By Somebody
Is it possible for a human to be born without a conscience?
It seems no one really knows, though most people agree that sociopaths have a very weak conscience, and psychopaths have no conscience at all.
We understand the conscience to be our moral compass – the ability to distinguish right from wrong, more importantly, our ability to feel empathy; that our actions affect others and to feel guilty when we hurt others.
Does Keith Alan Raniere have the ability to feel empathy?
Does he have a conscience?
KAR spun a web of lies and deceit so profound and intricate to harm others and gratify himself with luxuries and sex that most of us can’t comprehend it. What he accomplished appears absolutely insane. What he got others to do is insane.
Does this behavior come naturally to him or did he design to do so from the beginning? Who knows? One thing is for sure. His motives were to gratify himself with no regard for others.
The truly remarkable thing about KAR is his charismatic character seen in the likes of Adolf Hitler, David Koresh or Jim Jones. That charisma can be used for good or bad. There have been good charismatic leaders.
But, does KAR have a conscience? Did he ever have one? Is it through so many selfish choices that he diminished it to nothing?
The answer to that question lies at the heart of what he believes. Does he believe his own lies? Does he believe he is the smartest man in the world? One would ask, how could he, knowing he fudged his own IQ test?
The answer to these questions is “yes.” He does believe his own lies.
No, he does not have a conscience or empathy.
And here’s why, and also how he accomplished such insane results: If KAR was given a polygraph test, I think he would pass.
When one truly believes their own lies, it becomes their truth. It doesn’t matter what the truth really is. On some level, he must know he’s a fraud, right? He faked his own IQ test.
Wrong, he actually believes he is the smartest man in the world. He actually believes in his mission, whatever that is. He actually believes he is the Vanguard. He would pass a lie detector test because he actually believes his own lies to the point of them becoming his truth.
How does one live in such a fantasy world? Is he a sociopath, a psychopath, or is he insane? The answer is yes, yes, and yes.
Can he be fixed? My answer is no. Whether or not he was born without a conscience and the ability to feel empathy doesn’t matter anymore. If he did have one, he smothered it out long, long ago. It is gone and it isn’t coming back.
Does that mean he isn’t even accountable for his actions? No. He is accountable because his goals have been obvious: Luxury and sex. He might be called the most selfish man in the world. But, whether or not he is accountable, I will leave that to God at his judgment day.
For now, KAR will continue in his delusions without the possibility of remorse. It is commendable though that he has gotten this far and accomplished (destroyed) so much through his own confidence and beliefs. I mean, that’s commendable. Most people are too insecure or lack the charisma to follow their dreams. It would take someone truly insane to do what he has done. That’s because he is insane.
He’s a psychopath, yes, but he is also truly insane.
The post Guest View: Raniere’s a psychopath, yes, but he’s also truly insane appeared first on Artvoice.