The Beauty of Sociopaths

Jesus told many stories in the bible about a Samaritan. The cultural context is often loss on us Americans in the 21st century. However, painting Samaritans in a positive light was scandalous for Jesus’s Jewish disciples. The story of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) was supposed to shock the disciples into realizing our actions towards the poor matter more than our stations in the church. Nowadays, perhaps sociopaths might give us a similar to reaction. Can any good come from Sociopaths?

Before we get too far, let us define Sociopaths. This is the definition from Mayo Clinic’s website and you can read the full article here.

Antisocial personality disorder, sometimes called sociopathy, is a mental health condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. People with antisocial personality disorder tend to purposely make others angry or upset and manipulate or treat others harshly or with cruel indifference. They lack remorse or do not regret their behavior.

Sociopaths are commonly referred to criminals, ruthless ambition, and romantic ex’s. Perhaps, we ourselves are guilty of accusing someone of being a sociopaths either in thought, word, or deed. Such judgements are often inaccurate especially when we are not educated and/or lack the training to make such a judgement. Once we decide someone is a sociopath we often dismiss that person and believe they are beyond redemption.

We must not do that, Average Catholics! Everyone is called to holiness. EVERYONE! Doesn’t it fill you with hope and joy to hear that even sociopaths can make it to heaven? Why refuse God’s merciful justice and love? Why bar sociopaths from heaven just because they have been diagnosed as a sociopath? If a sociopath can provide aid to a stranger, than more so to Jesus’s disciple.

Of course, the sociopath must follow the teachings of the church, be in right relationship with God, and believe in Jesus Christ to list a few things. Here is how a sociopath can provide a beautiful witness. They are not swayed by their feelings toward others. A characteristic trait is that they “ignore the rights and feelings of others” and “lack remorse.” To put it another way, they will probably not feel warm and fuzzy for helping a stranger or doing the right thing.

How beautiful for a sociopath to do the right thing without that inherent aid of warm and fuzzies. A common objection to Christians is that they are selfish for helping others because helping others “makes the Christians feel good.” Now, feeling positive affective emotion after performing a good deed does not negate the goodness of the deed. But a sociopath will struggle with feeling the warm and fuzzies so they must provide an alternative motivation for performing good deeds.

It is possible that a good deed done by a sociopath is astonishingly meritorious. They would need to understand a deed is good purely through the intellect or obedience towards a Christian witness. They can’t trust their own personal feelings, because often time they lack the feelings used in discernment of what’s good and bad.

Patric Gagne wrote an article for TIME called “The Perks of Being a Sociopath.” It gives a credible witness about how Patric, who is a self-proclaimed sociopath and advocate for others with the same diagnosis. She earned a PHD in Psychology and continue to provide aid through therapy. She sees her condition as a gift that aids her job in objectively observing someone’s emotional condition.

The beauty of being Catholic is that we do not need to feel emotionally validated in our faith. Of course, the Catholic Church can be accused of being cold and regimented and unyielding. Those critiques are valid. But the benefit of such strictly defined ritual is that we can be more objective about whether or not God’s grace was distributed to His people. We do not need to trust our emotional status. We can trust in the Church established by Christ two thousand years ago.

Can a sociopath go to heaven? Absolutely!!! Everyone is called to holiness. We all must accept that call. For those who struggle with connecting to the faith emotionally, I see you. I hear you. I love you. Be strong and keep the faith. God is working through your willingness to serve and be open and your own self gift. Do not be discouraged because you never “felt” God’s grace pierce your heart. It may happen, but even if it doesn’t have confidence in the Catholic Church and Her teachings. Repent and believe in the Gospel. Jesus will take care of the rest.

Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Matthew 12:50 – For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.

Matthew 21:28-31 – “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.”