Quislings, Misanthropes, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder

First, let's start with a few definitions:

Quisling: traitor. Traitor: one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty. (Source: Merriam-Webster Online)

Misanthrope: a person who hates or distrusts humankind (Source: Merriam-Webster Online)

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
   
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
   
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
   
4. requires excessive admiration
   
5. has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
   
6. is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
   
7. lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
   
8. is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
   
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

(Source: American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

The Quisling. Laws are for the protection of society in general, and written contracts are for business dealings. In social groups, however - and particularly in closed social groups - laws and contracts do not apply. The binding agent in such a social group is honor, a commitment and a tacit promise not to violate the trust which holds the group together. It is dishonorable - indeed, it is morally bankrupt - to breech that trust, to break that tacit promise. Someone who breaks their word - whether given directly or tacitly - should expect consequences for such an act. Anger. Distrust. Loss of esteem and good will. The more egregious the group perceives the breech to be, the more long-lasting and widespread the consequences are likely to be.

The Misanthrope. It is no wonder the misanthrope finds herself on the fringes of society. The unwavering hatred for human beings (clearly evident in attitude and in unfailing incivility), and the belief that any and every animal - even one that's clearly a threat to the safety and well-being of humans - is superior to humans, does not engender admiration, respect, or even liking from those humans. Someone who neither likes nor respects other human beings should not expect liking or respect in return. Someone who speaks to other people with vitriol should not be surprised when they are responded to in kind.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder needs no further elaboration. I leave you to your own observations and conclusions. (It's really rather fascinating, when one can observe it objectively.)

I truly admire those who can turn the other cheek, even when directly and repeatedly beset. Unwavering pacifism, however, is not one of my virtues. I am but an imperfect human; I neither claim, nor aspire to, sainthood. Does that demonstrate weakness? Perhaps. A low reactivity threshhold? Certainly. Poke me, I poke back. That is both an acknowledgement and a promise.