Your Secret Sociopathic Blind Spot.
It’s Fueling Your Depression, Killing Your Future, and It’s Been Crippling You Since Day One. The Moment You Spot It, You Can Drop It Like a Hot Potato—No More Carrying this Dead Weight
EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece uses forceful, direct language to highlight the contradiction of caring for everyone but oneself. It risks oversimplifying complex mental health issues but aims to jolt readers out of complacency.
Now let’s get into it…
Your Secret Sociopathic Blind Spot.
Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,
You’ll drop everything to rescue a friend...
You’re the first to empathize when your coworker is getting divorced…
The first to lend a shoulder when your sibling needs to cry…
But there’s a dark flip side:
You feel nothing for yourself.
It’s as if you’re dead inside—sociopathic, even—when it comes to your own pain.
Do You See This Pattern?
Exhibit A:
A buddy misses a deadline. You rush in with comfort and pep talks. You’ll do great next time.
Exhibit B:
You miss a deadline. You lash yourself with insults—Weak. Failure. Useless. No empathy. No forgiveness.
It’s twisted, right?
But that’s just the start…
Exhibit C: Body Image Blowout
Friend’s Crisis:
Your friend complains about gaining a few pounds. You reassure them, “You look great. Your worth isn’t defined by a number.”
Your Reality:
You skip meals or berate yourself relentlessly for that extra slice of pizza. You say, “I’m disgusting. I have no self-control.”
Exhibit D: Relationship Fallouts
Friend’s Crisis:
A buddy’s relationship ends. You invite them over, offer ice cream, comfort, and talk it through until 3 a.m.
Your Reality:
When your relationship hits the rocks, you tell yourself, “Of course they left. I’m not lovable anyway.” No ice cream—no comfort—just blame.
Exhibit E: Job Interview Letdown
Friend’s Crisis:
They bomb a job interview. You’re quick to assure them, “Everyone stumbles. You’ll ace the next one.”
Your Reality:
You botch an interview, and the internal voice roars, “You’re too dumb. You’ll never land a decent job.” You bury the experience in shame.
Exhibit F: Financial Slip
Friend’s Crisis:
A colleague maxes out a credit card. You insist, “It happens. Let’s figure out a plan.”
Your Reality:
Your own credit card bill skyrockets, and you think, “I’m an irresponsible loser.” You refuse to even look at it because you feel you don’t deserve a solution.
Exhibit G: Creative Block
Friend’s Crisis:
They can’t get words on the page for a novel or report. You say, “Creativity ebbs and flows—take a breather and come back stronger.”
Your Reality:
You struggle to draft a single page and decide, “I’m worthless. Real writers don’t get blocked.” You grind with no break, punishing yourself mentally.
Why It’s So Common
(And No One Talks About It)
Society Rewards Selflessness… and low-key shames self-compassion.
You’re taught to help others—yet you’re labeled “self-absorbed” if you dare turn the same kindness inward.
Perfectionism Is “Virtue” Gone Rotten.
Striving for impossible standards? You’re quick to cut yourself down when you don’t measure up.
Numbness Feels ‘Efficient.’
Some think relentless self-criticism keeps them sharp. In reality, it’s burning them out, fueling anxiety, and driving them straight into emotional debt.
“Background Noise.”
Your interior monologue is so loud and so constant… you barely notice it’s destroying you. You go on autopilot—oblivious to how vicious you truly are to yourself.
How It Feels
Like Two Different People:
The empathy wizard for everyone else, the cold executioner for yourself.
Drained and Isolated:
You give kindness but never get any in return—because you never give it to you.
Trapped in a Loop:
Each time you fail or struggle, you unleash that harsh, merciless voice. So you shrink from risks or you push to perfection—only to crash harder next time.
The Irony
You might scoff, “It’s not that bad. I can handle it.”
But ask yourself: would you ever treat a loved one the way you treat yourself?
If the answer is a horrified “No,” then it’s time to confront the truth.
You’re living with a bizarre contradiction:
Compassion for others, zero for you.
How to Break the Spell
Spot the Inner Critic: When your brain starts tearing you apart, call it out. Name it. “There’s that self-attack.”
Flip the Script: Ask how you’d respond if this were happening to your best friend. Why are you any different?
Practice Mercy: Author Kristin Neff calls it “self-compassion.” Start small. Acknowledge one small hardship and let yourself feel what you’d feel for a friend.
Fuel, Don’t Drain: Being kind to yourself isn’t laziness. It’s replenishment. You cannot run your life on an empty emotional tank (Neff & Germer, 2013).
Hard Reality Check
Remaining your own worst enemy can lead to burnout, depression, and chronic anxiety (Beck, 1979).
Turn just a fraction of your outward empathy inward, and you might see radical shifts in resilience, mood, and performance (Gilbert & Procter, 2006).
Studies show self-compassion increases motivation (not kills it) because you’re more likely to bounce back from mistakes (Neff, 2011).
Final Word
In a world that prizes giving to others, don’t starve yourself of the empathy you deserve. It’s not “selfish.” It’s survival. If you can see a friend’s pain as worthy of comfort, you need to see your own pain the same way. Otherwise, you’re the sociopath in your own story—and no one else can save you from that role but you.
VIP ACCESS: WHAT YOU UNLOCK
SPECIAL REPORT: The ADHD X Factor
Harness the hidden superpower of ADHD brains to gain unshakable focus and creative fire.
No more scatterbrain. No more “I just can’t finish.” Turn hyperactivity into hyper-productivity.
The Daily Practice
A straightforward, repeatable method to train your mind, overcome emotional roadblocks, and show up as your most energized self—every single day.
Because routines shouldn’t be a chore—they should be rocket fuel.
Hell & Paradise (Advanced Review Copy)
A behind-the-scenes guide to a no-holds-barred transformation blueprint. Shatter old habits that keep you in “Hell” and redefine your personal version of “Heaven on Earth.”
No more lukewarm living.
The Trillion Dollar Swipe File
Steal the persuasion secrets of top marketers—an almost unfair advantage for entrepreneurs, writers, and anyone else who needs to influence effectively.
Crack the code to sales pages, funnels, and emails that rake in billions.
The AI Prompt Bible
Get 70+ prompt blueprints to run your life, business, and brand like a beast—unlock the hidden power of ChatGPT in seconds (Gothelf & Seiden, 2017).
Spend less time fumbling, more time profiting from AI’s next wave.
The Next AI Revolution (1–3 Year Forecast)
Dive into tomorrow’s gold rush: see who’s dominating, who’s controlling the game, and how you can jump ahead before the 1,000-day clock runs out.
Miss this window, and you’ll wonder how everyone else sprinted past you.
The AI Cheat Code
A no-frills quickstart to unleashing your best ideas, solutions, and breakthroughs—60 seconds is all it takes to prime your AI engine for genius.
The ultimate hack for productivity addicts.
The Monster Method
The same game-changing copy training I delivered to Tony Robbins’ copy team. Master advanced tactics to sell the click, beat controls, and resurrect 8-figure funnels—all with just eight lines of copy.
Monstrous results, minimal fluff.
The Trigger Method Workbook
Rewire your reactions, reclaim your power, and become the unshakable adult you’ve always needed (Herzberg, 1959).
Every trigger becomes a map back to your personal authority.
WHY “PERMISSION TO BE POWERFUL” MATTERS
No more waiting for society, family, or your own doubts to give you the green light. This VIP access is your license to think bigger, act bolder, and finally embrace the power you’ve been quietly craving (Heath & Heath, 2007). You decide. You command. You conquer—without asking for outside approval.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Reserve Your Spot
Commit to the transformation—sign up and claim your VIP credentials.Explore Your Arsenal
Dive into each resource. Pick what resonates, devour it, and start implementing immediately.Activate Your Power
Use these proven techniques from psychology, marketing, and AI to create unstoppable momentum.
Join us inside the VIP zone. This is your Permission to Be Powerful—the ultimate pivot from playing small to seizing the life and results you’ve always wanted.
No more half-measures. Grab your VIP seat now, unlock every one of these high-impact tools, and finally step into the future that’s been waiting for you.
Until next time,
Anton
Creator of Permission to be Powerful
References:
Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders.
Gilbert, P., & Procter, S. (2006). Compassionate Mind Training for People with High Shame and Self-Criticism.
Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself.
Neff, K., & Germer, C. (2013). Mindful Self‐Compassion Program (Pilot Study).
This is definitely relatable, we give kindness to everyone except our self.
Good stuff bro 😁
Are open for recommending each other on substack? It'll help both of us. Let me know in DM if you're interested.