Recent Posts

Power, Persona, and the Narcissistic Leader

Discover how nine distinct forms of narcissism shape leadership—for better or worse—and why recognizing them can help protect teams and culture.

Discover how nine distinct forms of narcissism shape leadership—for better or worse—and why recognizing them can help protect teams and culture.

When Adulthood Feels Too Dangerous: Inside an Avoidant Mind

Shame doesn’t soften with time—it just finds new ways to hide. This post explores what happens when avoidance grows older but never grows up.

Shame doesn’t soften with time—it just finds new ways to hide. This post explores what happens when avoidance grows older but never grows up.

Why Some People Never Seem to Grow Up

Avoidant personality disorder and the painful work of growing up.

Avoidant personality disorder and the painful work of growing up.

The Emotional Wasteland of the Psychopath

Researchers suggest that psychopaths demonstrate proto-emotions, blunted and akin to a reptilian state. These proto-emotions are the basis for the psychopath's callous traits.

Researchers suggest that psychopaths demonstrate proto-emotions, blunted and akin to a reptilian state. These proto-emotions are the basis for the psychopath's callous traits.

Empathy Deficits, Narcissism, and Neurodivergence

Not all empathy deficits are alike. This post separates autism, narcissism, and psychopathy to clarify the roots and risks of conflating difference with intentional harm.

Not all empathy deficits are alike. This post separates autism, narcissism, and psychopathy to clarify the roots and risks of conflating difference with intentional harm.

Why Do You Have to Be So Mean?

Those with an injured self-concept may handle “things not going their way” with immature coping skills, which often results in unkind, cruel, and spiteful comments.

Those with an injured self-concept may handle “things not going their way” with immature coping skills, which often results in unkind, cruel, and spiteful comments.

Borderline Personality Resistance to Emotional Regulation

Do you give in to the temper tantrums of those with borderline personality disorder? If so, you are making the situation worse.

Do you give in to the temper tantrums of those with borderline personality disorder? If so, you are making the situation worse.

How and Why Narcissists Weaponize New Partners Against Exes

Learn why many narcissists exploit the attachment and protectiveness of romantic partners in order to protect their grandiose self-concept and self-serving conflict narratives.

Learn why many narcissists exploit the attachment and protectiveness of romantic partners in order to protect their grandiose self-concept and self-serving conflict narratives.

Self-Help for Narcissists: How to Improve Your Timing

If you are a self-aware narcissist and want to improve your intimate relationships, a simple way to do it is by paying more attention to how your timing affects your partner.

If you are a self-aware narcissist and want to improve your intimate relationships, a simple way to do it is by paying more attention to how your timing affects your partner.

Psychopathic Scapegoating

Psychopaths do everything possible to avoid responsibility for their actions and use scapegoating as a tool to do so. They set up their victims by denigrating them to others.

Psychopaths do everything possible to avoid responsibility for their actions and use scapegoating as a tool to do so. They set up their victims by denigrating them to others.

Paranoid Personality Traits Should Capture Our Attention

Excessive suspicions, false accusations, and quackery spell paranoia. Learn the subtleties to help those vulnerable and protect yourself.

Excessive suspicions, false accusations, and quackery spell paranoia. Learn the subtleties to help those vulnerable and protect yourself.

Your Drive to Be Flawless Might Be Your Biggest Roadblock

Are you pulled forward by a desire for excellence, or pushed from behind by a fear of mistakes? One path leads to real achievement, while the other can fuel anxiety and paralysis.

Are you pulled forward by a desire for excellence, or pushed from behind by a fear of mistakes? One path leads to real achievement, while the other can fuel anxiety and paralysis.

The Six Strategies of Pathologically Controlling Partners

Feeling trapped by a partner’s love-bombing, threats, or control? Explore the deeper fears driving their behavior—and how you can finally break free.

Feeling trapped by a partner’s love-bombing, threats, or control? Explore the deeper fears driving their behavior—and how you can finally break free.

How Destructive Work Behavior Thrives in the Remote Office

In today's remote workplace, some colleagues may use communication to sow chaos. Here’s how to spot the destructive patterns that might be hidden.

In today's remote workplace, some colleagues may use communication to sow chaos. Here’s how to spot the destructive patterns that might be hidden.

The Surprising Ways People Enable Dysfunction at Work

Some of your most trusted instincts at work could be feeding dysfunction. Find out how and what to do about it.

Some of your most trusted instincts at work could be feeding dysfunction. Find out how and what to do about it.

7 Behaviors Never to Tolerate From Narcissists

Do you wonder where to draw the line against belittling or bullying behavior from narcissists? Here's a guide.

Do you wonder where to draw the line against belittling or bullying behavior from narcissists? Here's a guide.

The Surprising Upside of Your Dark Side

Your personality traits become strengths or weaknesses depending on one thing: how well you manage them in context.

Your personality traits become strengths or weaknesses depending on one thing: how well you manage them in context.

Craving Love Can Produce a Toxic Relationship

Craving love can create a toxic relationship with a psychopath. This can happen within close family relationships—partner to partner, parent to child, or even child to parent.

Craving love can create a toxic relationship with a psychopath. This can happen within close family relationships—partner to partner, parent to child, or even child to parent.

When the Mask Slips: Envy, Coldness, and the Limits of Help

When a young woman’s emotional vulnerability drew me into a confusing and exhausting dynamic, I began to question whether my empathy was helping — or enabling.

When a young woman’s emotional vulnerability drew me into a confusing and exhausting dynamic, I began to question whether my empathy was helping — or enabling.

Was I Helping, or Just Playing a Role in Her Script?

When a young woman’s emotional vulnerability drew me into a confusing and exhausting dynamic, I began to question whether my empathy was helping — or enabling.

When a young woman’s emotional vulnerability drew me into a confusing and exhausting dynamic, I began to question whether my empathy was helping — or enabling.

Why Do People With Schizoid PD Experience Existential Dread?

Some of the nicest people I know have schizoid PD and are silently suffering the aftereffects of an abusive childhood that left them feeling profoundly unsafe around other people.

Some of the nicest people I know have schizoid PD and are silently suffering the aftereffects of an abusive childhood that left them feeling profoundly unsafe around other people.

The Psychopathy Checklist's Use in the Legal System

The violent risk potential of a criminal can be measured using the Psychopathy Checklist developed by Robert D. Hare. This measure affects bail, sentencing, parole, and more.

The violent risk potential of a criminal can be measured using the Psychopathy Checklist developed by Robert D. Hare. This measure affects bail, sentencing, parole, and more.

Can Someone Have Two or More Personality Disorders?

Are you confused about how personality disorders are diagnosed? You are not alone. Experts have not yet been able to agree on one system of diagnosis to use for everything.

Are you confused about how personality disorders are diagnosed? You are not alone. Experts have not yet been able to agree on one system of diagnosis to use for everything.

10 Signs That a Partner Could Be a Hater

Possessiveness, guilt-tripping, pettiness, and more.

Possessiveness, guilt-tripping, pettiness, and more.

The Forgotten Personality Disorders

A new review proves that change is possible.

A new review proves that change is possible.

Distinguishing Borderline From Bipolar Spectrum Disorders

How do we distinguish between bipolar mood disorder, cyclothymic temperament, and borderline personality disorder?

How do we distinguish between bipolar mood disorder, cyclothymic temperament, and borderline personality disorder?

Borderline or Narcissistic?

Borderline or narcissistic? How to tell the difference.

Borderline or narcissistic? How to tell the difference.

Beware of Power Struggles With Psychopaths

Power struggles with psychopaths are guaranteed to trigger confusion and pain, as the psychopath uses deceit and other tactics to dominate, control, and win.

Power struggles with psychopaths are guaranteed to trigger confusion and pain, as the psychopath uses deceit and other tactics to dominate, control, and win.

The Trouble With Complex Trauma

Complex PTSD has become a popular psychiatric diagnosis, although it is not officially recognized by American psychiatry. The construct suffers from two fatal flaws.

Complex PTSD has become a popular psychiatric diagnosis, although it is not officially recognized by American psychiatry. The construct suffers from two fatal flaws.

Why People Believe Things They Know Aren’t True

Why we rewrite history, ignore facts, and build stories that protect how we feel right now, even when we know they aren't true.

Why we rewrite history, ignore facts, and build stories that protect how we feel right now, even when we know they aren't true.