Sociopath Community

Amazing to think I might have dated this guy.     New blood, ya'll.

Prior to taking  the course upon which the book is based, I was an obnoxious, mechanistic, sociopathic prince of capitalism. I viewed wealth as a means to exert dominance over others, as well as a vehicle to procure hedonic bliss. I found a happy home for this way of thinking in the world of investment banking, venture capital and startups. I drank, drugged, womanized, broke the law I created a world in which those without a similar plunderer-type mentality were weak and destined to be dominated. At the beginning of the course, I had been fired twice, totalled four cars, been arrested in five states and inflicted emotional harm on countless females. I didn't read I thought introspection was for the weak, those incapable of enjoying the finer things in life. In short, I was miserable a gerbil on wheel of chemical and emotional highs, a slave to the influence of my fellow pirate peers. You could say I was ready for a change. The course had several effects upon me. There are too many to list, so I will detail only four. The first is the notion that the universe is benevolent, a partner in creating not only fulfilling personal endeavors, but a brighter future. The second is that I have an opportunity to be truly happy, i.e. fulfilled, not through striving and external action, but through removing that which is unreal and not me, thereby allowing my true nature to shine. The third is that HOW is not important, rather only the WHAT and the WHY, meaning I need not obsess over how desirable things such as fulfillment and impact come into my life, only a clear conception of what it is I want to achieve and why I want to achieve it. The last insight I was blessed with was, "If you build it, they will come", meaning that attention to my own personal mastery is the most important thing I can do in terms of creating the life and manifesting the impact I desire. Since finishing the course, I have gone on to read several of the recommended texts, traveled to India to learn meditation, attended various personal growth related retreats, consulted with non-profits, helped people start companies, become a more effective writer and public speaker, begun creating healthy platonic and authentic romantic relationships, found fulfilling employment with a renewable energy company and am currently helping launch a non-profit. In addition to taking up meditation, I have stopped drinking, eating meat, eating sweets (and in doing so, lost 60 pounds), doing drugs, watching porn and have filled this gap with yoga, reading, writing, love-making, cooking and hiking. Certainly the wisdom and exercises from the course (and book) did not do all of this, I did, but the teachings acted as the seed crystal allowing me to embark on a path of rapid transformation and achieve an infinitely more rewarding life. I owe the course, and by extension this book, a tremendous debt of gratitude for which I am only beginning to repay. I really enjoyed the book. It was a beautiful encapsulation of the course, touching on the major themes. Given the limited scope of the chosen media (in this case a book, as compared to a semester-long course) it is an excellent effort and if used as stated could produce extraordinary results for those who employ it. I say employ instead of read, because to merely read this book is not sufficient. As Prof. says, the book should viewed more as a workbook