Behaviors that are Not Illegal but may be Characteristics of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)
It is said that any form of personality disorder is a pervasive psychosomatic disorder that have an effect on an individual’s state of being (2003; 1994;2000). Suffering from personality disorder has negative effects on one’s work, familial relations, and communal life. Behavioral disorders exist on a range. In terms of how occurrence, they can be mild to more severe, to the extent that the individual shows obvious manifestation of a specific personality or behavioral state of confusion. People with identified mild disorders are said to live normal ways of life and yet during the times when their stress or external pressures (including family, relationships, work, etc.) are heightened, the indications of personality or behavioral condition strengthen and initiate grave disturbances on their affecting and reasoning mechanisms. People with personality disorders possess quite a few noticeable psychological features that may include self-image disturbances, ability to successfully gain interpersonal relationships; correctness of the range of emotion, ways in identifying themselves, others and the world; obscurity in having the proper impulse control (1994;2004). These particular disturbances combine together in creating pervasive configuration of behavior and inner experience which is quite distinctive from the standard of the culture of an individual and which often likely to be distinguished in the behaviors which are apparently dramatic than what is considered by the society normal or usual ( 1994; 2004).
This paper discusses some behaviors or traits that are not illegal but may be considered as one of the characteristics of ASPD.
- Controlled range of human feelings
This could be characterized by the person’s inability to empathize or sympathize with the feelings of an individual. More or less, a person in proper state of emotional stability and maturity is mindful of others feelings. Compassion is very evident value among emotionally balanced and matured person. In this case, if a person is not really taking care of the feelings of others, then there must be something wrong with him/her. When a person is experiencing this kind of behavior, there are high tendencies that he/she might be able to violate individual’s rights. However, it is very important to consider that controlled range of human emotions is not illegal as long as it is still within the boundaries of human relationships (e.g. family circle, relatives, friends). Unless acted upon to people beyond legal conditions, it is considered illegal.
Then again, the controlled range of human emotions does not exactly mean that a person is showing attributes of ASPD. A person is entitled to choose what emotion he/she wants to show towards others. The only difference in relation to ASPD is that human emotions are constantly negligible (2000). People with ASPD will act upon their personal motivations on whether or not they will show kindness or compassion to a person. This behavior can be evaluated in relation to other repercussions or subsequent behaviors that will lead to the eventual manifestation of ASPD characteristics.
- Irritability or aggressiveness
Irritability is an extreme reaction to a stimulus (1999). When a person is irritated, there are varied reasons behind this. More frequent than not, irritation is a result of an action or incident that creates unpleasant reaction to a person’s own perceptions or sensibilities. Sometimes, irritability is a state of mood. It may be physiological and behavioral in nature. On the other hand, aggressiveness is the condition that may result to violence. This may be related to the state of irritation as the one may come before the other or vice versa.
Irritability and aggressiveness are not illegal behaviors if taken in terms of the area of application or personal experience. If a person is irritated to something, it is normal, given the fact that such irritation is supported with justifiable reason. This is same as true with the condition of aggressiveness. Irritation may also lead to aggressiveness. The only difference when applied to normal circumstance against ASPD is that irritation and aggressiveness comes from unidentified source. According to (1995), irritability and aggressiveness as associated to ASPD is indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults. It can be claimed that if unjustifiable condition of irritability and aggressiveness occurs constantly, this could be possibly associated with ASPD ort other personality or psychiatric disorders. Again, it is very important to evaluate the connection of this behavior to other behaviors that characterizes ASPD.
- Impulsivity
It is a normal reaction of a person to react in any stimuli that directly or even indirectly penetrate him/her. Thus, it is not illegal that one has to protect him/her self to anything that may harm his/her safety. Impulsivity is rooted to the ability of every individual to think rationally towards his/her own positive benefit. Planning is absent when a person is classified as impulsive.
Meanwhile, impulsivity is said to be the most typical and/or core attribute of ASPD. It may come from various forms and definitions. According to various literatures, impulsivity is an instinctive inclination to act with no reflection or logic; dysfunctional and disrupted dealing of information; a high tendency for thrill-seeking or high-risk activities; search for sensation; and failure of sustaining attention or concentration (2000; 2000;2002). For (1995), impulsivity is a “behavioral excess or as engaging actively in goal-seeking or approach behavior even though the path may be a risky one” (p. 160). In this instance, an impulsive individual lacks the ability to plan ahead of time. He/she urgently acts without hesitation, which often leads to aggravating conditions that may include other people if not him/her self alone. Impulsivity is not illegal if used with acceptable line of reasoning. In ASPD applications, impulsivity occurs incessantly and appears to be a normal habit of an individual that leads to severe damage to the person or others. If such condition persist, then, psychiatric and/or legal intervention is necessary.
- Sense of entitlement or prerogative
People have their own perception as well as description of their selves. The way we view ourselves is connected with the way we live our lives, acts on everyday dealings, decision making and taking, or psychological and emotional upbringing. In certain situations, people are entitled to identify his/her self to be higher as to compare with others. This is grounded on the idea of social positioning or status quo. This is not illegal as it should be supported with factual evidences and sense of responsibility. Further, every person has his/her identified rights whichever place or circumstance he/she will be. It is his/her common obligation to be responsible in the protection and preservation of the said rights. Thus, a sense of entitlement or prerogative is common to all.
But when a person excessively views him/her self against others, to the extent that he/she neglects emotions, norms, and other imposed restrictions, it may be far from the standard idea of self-entitlement. When a person is neglectful of the rights of others and the prescribed policies of the society, they might cause pain, chaos or destruction in the environment they belong. For specific conditions, sense of entitlement or prerogative that leads to absolute neglect to the rights of others and to society’s prescribed laws, social irresponsibility, negligence to obligations, delinquency, and other violations of standards ( 2001) is haphazard and could mean a serious psychosomatic condition. Most ASPD afflicted individuals possess such traits, as it is a primary manifestation (1995). For this behavior or set of behaviors are customary for them, they incessantly do it without any justification at all. If these conditions severely affect surrounding individuals, it is very practical to advise a person to seek psychologically related mechanisms. For grave cases, legal advice is also premeditated.
- Use of trickery for personal outfit or deceitfulness
Deception, when seen in any given angle will always be negative and at worst, deception for personal benefits. However, it is not illegal that deception is used for amusement purposes. Poor application as it may be, but there is nothing wrong in deception given the good purpose. But then again, deception as similar to lying will never be justified.
When deception leads to criminal behaviors and severity in consequence, then it is classified as an expression of ASPD. According to (2003), authenticity defines our ability to be true to ourselves. So, when people pretend or deceiving in favor to their personal intentions, it is best to evaluate the moral justification of their actions. Again, the range and frequency of such action is definitive to the condition of ASPD.
All in all, it is imperative to evaluate the reasons and motivations of every individual in relation to their actions or behaviors. To quote (1995), “Because there may be a variety of psychological causes for a given action, classifying people by their actions rather than their psychological dispositions or traits, although perhaps natural for the purposes of the criminal law, is less useful for the purposes of psychiatry or science” ().
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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