25 Comments
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Lauren's avatar

I would like to add that there's usually a group of extreme outliers who go through this around the age of thirteen - or at least, the realisation starts forming around then.

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Chloè's avatar

didnt hit me til mid to late 20s.

i remember having a staring contest with mirror, right after i permadeleted my facebook...asking the person staring back at me "who are you" ...as i broke down 😭 😭 😭

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Chloè's avatar

didnt fully grasp the answer until... second 8hr shift under the knife at Facial Team Mafia in Marbella Spain 🇪🇸

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Fer's avatar

you defined me. I suspect you're one of 'us' too.

You really wouldn't recognize one if you were not.

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Chloè's avatar

only a ninja can sneak up on another ninja - predjudice by Tim Minchin

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Tobi Amida's avatar

They are probably at a level higher to not only recognise it, but also articulate it with such deftness. This is practiced excellence

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André's avatar

Lauren, perhaps one of the defining characteristics of a functional psychopath as exposed in the text is non-presence, which is little recognized in a profound way by those who experience it.

I don't stop to reflect on this because it's fruitless. Even if I had someone I could talk to about it, it wouldn't change society. I think that's why I chose to be an advertising executive by profession and to study psychology and human behavior: by understanding others, I develop more empathy for them, so I don't end up cloistered in my castle of arrogance, as many people end up being. Intelligence and curiosity go hand in hand.

I hope that this series of articles that began with “Outlier Genius” continues and that you can delve deeper into the loneliness (and perhaps fear) of not finding an ideal partner without losing this essence that we have.

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Chloè's avatar

@Andrè ::

devil came up to Virginia

looking for a soul to steal

i looked himiup and down,

and offered the irresistable deal

love for happiness, i said

offering the trade

the idiot signed

on the dotted line

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Chloè's avatar

i wrote my personal bible based on this core belief.

Rule one.

you cannot subtract unLove

but you CAN subtract unHappiness

and with that one hack, i won i own the gates of hell. and i put a bigass lock on that door and threw away the key

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Chloè's avatar

fools will seek the key

children will seek... me

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Chloè's avatar

for normies out there :

earth children #noPedo

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Chloè's avatar

you hiring?

i broke AF financially

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Chloè's avatar

i wanted to be FBI Behavioral Unit MindHunter style - helping the law weed out the danger.

instead the law wants me (activelly mind ya) in El Salvadorian prison

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Sophia's avatar

Welp, this certainly resonates.

✨️🫨✨️

Eloquently composed.

Thank you for sharing.

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Chloè's avatar

attune your fork to beauty, and beauty is suddenly all you see.

Lauren ia my fork tuner

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Jonathan Awad's avatar

The way I was going to send this to you after reading it… then saw you wrote it!! You’re so GOOD, Lauren ;

Brilliant

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Edward Espinosa's avatar

Imagine understanding you can't have stimulating conversations with normal humans until you are 30+ at the age of 12-13. Who wouldn't want to end it all? Being disrespected and treated like an animal because of your race or gender. Others go through a similar shame, but they don't yet understand how much of a better person they are than the transgressor. Choosing to help others instead of creating the same harm should be respected if nothing else.

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Chloè's avatar

i stopped at ney paused at 1st line.

my so called friends wanted to institutionalize me - on my selfdscribing belief of im a psychopath with 99empathy .

i feel seen

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panos.babatsikos's avatar

dull the knife

I see through and through

Before you speak before you think

I see your soul my oldest trick my dearest friend

I read your aura, inhale your disposition

and just like that I mirror -all

your Yesterdays your Nows and your Beyonds

I keep at bay and don’t utter a (true) word

I talk and talk and I own the room

which room?

the lesser room the insignificant room

always counting, seeing, measuring

And I drink and I drink to dull the knife that cuts you all

and me the most.

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Chloè's avatar

wow - yes

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Roy's avatar

Are you speaking from experience?

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Edward Espinosa's avatar

Unfortunately. Was handed a Bible at like 13ish and felt an uncomfortable feeling. I felt that there might be lies so I turned away from the church and leaned into eastern teachings until I became agnostic. Finally returned to the church at 39 after creating my personal version of worship.

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Chloè's avatar

happinessindustries.llc one day, i will offer "consulting" services ...or somwthing . no idea what or when... but ill know when the time is .ready

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Chloè's avatar

i started the Church of Happiness 😊

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Chloè's avatar

population 1

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