Let's Kick This Off.

Welcome to my new blog. Knowing myself, I expect that it will be updated with extreme infrequency, be filled (to the extent that a rarely-written-in blog can be called "filled") with ridiculous nonsense, and read by virtually no one.

Perfect.

This blog will largely concern itself with topics relating to the big, twisty, mercurial tangle of labels which I find it sometimes useful to heap upon myself. Despite the fact that I like and agree with Kierkegaard's reputed quotation, "If you label me, you negate me", I'm willing to accept some labels, for one simple reason: There is no "me" to speak of. So I'm pretty comfortable with negating this non-existent person, or being similarly negated by others. Negate away.

The labels which I expect will be most relevant to this blog are:

Sociopath

Bipolar

Introspective

Felon

Ex-Convict

Antisocial

Nihilist

Amoral

Anarchist

Heterodox

Iconoclast

Philosopher

But especially the first one . . . sociopath. This is a label which I have only very recently allowed myself to embrace, but I am finding it an increasingly apt fit. I want to talk about it. Write about it. Explore it. Thus, the birth of this blog.

I am inspired by, and cannot recommend highly enough, the blog SOCIOPATHWORLD (sociopathworld.com). I will undoubtedly tread much of the same ground as that fantastic blogger, but it is not my intention to specifically mimic or compete with his work. I expect that I will make plenty of references to his words, though, as he has already written so much about so many of the things I wish to discuss. Still, this isn't meant to be "another sociopathworld", and I wouldn't for a moment suggest that I will produce a blog on par with his. This is merely my own small, personal space to ruminate upon some similar topics. For a more thorough, and better, treatment of the issues, I would suggest that you read his blog.

Am I actually a sociopath? I don't know, and I suspect that no one is really qualified to tell me, conclusively. It's a rather nebulous label, really. I mean, a sociopath according to whom? I've read so many different definitions, lists of qualities and traits which coalesce in the label "sociopath". I've chosen to self-apply it, after much thought, reading, and self-analysis, because I believe that it describes an unusual, notably aberrant type of person in broad strokes, and that I am such a person. I don't think it's "cool" or exciting, but I'm not at all ashamed of it, either. It simply feels . . . accurate. Very much so, and I'm tired of skirting around it and trying to pretend that it isn't.

I don't know how much time I'll devote to actually talking about sociopathy in general terms, in defining things and making reference to a lot of science. This blog will probably be much less about sociopathy per se, and much more about me specifically. My specific thoughts, experiences, and perspective. I'm no authority on any psychological subject, so I won't presume to speak as one. Everything written here will be my own take on things, and nothing more. Whether or not it meshes with the "official" thinking on sociopathy doesn't concern me.

Let's see where this goes, eh?