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Healthinmind/Mental
Health Disorders/Personality
Disorders/Antisocial Personality Disorder
The Case of the Greedy Groom
Gregg G. was 49
years old when he was jailed for the last time, but he will soon be free
to look for his ninth wife. He bilked the first eight out of varying
amounts of money, from a few thousand dollars up to and including their
life's savings. To get a good start on his ninth, he took out an ad in the
personals column of a local newspaper, billing himself as the president of
a dot com company in San Jose.
The prosecutor who put Gregg in jail
for his most recent felony doubts that his 3-year jail sentence has
changed his ways. The prosecutor's doubts are more than justified on the
basis of past history alone, but Gregg has added to the doubts with a
statement he made to wife number five. After he stole $50,000 from a trust
fund for her children, and did his best to conceal the theft, she finally
confronted him and said "Doesn't your conscience bother you for what
you have done to me and my children"? Gregg replied, "I have no
conscience." Gregg's confession is an accurate reflection of the
antisocial personality, but his admission is rare; very seldom does truth
come from the mouth of a person with antisocial personality.
Gregg is much better at lies than he
is at the truth. Like other con men, he has touching and convincing
stories about his past, none of which are based on reality. He was a
victim of terrible experiences in Viet Nam (he was in jail when he said he
was in Nam) and had a horrible childhood (who knows?). He is a charmer, a
singer in church choirs (and in prison choirs), and a great romantic (he
gave one wife a ring and flowers, all bought with her credit card; and he
was such a great romantic that he had set a marriage date with another
woman as he delivered the flowers). He claims to have worked for the FBI,
to own several houses and gyms--but why go on? One things people with
antisocial personalities do not lack is vivid imaginations. Watch out for
them.
Last updated 12/19/03
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