REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP

172 REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP

Psychiatric Association, 2000 ; Millon, 1996 ). They like to be in control,

and because they care very little about the feelings of other people, they

are ruthless in gaining mastery. They take pleasure in victimizing those

they control, although they fear being controlled by others and are pre-

pared to go to great lengths to prevent this from happening. Because

they perceive the world as hostile, they anticipate betrayal and punish-

ment, and favor pre - emptive aggression. They are driven to avenge any

perceived mistreatments in the past.

Just as Shaka engaged in role reversal, taunting the weak as he had

been taunted as a child, so malevolent antisocials generally try to make

amends for the injustices and deprivations of childhood. Believing them-

selves to have been victim ized, they now feel entitled to be the aggressor.

Their provocative behavior can be seen as a form of mastery, a way of

coming to terms with their deepest fears, of overcoming the experience

of narcissistic injury and recapturing long - lost feelings of omnipotence.

Paradoxically, although malevolent antisocials feel that they are entitled

to transgress boundaries, they make an enormous effort to control

others, setting rigid boundaries and ensuring that they are respected.

Malevolent antisocial personalities, or ‘ sociopaths, ’ generally func-

tion adequately in intellectual dimensions, despite their socially repug-

nant behavior and inability to differentiate between what is socially

acceptable and unacceptable. Because they have no sense of boundaries,

social or otherwise, the role of tyrant comes naturally to them.

Malevolent antisocials ’ lack of empathy is another defi ning charac-

teristic (Millon, 1996 ). Because they cannot identify with their victims

(or do so only briefl y and opportunistically), the latter can be destroyed

and discarded at will. Malevolent antisocials have a strong sadistic streak

and no moral qualms about destroying their victims or impounding their

possessions. On the contrary, they feel a sense of entitlement.

Vindictive Gratifi cation

A core belief of malevolent antisocials is that they should look out for

themselves, regardless of the cost to others. Having once been the victim,

they want to make sure they never again fi nd themselves under another ’ s

control. The best way of ensuring this is to do the victimizing them-

selves, so their preferred operating mode is uncontrolled and intimidat-

ing aggression. Lacking proper parental controls while growing up,

antisocials never learned how to moderate their aggression. Now, as

adults, they feel secure only when they are independent or in control of

those they fear could harm or humiliate them. With the power to live