Dr Simon has asked me to thank you for all your comments on his recent posts about distortions of thinking. Due to a bereavement, Dr Simon won’t be able to respond right away, but he hopes to be able to catch up again after Christmas.

Right from the first minute the disordered character thinks someone is asking something from them, they start planning how they will resist.

Disordered characters hear what they want to hear, remember what they want to remember, and learn what they want to learn.

Disordered characters tend to perceive things in terms of black-and-white or all-or-none.

One of the biggest reasons why disturbed characters form relationships frequently characterized by various forms of abuse and exploitation is because they think of others as objects to possess.

When the disturbed character wants something, he doesn’t necessarily think about whether it’s right, good, or legal — or whether his pursuit of it might adversely affect anyone. He only cares that he wants it. His incessant concern for himself and the things that he desires creates a pattern of thinking which embodies an attitude of indifference to the rights, needs, wants, and expectations of others.

Persons with disturbed characters don’t act the way most of us do largely because they don’t think the way we do. Some will even advance points of view which they don’t really believe but which they want you to believe that they believe — all with a view to manipulating you or managing your impression of them.