| As an author, I have followed with great curiosity the | | | | One of the best ways to detect a 'wannabe criminal' is |
| controversy arising from James Frey's best selling | | | | to listen to them converse in great specificity about the |
| memoirs. Millions have read his alarming, in-your-face | | | | heroic elements of their unruly behavior. Often, what is |
| account revealing years of substance abuse, | | | | stated by these individuals is misguided nonsense |
| supposed recklessness, oppositional behavior towards | | | | aimed at alarming others and creating an atmosphere |
| authority figures, and other antisocial behavior. It is a | | | | of sympathy. In reality, their behavior is a trick, a |
| story filled with excitement and raw feeling. By | | | | 'con-job' played out to gain a reputation as the 'bad |
| appearing on the Opra Winfrey show, James was | | | | boy'. It is the nature of the player's pathology to do this. |
| able to use that forum to catapult his book to a best | | | | Psychological Roots of Deceit |
| selling nonfiction story. | | | | The pattern of using manipulation and deceit obviously |
| As I understand it, memoirs are a non-fiction account | | | | works. Opra Winfrey hooked right into it. She minimized |
| about one's life story. There is no room for deliberate | | | | and excused the fabrications that permeated the work |
| inaccuracies, or embellishments in an author's memoirs. | | | | of James Frey. She gave him exactly what he desired |
| Authors tell their story as it is, not the way they want | | | | and needed - the continuation of an audience that |
| others to perceive it. They do not fabricate information | | | | would bolster his ego and provide publicity for his |
| and details of events to make their memoirs more | | | | memoir. It is never a wise thing to enable an individual |
| enticing to the reading audience. Most authors of | | | | who fakes aspects of his life story. |
| non-fictional literature have gone to great lengths to | | | | Those who have quit drinking and drugging are |
| verify the authenticity of their facts. That is the nature | | | | admirable, but it is important to be acutely aware of |
| of non-fiction writing. However, James Frey failed to | | | | the motives and intent of those in recovery. Those |
| write his account in an accurate, factual manner. So | | | | who have been involved in Alcoholics Anonymous |
| why didn't James do that? | | | | meetings know what I mean. AA members can spot |
| Lying to Gain Approval and Attention | | | | those who are truly remorseful versus those who use |
| People often embellish their life stories in an attempt to | | | | the meetings as a launching pad for boasting about the |
| shore up a feeble sense of self. Children sometimes | | | | minutiae of their life story before sobriety. Those who |
| tell 'stories' as a way of hoping to gain approval from | | | | have experienced alcoholic behavior first-hand can |
| their peers. Adults also exaggerate aspects of their life | | | | detect those who are truly remorseful from those |
| as a way of casting themselves in a more attractive | | | | who are using their story to posture. Those who frolic |
| light. We all want to be noticed, even if it means for | | | | and drink a lot, i.e. teenagers, may exaggerate their life |
| some of us that we go to great lengths to distort the | | | | of substance abuse and then boast about their ability |
| truth regarding our life experiences. | | | | to 'go it alone' without on-going support after inpatient |
| Often people enhance their history (particularly, those | | | | treatment. |
| who have a pathology of lying), as a way of gaining | | | | Good journalism requires honesty, integrity and |
| attention. They may portray themselves as 'thugs' in | | | | accuracy. Healthy personal behavior requires the |
| order to create notoriety. Often, so called 'conduct | | | | same. It has become a sad characteristic of our |
| disordered' people, under the guise of pretending to be | | | | culture that we often let people dupe us and then |
| remorseful, will actually use the media and other | | | | dismiss the inappropriate behavior of those doing it. |
| forums to exploit their history of villainous behavior. In | | | | Instead of shutting these individuals down, many of us |
| reality, they are nothing more than spoiled brats trying | | | | continue to give license to their manipulative and |
| to gain the attention they believe they deserve. | | | | deceitful behavior. Why am I not surprised? |