I later found out that Sam Vaknin is a psychopath, and that he is not a professor and neither does he have a PhD. I did think his style and delivery seemed too relentless and forceful for a genuine academic, although he does have an IQ of 188, which is phenomenonal.
A third of the way through the documentary I started to like Sam Vaknim, but was I just being another victim too? It seems so!
Why did he agree to make the documentary? I think it was just to promote his book.
I found the documentary to be very interesting!
Meet Sam Vaknin, author of the book Malignant Self Love. Sam knows he’s a supreme narcissist, but is he also, as he suspects, a psychopath? To find out, he becomes the world’s first civilian volunteer to be thoroughly tested for psychopathy.
Along the way, Vaknin encounters the minefield of scientific, ethical, moral and social issues involved in owning that label. When things don’t quite go his way, he turns on the film-makers, unleashing vicious displays of verbal abuse, and some free psychological analysis of his own.
Then, there's his wife Lidija. She wants a baby, but isn't sure that Sam is suitable parent material. And to make things worse, Lidija’s sister believes she’s been brainwashed by her twelve years with Sam.
I, Psychopath is a classic road trip/head trip movie, with a strong narrative, jeopardy, a cast of engaging characters and an irreverent gonzo style.
I think, K, that this is the case of it takes one to to know one.
ReplyDeleteThis is on the same level as the Shatner-Takei feud.
ReplyDeleteThe latest from Prof. Vaknin:
ReplyDeleteSerial idealizers, Anxious People-pleasers, Addicts: NOT Narcissists