Title: Diagnosed Narcissist’s Riddle Sparks Discussion on Psychopathy and Empathy
Subtitle: TikTok user “The Nameless Narcissist” shares riddle that challenges viewers’ perceptions
Date: [Date]
Personality disorders are a particularly complex part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, published by the American Psychiatric Association. While it’s become fairly common to hear clinical terms related to personality disorders pitched around TikTok and Instagram, not everyone wielding the terms is doing so in the correct context.
Recently, a diagnosed narcissist named Jacob Skidmore, who goes by the username “The Nameless Narcissist” on TikTok, shared a riddle that allegedly determines if you’re a psychopath. Skidmore focuses on creating content about the various nuances of narcissism and how his diagnosis affects his relationships.
In the TikTok post, Skidmore filmed himself in a sparsely decorated room, presenting the riddle: “A woman goes to her mother’s funeral, and she meets a guy there that she’s never met before and they really hit it off. But she forgets his name, number, and who he is. The next week, she murders her sister. Why did she do it?”
Skidmore explained the answer to the riddle, suggesting that the woman killed her sister in hopes that the mysterious man would also show up to her sister’s funeral. He emphasized that the riddle doesn’t indicate psychopathy but may rather reflect Machiavellian traits. Skidmore claimed that only he and his sister, who allegedly has Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), were able to answer the riddle correctly.
It is important to note that being able to answer this riddle does not serve as a diagnosis in any form. The riddle is more of a thought experiment than a legitimate clinical tool. Despite this, most viewers came to the same conclusion as Skidmore, indicating that the answer seemed obvious.
However, some commenters pointed out the moral implications of the riddle. One person stated that knowing the answer doesn’t necessarily indicate psychopathy but rather good logic skills. This raises the important discussion of empathy and psychopathy. The American Psychological Association has noted that psychopathy includes low empathy and remorse, grandiosity, impulsivity, and sometimes aggressive or violent behavior. They also mentioned that psychopathy is not a diagnostic category in the current DSM but is instead encompassed by antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
Psychopathy remains a concept and diagnosis with significant social and cultural stigmas. While it is debated whether psychopathy exists along a spectrum, it is widely agreed that the area is underfunded, undertreated, and not fully understood.
In conclusion, the riddle presented by “The Nameless Narcissist” sparks discussion about psychopathy, empathy, and morality. It serves as a reminder that TikTok and social media platforms do not always provide accurate or comprehensive information about mental health disorders.