Sam Vaknin narcissistic-abuse.com

RESPONSES to Interview on ABC's Late Night Live (Australia)

Responses to an interview regarding the documentary "I, Psychopath".
 
Dear Kate,
 
Here are my responses. My media kit is available here: http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/mediakit.html

Q: You have obviously seen the documentary......what are your thoughts on it?
 
A. It is a chilling portrayal of the intimate danse macabre between an abuser and his victim and how their roles alternate.
 
Walker was and is hostile to me, his subject matter. He makes no bones about it: just read his PR material to fathom the depths of hatred and envy that are behind this documentary. From the very start, long before I had retaliated against his abusive conduct, he sought to leverage his film to "debunk" and "expose" the evil monster that he believes that I am. In our very first meeting he asked me to pose for the camera and repeat a text that he dictated which cast me in the light of a dangerous and deranged misfit. He said he needed it in ordered to promote the film to investors and raise the necessary finances. Later, before we started shooting and during the shooting period, Walker paid me and my wife a large sum of money and I understood implicitly (though Walker never explicitly demanded it) that I had to act the part of an obnoxious, unrepentant psychopath, which I did.
 
Later, as his hostility and malice emerged and crystallized, I decided to punish him. This I did by bullying him repeatedly and by playing on his deep-set insecurities. I took stock of his vulnerabilities and weaknesses and exploited them to the hilt, in a cold and calculated manner. As the shooting neared its end, Walker was most clearly is serious distress: his hands were shaking, his speech was rendered incoherent, and he was visibly frightened.
 
Of course, taking unfair advantage of his editorial control, Ian shows only one side of this power play, where I torture him. His unethical misconduct, verbal violence, enormous hostility, and manipulation are completely omitted and absent. The film is replete with creative and highly misleading editing regarding this and other issues.

Q. Has the experience of visiting the various psychologists, undertaking the  psychological tests and neuroscientific experiments, had any effect on you?
 
A. None. I have been the subject of numerous tests and examinations throughout my life, from the age of 9 onwards, when I was diagnosed with a high IQ.

Q. What did you make of the results of the tests you sat through with Dr. Niels Birbaumer?
 
A. The science behind Birbaumer's work is still experimental and in its inception. fMRI interpretations are highly subjective and controversial. Still, I think it captured the essential ways my brain reacts to stimuli and cues and has demonstrated the "hardware" correlate to the deficiencies in my emotional apparatus.

Q. Dr Belinda Board's test showed that you were low on the narcissism scale. Why do you think that was?
 
A. Dr. Board administered to me a subset of the MMPI-II test. My narcissism was lower that the reference group's. But, Board's reference group was composed of convicted and imprisoned inmates (mainly white-collar criminals). The normal procedure is to compare the results to the average population, not to any highly-specific subset thereof. I was diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder twice, a decade apart, in Israel and in Canada. That's good enough for me.

Q. Would you subject yourself to more tests?
 
A. Sure would. Just keep'em comin' (laughing).

Q. After this process, do you believe that you are a psychopath?
 
A. I did not need this process to tell me that I am a psychopath. I have written 10 books about personality disorders (one of which is a bestseller). I know how to identify a narcissistic psychopath. It is not rocket science.

Q. How is Lidija?
A. You should ask Lidija that (I am coping her on this message).

Q. Did she ever comment to you on what you said about how you see your relationship with her?
 
A. Yes. She was gravely hurt and offended. 

Q. Have there been any decisions made about starting a family?
 
A. Lidija wants a child and I want Lidija to be happy. So, we are going for the next generation. 
 
Q. Do you regret having made the documentary?
 
A. My income depends on my image as a narcissistic psychopath. People buy my books only because I offer FIRST-HAND knowledge of pathological narcissism and antisocial personality traits. I need to keep my readers convinced that I possess intimate access to the innermost recesses of these deranged and diseased minds. Walker's documentary has done me a great service in that it re-introduced me and my offerings to a whole new generation of viewers and readers. My only regret is that the film has been a failure as far as viewership and distribution go. I had hoped for a much greater exposure and impact.

Q. What are your plans now?
 
A. To watch another good program on the History Channel and to download a few more e-books off the Internet.

Lots of luck with the show!
 
Sam Vaknin

-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Vaknin author of "Malignant Self-love" [mailto:vakninsam@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 17 March 2010 10:42 PM
To: Kate Macdonald
Cc: Lidija Rangelovska; Sally Regan; Ian Walker
Subject: Re: media request - ABC
Importance: High

Dear Kate,

I would be delighted to grant you an interview via e-mail. Ian Walker is a
nasty person and, having paid me while I participated in the documentary, he
made me sign a stringent contract with provisions regarding the promotion of
the film. He also warned me in writing not to "defame" him in an interview I
was supposed to give to the Sydney Morning Herald.

To prevent litigation and such, I, therefore, prefer a WRITTEN interview on
which I can copy Walker and thus avoid his wrath.

I hope you understand. My apologies for any inconvenience this may be
causing you.

Sam
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. (E-mail : vaknin@globalpolitician.com, Mobile/Cell:
+38970-565488)

Associate Editor, Global Politician and Founding Analyst, International
Analyst Network

http://www.globalpolitician.com/search.asp?keyword=Vaknin

http://www.analyst-network.com/profile.php?user_id=79

Chronicle Media Group

http://www.losangeleschronicle.com/authors/view/941

United Press International (UPI) Articles Archive

http://www.upi.com/search/?sp=t&sLocation=sStories&ss=Vaknin

Issues in the economics and politics of economies in transition

http://ceeandbalkan.tripod.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/conflictransition

Author Archive of Political Columns in "Central Europe Review"

http://www.ce-review.org/authorarchives/vaknin_archive/vaknin_main.html


----- Original Message -----
From: Kate Macdonald
To: 'Vaksam@mt.net.mk'
Cc: 'samvaknin@gmail.com'
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 4:42 AM
Subject: media request - ABC


Dear Mr Vaknin,

I'm a producer on an Australian Broadcasting Corporation program called Late
Night Live. It's a program that covers a wide range of issues, politics,
current affairs, science, philosophy, culture etc.  It is the same network
that is going to broadcast the documentary you took part in with Ian Walker.
It is being shown next week and I am organising a discussion around the
topic but was wondering if you are interested in doing a one to one
interview with the host of our program Phillip Adams. We can do it over the
phone for about 15 minutes or so as it would be interesting to get  your
feedback about the documentary.

If you were free next Tuesday 23rd March around 11am that would work well
for us.

Let me know you think.

Regards,

Kate MacDonald
Producer, Late Night Live
ABC Radio National
www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive