Episode 282: You're (Probably) Not a Serial Killer—But You May Share Some of Their Antisocial Traits

You're probably not a serial killer. But the patterns that shape one run through all of us, at lower volume. In this episode, Dr. Greg traces antisocial patterns back to their source in everyday life — how we manage people, pray, and protect ourselves from being hurt again.

Key Topics:

• Why the patterns that define serial killers aren't limited to serial killers — and how to see yourself honestly in that mirror
• How omnipotent control can look like loyalty, competence, or even holiness — and what it's protecting underneath
• What "magical penance" looks like when atonement becomes a form of control instead of real repair
• Why prayer can become negotiation with God — and why that's a subtle form of magical thinking
• How the "hardened heart" of Scripture isn't just Pharaoh — it's any wall quietly built against trust
• How to meet the controlling parts of yourself with compassion instead of condemnation

Learn More:

• Previous episode in the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns:
  • Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns
• Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope St. John Paul II)
• Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns:
  • Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation
• Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns:
  • Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation
• Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns:
  • Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing
• Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns:
  • Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary: Why Real Change Happens through Love not Willpower
• Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation
• Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment

 

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