I’ve been posting a series of articles on the problematic ways disturbed characters tend to think. These erroneous ways of thinking lead to dysfunctional social behaviors and patterns of irresponsibility. Some of the “thinking errors” I’ve addressed already include unreasonable thinking, possessive thinking, combative thinking, and prideful thinking:
- “Unreasonable Thinking”
- “The Possessive Thinking of the Disturbed Character”
- “Having to Win: Combative Thinking and The Disturbed Character”
- “Prideful Thinking”
Disordered characters also are forever thinking about outcomes. For the most part, they are very goal-oriented individuals. That in itself is not so bad. The problem is that they don’t give much thought to how they’re going about getting the things they want. They tend to feel so entitled to have whatever they desire that they believe the ends always justifies the means they employ to secure their wishes. End-game thinking is like tunnel-vision. As long as a person confines his thinking solely to achieving a goal or effecting a certain outcome, he’s likely to give insufficient attention to the right or wrong way to go about it.
Because of their other characteristics, disordered characters will often con, cheat, steal, and manipulate to reach their objectives. The way they see it, if others are so gullible or so weak that they can be easily taken advantage of, they consider it a fair victory. After all, for the disturbed character, it’s all about winning. What it takes to win and what it might end up costing are not considered.
End-game thinking is just one of the thinking errors that over time promotes the development of an antisocial attitude. Thinking only about what one wants and not giving enough thought to how it’s best to go about it or who might be impacted is a sure prescription for antisociality.
I discuss the erroneous ways disturbed characters tend to think in my book In Sheep’s Clothing and give the subject more in-depth treatment in my upcoming book Disturbances of Character.