Political Ponerology: A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes

Grune & Stratton, 1956.

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

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These psychopathic and related phenomena may, quantitatively

speaking, be summarily estimated at two or three times the

number of cases of essential psychopathy, i.e. at less than two

per cent of the population.

This type of person finds it easier to adjust to social life.

The lesser cases in particular adapt to the demands of the soci-

ety of normal people, taking advantage of its understanding for

the arts and other areas with similar traditions. Their literary

creativity is often disturbing if conceived in ideational catego-

ries alone; they insinuate to their readers that their world of

concepts and experiences is self-evident; also it contains char-

acteristic deformities.59

The most frequently indicated and long-known of these is

the asthenic psychopathy, which appears in every conceivable

intensity, from barely perceptible to an obvious pathologic

deficiency.

These people, asthenic and hypersensitive, do not indicate

the same glaring deficit in moral feeling and ability to sense a

psychological situation as do essential psychopaths. They are

somewhat idealistic and tend to have superficial pangs of con-

science as a result of their faulty behavior.

On the average, they are also less intelligent than normal

people, and their mind avoids consistency and accuracy in rea-

soning. Their psychological world view is clearly falsified, so

their options about people can never be trusted. A kind of mask

cloaks the world of their personal aspirations, which is at vari-

ance with what they are actually capable of doing. Their behav-

ior towards people who do not notice their faults is urbane,

even friendly; however, the same people manifest a preemptive

59 A number of researchers at present are suggesting that Asperger’s Syn-

drome belongs under the classification of psychopathy. Asperger’s Syndrome

describes children who: “lack basic social and motor skills, seem unable to

decode body language and sense the feelings of others, avoid eye contact, and

frequently launch into monologues about narrowly defined - and often highly

technical - interests. Even when very young, these children become obsessed

with order, arranging their toys in a regimented fashion on the floor and

flying into tantrums when their routines are disturbed. As teenagers, they’re

prone to getting into trouble with teachers and other figures of authority,

partly because the subtle cues that define societal hierarchies are invisible to

them.” ( Steve Silberman, “The Geek Syndrome”: wired.com) [Editor’s

note.]

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PONEROLOGY

hostility and aggression against persons who have a talent for

psychology, or demonstrate knowledge in this field.

The asthenic psychopath is relatively less vital sexually and

is therefore amenable to accepting celibacy; that is why some

Catholic monks and priests often represent lesser or minor

cases of this anomaly. Such individuals may very likely have

inspired the anti-psychological attitude traditional in Church

thinking.

The more severe cases are more brutally anti-psychological

and contemptuous of normal people; they tend to be active in

the processes of the genesis of evil on a larger scale. Their

dreams are composed of a certain idealism similar to the ideas

of normal people. They would like to reform the world to their

liking but are unable to foresee more far-reaching implications

and results. Spiced by deviance, their visions may influence

naive rebels or people who have suffered injustice. Existing

social injustice may look like a justification for a radicalized

world view and the assimilation of such visions.

The following is an example of the thought-pattern of a per-

son who displays a typical and severe case of asthenic psycho-

pathy:

Symptoms:

“IIf I had to start life all over again,

I’d do exactly the same: it’s organic

A feeling of being differ-

necessity, nor the dictates of duty. I

ent.

have one thing which keeps me going

and bids me be serene even when

The shallow nostalgia

things are so very sad. That is an

characteristic of this psy-

unshakable faith in people. Condi-

chopathy.

tions will change and evil will cease

to reign, and man will be a brother to

man, not a wolf as is the case today.

Vision of a new world.

My forebearance derives not from my Different psychological

fancy, but rather from my clear vision knowledge.-