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Hermit: Schizoid Personality Disorder

Uploaded 4/26/2011, approx. 2 minute read

My name is Sam Vaknin. I am the author of Malignant Self-Love, Narcissism Revisited.

Patients with schizoid personality disorder, or schizoids for short, enjoy nothing. They seemingly never experience pleasure. This is known as anhedonia. Even their nearest interiors describe them as automata, robots, or machines.

But the schizoid is not depressed or dysphoric. He is merely indifferent. Schizoids are uninterested in social relationships, and they are bored and puzzled by interpersonal reactions and interactions. They are incapable of intimacy, and they have a very limited range of emotions and affect.

Rarely does the schizoid express feelings, either negative, such as anger, or positive, such as happiness. Schizoids never pursue an opportunity to develop a close relationship.

Schizoids are mostly aloof, bland, stunted, flat, and zombie-like. Sexually, they are neutered. They derive no satisfaction from belonging to a close-knit group, a family, a church, workplace, neighborhood, or nation. They rarely marry or have children.

Schizoids are loners. Given the option, they invariably pursue solitary activities or hobbies. Inevitably, they prefer mechanical or abstract tasks and jobs that require such skills and are grounded, belongeless, in the isolation that they seek.

Many computer hackers, crackers, and programmers are schizoids, for instance, as are some mathematicians and theoretical physicists.

Schizoids are inflexible in their reactions to changing life circumstances and developments, both adverse and opportune. Faced with stress, schizoids may disintegrate, decompensate, and experience brief psychotic episodes or even a depressive illness.

Schizoids have few friends or confidence. They trust only first-degree relatives, but even so, they maintain no close bonds or associations, not even with their immediate family.

Schizoids pretend to be indifferent to praise, criticism, disagreement, and corrective advice, though deep inside, they are not.

These are creatures of habit, frequently succumbing to rigid, predictable, and narrowly restricted routines and schedules.

From the outside, the schizoid's life looks rather less and adrift.

Like people with Asperger's syndrome, schizoids fail to respond appropriately to social cues and rarely reciprocate gestures or facial expressions such as smiles.

As the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual puts it, schizoids seem socially inept or superficial and self-absorbed.

Be sure to watch the video which compares narcissists to schizoids. It is available in my channel.

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Schizoid Personality and Schizoid Narcissism Bible (Compilation)

Schizoid personality disorder is characterized by a profound lack of interest in social relationships, emotional flatness, and anhedonia, leading individuals to prefer solitary activities and avoid intimacy. Schizoids do not experience pleasure in relationships or sexual encounters, often appearing cold and robotic to others. In contrast, narcissistic personality disorder involves a grandiose self-image and a deep need for external validation, with narcissists often relying on others for their self-worth while simultaneously despising them. The connection between these two disorders lies in their shared roots in early emotional trauma, leading to different coping mechanisms: schizoids withdraw entirely, while narcissists create a false self to maintain some level of external object relations.


Narcissist: Socially-anxious, Schizoid

Schizoid personality disorder is characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships and interactions, limited emotional expression, and a preference for solitary activities. Schizoids are often described as robotic and uninterested in social bonding. While there are similarities between schizoid and narcissistic personality disorders, the two are distinct in that schizoids are uninterested in bonding, while narcissists are both uninterested and incapable due to their lack of empathy and grandiosity. Narcissism is not about self-love, but rather a broken ego or self that withdraws from society to protect itself.


Shyness or Narcissism? Avoidant Personality Disorder

Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, and a lack of self-confidence. People with this disorder are shy and socially inhibited, and even constructive criticism is perceived as rejection. They avoid situations that require interpersonal contact and find it difficult to establish intimate relationships. The disorder affects 0.5 to 1% of the general population and is often co-diagnosed with mood and anxiety disorders, dependent and borderline personality disorders, and cluster A personality disorders.


NEW Psychopath: Ashamed, Empathic, Anxious (Primary Factor 1 F1 vs. Secondary F2 Literature Review)

There is a significant shift in the understanding of psychopathy, particularly distinguishing between primary and secondary psychopaths, which may represent two distinct categories rather than variations of the same disorder. Primary psychopaths are characterized by low anxiety and a lack of emotional response to others, while secondary psychopaths experience anxiety and can exhibit emotional responses, including empathy. Recent studies suggest that psychopathy may not solely be an empathy deficit, as some psychopaths can experience emotional empathy, challenging traditional views on the disorder. This evolving understanding emphasizes the need for a nuanced approach to psychopathy, recognizing its complexity and the implications for treatment and societal protection.


Loner’s Psychology: Mystery of Schizoid Personality (Intro to 6 Hour SEMINAR, link in description)

The schizoid personality is increasingly recognized as a rational lifestyle choice in a world where many prefer solitude over social interaction, with a significant portion of adults choosing to remain single and report happiness in their aloneness. This lifestyle is distinct from loneliness, which indicates an emotional struggle with solitude, while schizoids often avoid relationships due to past negative experiences and a desire for self-sufficiency. There is a complex relationship between schizoid and narcissistic behaviors, as both share issues with object relations, but differ in their emotional investment and perception of external objects. The existence of schizoids challenges societal norms about relationships and intimacy, provoking a mix of fascination and discomfort in others, as they embody a self-sufficient existence that questions the necessity of interpersonal connections.


Antisocial Psychopath and Sociopath: Antisocial Personality Disorder

Psychopathy is characterized by antisocial traits combined with a lack of empathy, callousness, and deceitfulness, and it often becomes evident in early adolescence. While it is chronic, psychopathy can improve with age, as criminal behavior and substance abuse typically decline in older individuals. Psychopaths view others as tools for their gratification, reject social norms, and lack a sense of obligation or remorse, often rationalizing their harmful actions. Additionally, psychopathy may have genetic and neurological components, and some individuals may exhibit underlying anxiety that drives their antisocial behavior.


Schizoid Narcissist Is Not Covert Narcissist

Atypical presentations of narcissism can complicate diagnosis, particularly with the schizoid narcissist, who exhibits traits that may lead to misdiagnosis as avoidant or covert narcissists. Schizoid narcissists often avoid social interactions and lack emotional reactivity, distinguishing them from covert narcissists who may still experience negative emotions and create ideologies around their social aversion. Their sexual behavior is also markedly different; while classic and covert narcissists may use sex as a tool for supply, schizoid narcissists are often asexual or find sex unpleasurable, viewing it as a chore rather than a source of gratification. The internal conflict between the narcissistic need for supply and the schizoid desire for solitude creates complex relational dynamics, leading to approach-avoidance behaviors that can confuse those around them.


Isolophilia: Healthy Love of Solitude (Solophilia)

Solitude and aloneness can be healthy lifestyle choices, distinct from mental health issues like depression or social anxiety. Isophilia, or the love of solitude, is a positive preference that allows individuals to thrive in their own company, unlike conditions such as schizoid personality disorder, which stem from mental disturbances. Society often misinterprets this preference as a sign of dysfunction, pressuring isolophiles to conform to social norms, which can lead to defensive or aggressive behaviors. Ultimately, isolophiles require respect for their need for space and solitude to maintain their well-being in an increasingly intrusive world.


Solitude is a Rational Choice

Schizoids avoid meaningful relationships and do not derive emotional benefits from associating with people. Narcissists rationalize their schizoid conduct and believe that being alone is the only logical choice in today's hostile world. The breakdown and dysfunction of social structures and institutions are masked by technologies that provide similar truths and confabulations. The idolatry of the individual has resulted in malignant forms of narcissism that are prevalent and all-pervasive.


Narcissist=Insane? You, Envy, Withdrawal, Loner Narcissist

Solitude and loneliness are distinct experiences, with solitude allowing for self-reflection and thought, while loneliness signifies a deprivation of human connection. The transition from meaningful relationships to a culture that values superficial interactions has led to increased rates of mental health issues, particularly among the youth. Narcissism and schizoid personality traits are intertwined, with both conditions stemming from a fragmented self and a reliance on internal objects rather than external relationships. The modern emphasis on individualism and technology has exacerbated feelings of isolation, resulting in a society where genuine connections are increasingly rare and difficult to maintain.

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