? I think this is the time where i have been trained mentally to be the most independent, the most subjective and to thoroughly objectify myself. It’s in that sense of zero, fully!

[galerymod]

Sociopath

Sociopaths are people who suffer from a dissocial personality disorder. They have difficulty forming long-term relationships. Others often describe them as unscrupulous, callous or manipulative. You are extremely willing to take risks and behave irresponsibly in the eyes of others. Sometimes you come into conflict with the law.

What is the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath?

In specialist literature, the two terms sociopath and psychopath are not always strictly separated, although a distinction is useful. Psychopathy is the most extreme form of a dissocial personality disorder. While the sociopath acts impulsively, the psychopath plans his actions precisely and acts coolly and deliberately. There are the following differences in behaviour:

Sociopaths have feelings such as fear or anger. They quickly feel attacked and then react aggressively. This behaviour gets them into trouble and ensures that relationships are usually only superficial and short-lived.

Psychopaths, on the other hand, have themselves well under control. They also lack compassion, but they are very good at covering up this lack of empathy.

Psychopaths are highly functional and usually well integrated into society. They are extremely manipulative and easily gain the trust of others. As they can exploit others cold-bloodedly and unscrupulously, they are very dangerous.

There are also thought to be differences in the development of both clinical pictures. Experts believe that sociopathy is more likely to be triggered by a childhood trauma. The typical sociopath has almost always experienced abuse, violence or neglect as a child. Their antisocial behaviour often even serves as a survival strategy. Psychopathy, on the other hand, appears to be innate.

In psychopaths, the areas of the brain responsible for impulse control and empathy are not properly developed from birth.

The treatment options and prognoses are correspondingly different. While a dissocial personality disorder can be treated psychotherapeutically - an approach that plays a major role in the reintegration of offenders into society - it is apparently not possible to cure a genuine psychopath. Some experts even assume that the symptoms can be exacerbated by treatment. Accordingly, psychopaths have the highest recidivism rate among offenders.

Why pursue therapeutic measures when one can simply engage in the overtly illicit act? One need only join a party, and the criminal behaviour will be resolved when one has sufficient influence to petition a judge.

mod

Regardless of the fact that the act is an assassination, the assassin has given the emotionally unstable individual and his party, which acts without moral constraints, a considerable advantage.

mod

Causes of dissocial personality disorder

How an antisocial personality develops has not yet been conclusively clarified. Most scientists today assume a combination of genetic and environmental factors:

Genetic disposition: the likelihood of antisocial behavior is higher if one or both parents have already been affected by the disorder. A scientific study of twins has also confirmed that there is an overall genetic predisposition to all personality disorders. Other favorable factors are probably anxiety disorders, depression, alcoholism, drug addiction and suicide risk in the family.

Traumatic childhood experiences: Physical violence, sexual abuse and other traumatic relationship experiences in childhood increase the risk of developing antisocial personality disorder.

Serotonin deficiency: A lack of the neurotransmitter serotonin presumably ensures that sociopaths are unable to react adequately to emotional signals and generally feel less fear. On the one hand, this explains the lack of empathy for the suffering of others, but also the strong tendency towards risk-taking behavior. Some experts assume that people with a dissocial personality are generally understimulated. This is why they are constantly looking for a "kick" - on the one hand in dangerous sports, but also in criminal acts on the other.

Neurophysiological factors: Imaging studies indicate dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex of the brain in antisocial personalities. This is likely to be the trigger for the extreme emotional coldness, especially in the strongest form of psychopathy.

Signs: How to recognize a sociopath

People with antisocial disorder stand out due to their socially intolerant behavior. This often becomes apparent in childhood and adolescence.

Possible signs of a dissocial personality can be

Lack of empathy

emotional coldness

pronounced egocentric behavior

Lack of a sense of guilt and responsibility

Low frustration tolerance

strong impulsiveness

violence

Problems entering into long-term relationships

High willingness to take risks

Disregard for social norms and laws

Diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder

Both the ICD-10 and DSM-V classification criteria can be used to diagnose the personality disorder.

According to ICD-10, dissocial personalities must have

character abnormalities such as egocentrism, lack of empathy and a lack of conscience and

there must be a considerable discrepancy between the behavior displayed and social norms. Criminal acts may occur, but are not essential for the diagnosis.

For a clear diagnosis, organic causes must have been ruled out.

In addition, at least three of the following characteristics must be fulfilled:

The affected person has a lack of empathy and shows callousness towards others.

He (or she) shows a clear and persistent irresponsible attitude and repeatedly disregards social norms and obligations.

He (or she) is unable to maintain lasting attachments or relationships with other people, although he (or she) has no difficulty forming relationships.

He has a low frustration tolerance and often behaves impulsively or aggressively.

The affected person feels little or no guilt and is unable to learn from negative experiences, especially punishment.

He tends to blame others or make excuses to explain his behavior, which has brought him into conflict with society.

The DSM-V is based on similar behavioral patterns, but emphasizes the criminal component, which manifests itself, for example, in violations of the law. In addition, according to this classification, the person affected must be at least 18 years old for the disorder to be reliably diagnosed, and the conspicuous behavior must have been apparent since at least the age of 15.

[mossbark]

You are defining "gender affirming care" and "care trans people receive" and the people on the post are defining it as "care which is sought out and used to affirm one's gender".

You are correct that Viagra and HRT for menopausal cis woman are not medically exactly equivalent to HRT for trans people, but that is not the point being argued. The point being argued is that cis people also take medical actions that are primarily to make them feel better in their gender.

It is similar to the common point that a cis woman with a moustache who does laser hair removal for it is doing so because a moustache does not fit her idea of her own gender presentation; this is the same reason a trans woman might get laser hair removal.

"The point being argued is that cis people also take medical actions that are primarily to make them feel better in their gender."

The point I am actually making is that cis people are not taking Viagra or estrogen to primarily affirm their gender. They are taking them to correct symptoms of physiological dysfunction. This isn't a hard distinction to grasp.

"I can't maintain an erection, which makes sexual intimacy difficult if not impossible. (And/or) I also have concerns about high blood pressure." Viagra.

"I am suffering from fatigue, hot flashes, hair loss, osteoporosis, insomnia, unstable mood, and pain during sexual intercourse due to my body's natural hormonal cycle being discontinued as I age." Estrogen for menopause. Also, for what it's worth, there are numerous physiological risks associated with being estrogen-deficient long-term, including an increased risk of dementia.

I think it is utterly out of touch, and uncompassionate, to completely ignore all these symptoms so these treatments can be framed as being about gender identity instead of physical day-to-day functioning. Again, I cannot overstate, I am in favor of gender-affirming therapies for those who want them, but it is crucial to understand why it isn't fair, accurate, or helpful to declare apples are really oranges because they're both round fruits. Overlap can exist between treatment outcomes, but that doesn't make the treatment the same.

While I agree cis women, trans women, and anyone else who gets LHR (edit: Lazer hair Removal) likely do so for the same reasons, you're again comparing apples to oranges by saying medical intervention is similar to a cosmetic procedure. You can also get into a discussion that goes beyond the scope of this conversation about drawing the line between personal aesthetic and gender presentation, which I would argue is what most cis people are actually experiencing in these given contexts as opposed to gender dysphoria. A woman who feels ugly because her skin is wrinkling and her hair is falling out is experiencing body dysmorphia, a diagnostic category that can overlap with gender dysphoria, but also includes eating disorders. If this same women declared she felt like less of a woman because she doesn't feel beautiful, you should probably have the empathy to understand she isn't declaring she doesn't truly feel misaligned with her gender identity, but is lamenting her appearance. These are fundamentally different experiences that due to the limitations of language, may be expressed verbally in similar ways. Also, I think the discomfort *most* presented in the initial argument is wildly overstated.

My biggest contention with everyone who has engaged with my perspective is that they are prioritizing gender expression, which is reflective of their own lived experiences, over the realities of these given diagnoses. It amounts to speaking over the lived experience of patients. To put it in perspective for you, how does this argument break down if a trans woman has ED, but wants to have PIV sex with her partner? What if a transgender man, who realized his identity later in life and does not want to seek transition, suffers from osteoporosis after entering menopause, and opts for estrogen therapy to reduce bone loss? In these situations, the argument breaks down and is no longer about affirming gender. The ultimate point I am making, simply put, is that treatments meant to restore bodily function are not the same as gender-affirming care because of coincidental overlap. The targeted symptoms are different, and it is a blatant misrepresentation to claim that cis people seek out these treatments primarily to feel better aligned with their gender.

Its popular on this website to demonize the fields of psychology and psychiatry, because I suppose they can feel restrictive to people who are untrained and uneducated on why we abide by the DSM and other treatment guidelines. This conversation is a perfect example of why it requires a master's or above to even get a job in the field. It requires critical thinking, good judgement, scientific integrity, and a solid understanding to tease out the nuances of why one diagnosis over another. I think it has become common to assume bigotry is at the root of every distinction, and sometimes it is, but this particular subject is not one to take at face value.

Hopefully this clarifies why I think this conversation is getting redundant, because at the end of the day, it's an argument the OP admitted is based on their personal politics and desire to push social boundaries rather than an understanding of how the human body works.

TL;DR not everything is the same and it doesn't have to be.

[docgold13]

Hi Doc, I was diagnosed with a personality disorder a few months ago (antisocial) and I'm wondering if you've ever seen it run in families. My biological father and half-sister display very similar signs. Except the weird part is that I was adopted as a baby and never grew up around them. Are personalities genetic?

hi

Genetic epidemiologic studies indicate that personality disorders are modestly to moderately heritable. There is often a predisposition for a given difficulty or condition that can or cannot be triggered into bloom by way of environmental or experiential factors. Personally, I see ASPD as a largely organic/ genetic condition. The key facet antisocial pd is a deficient in empathy which in all likelihood is related to abnormalities in the limbic system of the brain. This is an area of the brain that can be effected by environmental influences but is mostly shaped by genes and inborn factors.

Personalities are not genetic but aspects and tendencies that are part of the personality very much can be inherited.

how we chose to navigate difficulties or undesired aspects of personality, however, is completely in our hands. Personalities are much more dynamic and capable of change than once thought. And attaining positive change has come to be much, much more feasible.

[sukimas]

mental illness (general form) musings below the cut

i think in general that there are a lot of things that people don't want to acknowledge as actual ways a brain can be wired. e.g. people generally do not want to believe that someone can have no control of their actions

i think that this impulse is also present in psychologists/psychiatrists, and goes into how the DSMs are written. to be specific, diagnostic criteria.

diagnostic criteria for mental illnesses are often written extremely broadly, because they want to cover as wide of a category of behavior as possible. however, these broad diagnostic criteria often don't carve reality at the joints.

a tame example is ADHD; there is no practical reason that the inattentive and hyperactive forms should be considered the "same disorder". they do not have similar symptoms. oh, they both can be treated with stimulants and thus both likely come from dopamine deficiency? great! let's group every mental condition influenced by GABA under the same umbrella now.

a much less tame example is antisocial personality disorder.

the criteria as articulated in the DSM-V basically make it, when diagnosed "sort of a jackass who does some crimes disorder". however, the way people think of it socially (and the way even psychologists characterize it) is very different.

i personally believe that there is an abnormal brain psychology that exists that does fit the role of how people normally think of ASPD. that is to say: -little regard for consequences of actions on the self (probably from hyperbolic time discounting, lack of a future world model) -lack of impact of other people's emotions on one's emotional state (i state it like this instead of the vague term "empathy" because there's a whole mess of empathy arguments out there) -low tolerance for being around other people (if being around others doesn't positively affect one's emotional state there is less incentive to do so) -chronic understimulation (probably lack of future world model again)

these things lead to (to variable degrees) -lowered impulse control -lack of care for impact of actions on others -risk-taking behaviors -desire to inflict harm on others

these traits existing does not require the existence of all other traits on this list (i.e. you can have high impulse control wrt your actions on others but low impulse control wrt risks you take on yourself, for example) but i think that they are a closely linked cluster of traits leading from deficits in one's world-model

however i think that the overlap of people with these particular traits (even those who have all of them; the classic "sociopath") with people who have the diagnosis of ASPD is actually quite low, as the diagnostic criteria of ASPD are such that people get diagnosed with it for being a problem to others in some way (whether that's being an asshole or Crimes For Real) rather than actually fitting the above constellation of traits.

a summary of my thoughts on psychiatric diagnosis is: the DSM-V is Plato's cave, the diagnosed mentally ill are holding the shadow puppets, but that doesn't mean that (outside the cave) there aren't things that represent what the diagnoses are desperately trying to gesture at (and failing).

i hate the social sciences. dreadful.

[cyrusclouds]

mental disorder headcanons for dialtown characters because i had fun doing the dsaf one, except i have significantly less headcanons :3 oliver swift - gender dysphoria (duh), dysthymia + autism & adhd-c sgt norm allen - ppd, ptsd randy jade - clinical depression, gad, ocpd, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, ptsd + autism gingi - bipolar 1, bpd, schizophrenia, ptsd + adhd-c karen dunn - ocd + autism (canon) mayor mingus - empathy deficiency disorder, bipolar 2 if you're wondering where a certain character is, it's probably just because i don't have a good enough grasp on their personality and psychology yet to say anything confidently. also i should comment that i'm rather unsure about mayor mingus i just wanted to add her :3

[personally-probiscuits]

Raihan, the Dragon Gym Leader, the Confusing. The Narcissistic Selfie Addict.

Recently I've been researching different characters' personalities for a personal story, and Raihan's was the most complicated (Besides Leon, but I still haven't exactly figured him out).

The small "stub" on Raihan's Pokemon Wiki page wasn't enough information. Besides saying he has a "flair for taking selfies of himself" and that "Raihan respects Leon as a worthy adversary", I didn't learn much. So I went to trusty old Youtube and looked up Raihan Pokemon. I found a video titled "Raihan being himself for 3 minutes straight", uploaded by TheMeowthtuber (personally, those are my favorite videos, and gotta love the user name).

To begin this deep dive, let's start with a simple concept; Raihan's selfie "addiction". To anyone who watches the Pokemon series or plays Sword or Shield, it's evident that he takes selfies quite often. On his rare league card, the description says, "Raihan started taking selfies so as to never forget the pain of his defeats...," while that might sound like something that makes you feel sympathetic, the remainder of the sentence is really the thing that catches my eye, "but more recently he has been taking photos showing off his training routine, his fashion choices, and the like, causing some fans to leave harsh comments whenever he loses to Leon." This catches my eye for a number of reasons. One reason is that, while his habit of taking selfies originally started to document his humiliating losses, it bloomed into an active online presence, taking pictures of himself more frequently. I bring this up based on something written on 24fingers.co.uk, for an article called "The psychology behind a selfie", "People who take more selfies show higher levels of narcissism and psychopathy."

...Well, that's certainly not what you think of when you think of Raihan. Or rather, you don't think of the psychopathy aspect. Narcissism, maybe. Or maybe you don't know what either word means, don't worry, I got you.

"Psychopathy is a neuropsychiatric disorder marked by deficient emotional responses, lack of empathy, and poor behavioral controls, commonly resulting in persistent antisocial deviance and criminal behavior." -National Library of Medicine (P.S. All references will be put at the bottom of the post.)

"Narcissism is characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a lack of empathy for others, a need for excessive admiration, and the belief that one is unique and deserving of special treatment." -Psychology Today, Narcissism

Psychopathy and Narcissism share a lack of empathy and anti-social behaviors, but I think it's narcissism that mostly applies to Raihan. Let's go back to that video I mentioned. "...You shouldn't go around making trouble for a lady, and whatever I say goes cause I'm the Hammerlocke Gym Leader, Raihan." This was said by Raihan in the Pokemon Animation series, Pokemon Journeys. Taking away the flirty introduction of this quote, you are left with someone who sounds full of themselves. Maybe it's well founded since it is the truth, Raihan is the Hammerlocke Gym Leader after all, but still, that phrase "whatever I say goes," with or without the fact he is the Hammerlocke Gym Leader sounds self-absorbed.

But how does this tie into the photo taking? Well, to sum-up what Matt Monk wrote for 24fingers.co.uk, taking a lot (and I mean a LOT) of selfies = a self-centered and attention-seeking person. The league card quoted prior obviously shows how often Raihan takes a lot of selfies, and it can even be seen in cut scenes of the game prior to battling the MC. My belief is that Raihan, while not having a narcissistic personality disorder, has narcissistic attributes and a heightened sense of self-importance, both of which are negative attributes that can severely impact one's life.

I'm aware my research sounds more like a coffee-driven tangent, and not all the dots and citations connect, but I appreciate you for reading and I hope this helps you as it will help me write my story.

Resources:

Raihan being himself for 3 minutes straight, TheMeowthtuber

Raihan, Pokemon Fandom Wiki

The psychology behind a selfie, Matt Monk

Narcissism, Psychology Today

Psychopathy: Developmental Perspectives and their Implications for Treatment, Nathaniel E. Anderson and Kent A. Kiehl

[adhd-articles]

Examination of Changes in Levels of Empathy and Narcissistic Pathology After Treatment of Adult with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder