Actually, a lot.
Ok so before judging my inflammatory title and intro sentence, let me explain…
By sociopathic behavior, I don’t mean that they have problems with excessive aggression or lying. And I definitely don’t mean that they are a deranged “it puts the lotion on it’s skin” creeper. I’m not talking about that kind of cray cray.
“Sociopath” is basically just a really provocative term for antisocial disorder. (Ok I apologize for the quasi-misleading and inflammatory title. I thought it would be sexier than “Stoic Practitioners may display the general symptoms of nomadic Antisocial Behavior”)
So after all that, let me clarify my claim to avoid misinterpretation: Individuals who steadfastly adhere to the Stoic philosophy, as described by Epictetus, may display the same personality traits as those with nomadic antisocial behavior and, as a result, be interpreted as having that disorder by society.
I think it’s a largely uncontroversial claim: Stoics do display the general characteristics of nomadic antisocial behavior- a subtype of antisocial behavior.
So let me begin by listing some of the general characteristics of the nomadic antisocial behavior.
- Emotional coldness
- A lack of interest in social relationships
- Avoidance of Social Interaction
- Indifference (also known as Apathy. See what I did there? Hmmm?)
Sound familiar?
Someone who takes Stoicism to the logical extreme that it demands would exhibit virtually all of these qualities. The emotional coldness most obviously fits with the Stoic worldview, as is the general appearance of apathy. Those are, in my humble opinion, no-brainers.
The other two qualities of nomadic antisocial behavior are more similar to the symptoms of a hard-and-true Stoic rather than basic traits of the Stoic philosophy. If one is steadfast in following the Stoic philosophy, their worldview would foster a lack of interest in social relationships, coldness, apathy. We hinted at this in class when Dr. J talked about Stoicism fostering a detached, disengaged, almost inactive lifestyle.
Here’s an example of how the Stoic may be interpreted as having a lack of interest in social/familial relationships: Generally. when a parent loses a child they mourn. They may never recover from the untimely death of their son or daughter. It is a tragedy that they will carry with them for years. That’s not only an understandable reaction; it’s expected by society. Epictetus on the other hand, compares the death of a child to dropping pottery on the floor. (i.e. no reaction other than “Damn, that was a nice jug.”)
I’ll give him credit. Although he is cold and, some would say, inhuman in this view. He is remarkably consistent in application. Although I disagree with him, I admire that.
So, in short, a “successful” Stoic practitioner may display avoidant features and schizoid personality traits. The Stoic’s primary concerns for inner peace may give him or her the appearance of antisocial/sociopathic behavior (nomadic antisocial behavior, more specifically) to society.
Still don’t agree that Stoic practitioners display cold, ineffectual, detached personality traits similar to nomadic antisocial disorder? See: “Death of a Jug” example (pg 55)
The idea of a sociopath as lacking emotions is a common misconception. In truth, these individuals lack a certain degree of empathy. This lack of empathy does, indeed, align them with the actions of many Stoics.
ReplyDeleteOne shouldn't use empathy when determining a proper response to a situation, or the qualities of a moral code. This is because empathy, though not emotion in itself, is an emotional faculty. Moral standards and actions should be judged, according to Stoics, with reason instead of emotion.
There is a societal prejudice towards sociopaths that cause an instinctive desire to separate them from philosophical thinkers. However, I do agree with your theory. When understanding that a sociopath is one without or lacking empathy, it is easy to recognize that their actions would tend towards that of a Stoic.
Stoics may be a little “cold”. However, that is not to say that they can’t have good relationships with people. They just lack empathy and use relationships in a logical rather than passionate manner. They guide their actions with logic. When a stoic meets someone new they would assess their value and then use them to accomplish their goal in feeling less pain.
ReplyDeleteFamilial relationships probably illustrate this point best. Parents to a stoic serve the purpose of habituation, education, nurturing, and so on. This provides a lot of happiness and prevents pain for the stoic and if the stoics parents die it’s unfortunate but they served their purpose. It’s not like the stoic would ever show his lack of empathy though, logic would tell them that they should act friendly to achieve their goals.
On the inside a stoic would be very “cold”. However, in practical usage a stoic even in their purest form would create a friendly image for the utility that the relationship provides for them.