Fraternities and the Tolerance of Psychopaths
The Nigerian university campus grown fraternity (UCGF) tended to start well but end up acquiring a good number of psychopaths. Most members of these fraternities are serial victims of these psychopaths (sometimes the same ones) who eventually and permanently hold the reins of power. Why would educated men endure being repeat victims indefinitely? Richard Dawkins’Self Geneholds the answer; these fraternities are enclaves that contain cheats (psychopaths), suckers (victims) and grudgers (resistors to psychopaths). The tolerance of Cheats in fraternities reveals far more about them than is sanely desirable.
Identifying psychopaths often comes when it is too late. Some of the easy to identify psychopaths in fraternities are what can be called the ‘disadvantaged psychopath. Typically (but not necessarily) ugly, short, from a poor background, wretched-looking, struggles with eloquence and cannot naturally command respect. An ever-beggar, lacking in any form of self-dignity / self-respect, lacking in social acceptance, covetous of achievements beyond his most excellent capacities. He resorts to the destruction of others to compensate for his inherent and unshakeable disadvantages. Whatever they gain through psychopathy, they also tend to lose by the same because they are much better at creating ‘liabilities’ than ‘assets’. Their very ‘disadvantages’ make most of the victories they attain by predatory and ruthless manipulation, Pyrrhic and vacuous. It, in turn, also makes their psychopathy increasing worse.
The harder to identify breed is the ‘advantaged psychopath‘ usually handsome, tall or average height, from better-off backgrounds, attractive, content looking, excellent in communication, erudite, he is the darling of everyone. The overt destruction of others is not his style. His exacting of evil on others due to their very own “elegance” is usually surreptitious. ‘Saving you’ to your face while nuking you behind your back simultaneously. The advantages these psychopaths are born with are visible in working on grandiose plans by ruthless manipulating highly able men. Their plans are more the stuff of delusion than reality.
The advantaged psychopath tends only to lose or fail to attain victories, Pyrrhic or enduring, by sheer mistake associated with their impulsiveness. Displays of anger, vengeance, greed, toxicity, betrayal and pure dishonourable conduct is a common characteristic of the disadvantaged psychopath. It is because they are always working insecurely upwards mostly beyond their best capabilities. His advantaged counterpart is comfortable coordinating in higher echelons of society where they do not tolerate dishonourable behaviour. Each failing makes this breed of a psychopath even more refined and devious.
The internal and external wretchedness of the disadvantaged psychopath in fraternities and the organic refinement and entitlements of the advantaged psychopath makes me wonder. Because while they are both heartless, superficial and lack compassion, and destructive, their approaches are very different. The wretched psychopath remains wretched and advantaged psychopath remains grandiose. Nevertheless, the advantaged meets with far more tolerance than the wretched psychopath; observing battles between the two breeds beats fiction and Hollywood any time.
We must not forget that the very “groupthink” of the UCGFs makes the critical majority of brothers vulnerable. That is, to numerous kinds of abuses and immiserations commonly practised within and sanctioned by the ruling elite. Groupthink disarms naive, decent and well-meaning members. The suffering of abuse and wickedness is deemed a noble “sacrifice” for a noble organisation. It is easy to get away with murder under such circumstances, especially the psychopaths.
Beware of the psychopath, whether you are in a fraternity or not. Anything a psychopath can do, they will do it to you.
Grimot Nane