Fear is a mighty strong emotion. We all have some fears. Some are rational and some are not. But these are OUR own fears. We have ownership over our fears and only can either decide to cave to our fears or fight back against the fears that inhabit our souls. But there is something, or rather, someone worse than our fears.

Who could it be you ask?

These types decide to manipulate and feel the need to pour gasoline on our fears for their own self-aggrandizement. Such types can be labeled sociopathic, psychotic, narcissistic, manipulative, or if a male, in possession of a Freudian physical shortcoming, in which they feel is grossly inadequate and to make up for the lack of size and find the only way to "feel big" is to make others feel small.

One can even say that this type of person is so overcome with their own fears, that their fears  control them, that the only way to make themselves feel a modicum of being fearless is to project their fears onto others, to make themselves feel powerful and important. They feel it is better to bring others down to their level of living in the gutter, rather than trying to move out and letting the sunlight expose them for what they really are.

As ATR's we are constantly living with our antennae in a constant state of alert. We go around wondering if this is the day they are going to get us. Is this the right school I am in? Will the principal or field supervisor judge me objectively? Will I have a bathroom key? Am I still a good teacher? Am I still an adequate human being?

Are the DOE and the UFT in cahoots against me and my fellow ATR's?

Yes, we need reassurance while needing the ability to be in control of our destinies. It is a powerful balancing act. How do we toe the line between the two? How do we "play the game," while at the same time keep the dignity we so deserve along with the ability to stand up for ourselves?

I know of one thing that does not accomplish either goal. Fear mongering.

Sadly in our ATR world there are, or is it "is," an entity so bereft of any empathetic values, so attuned into itself that the only way It feels it can succeed is by scaring the shit out of others and look down at the carnage It has created with a smile.

This disturbing email addressed to ATR's came across the desk of The Crack Team recently.


From: It <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, Sep 14, 2016 at 2:12 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT- 1 minute ATR Survey
To:

Good afternoon,

     Whether you are now still an ATR, provisionally placed or just hired permanently this year, please take a quick moment to fill out this important ATR Survey. There is chatter that the DOE is releasing the names of all ATRs to a hedge fund backed parent group looking to attack ATRs in the press. They have already started last year in an effort to paint ATRs as sub par educators. We to counter their attacks and false claims with the truth.

Click here and take the survey by Friday please. The data we collect will mean less if only a few us contribute. Your names and email addresses will not be shared out. Results are listed at the bottom of the survey page.

CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY

Let's make one thing clear. This chatter, this thing that hedge funds are seeking out the names of ATR's is clear bullshit. Actually, this movement is being led by Students FirstNY and you can read the FOIL request here.  Even if the hedge funds are seeking out the names the DOE will not provide them voluntarily. This information comes to The Crack Team from very high up. Do not worry. Do not let the darkness of It control your emotions.

It had lofty goals, lofty plans, and worse, lofty promises. What has It had to show for all It has claimed? A .000 batting average. Nothing. Zero. Bupkus.

As Kirk said to Khan...

"but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target! 

 What ATR's are getting in this email is a falsehood sent by a false self-anointed deity and just a desperate method to sign up others to It's flailing failure of a movement.

ATR's will not be played for fools or marks, and certainly won't be the targets of grifters or scheisters.

After the response from Sunday's post on how to spot a cult leader, there has been a lot of emails to the SBSB newsroom (As well as Norm Scott's groundbreaking analysis on Sociopaths), and some tweets as well, wondering when Dr Hans von Schlaggel  currently the director of the Institut für schweren psychiatrischen Erkrankungen, or in English, Institute of Severe Psychiatric Disorders, will be sharing is expertise about Narcissism.


The good news is that Dr von Schlaggel has emailed this latest blog post just now and we here at SBSB are going to share it with you.

For those who have not read the writings of Dr von Schlaggel check out his past contributions on SBSB about Malignant Personality Disorder and OCD/Control issues. We turn over these pages to Dr von Schlagge.

Danke Herr Bronx Teacher and danke to your readers.

Vat ist a narcissist. Since the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was, how you say? rewrote a few years ago der has been some changes on the diagnosis and traits aus Narcissism.

Vat is a narcissist? Let's see vat DSM-V says.

The essential features of a personality disorder are impairments in personality (self and interpersonal) functioning and the presence of pathological personality traits. To diagnose narcissistic personality disorder, the following criteria must be met:

A. Significant impairments in  personality functioning manifest by: 1. Impairments in  self functioning  (a or b): a. Identity : Excessive reference to others for self - definition  and self - esteem regulation; exaggerated self - appraisal  may be inflated or deflated, or vacillate  between extremes;  emotional regulation mirrors fluctuations in self - esteem. b. Self - direction : Goal - setting is based on gaining approval  from others; personal standards are unreasonably high in  order to see oneself as exceptional, or too low based on a  sense of entitlement; often unaware of own motivations.

 Und....

2. Impairments in  interpersonal functioning (a or b): a. Empathy : Impaired ability to recognize or identify with the  feelings and needs of others; excessively attuned to  reactions of others, but only if perceived as relevant to self;  over - or underestimate of own effect on others. b. Intimacy : Relationships largely superficial and exist to  serve self - esteem regulation; mutuality constrained by little  genuine interest in others‟ experiences and predominance  of a need for personal gain B. Pathological  personality traits in the following ___domain: 1. Antagonism , characterized by: a. Grandiosity : Feelings of entitlement, either overt or covert; 

Self - centeredness; firmly holding to the belief that one is better than others;  condescending toward others. b. Attention seeking : Excessive attempts to attract and be  the focus of the attention of others; admiration seeking. C. The impairments in personality functioning and the individual‟s  personality trait expression are relatively  stable across time and  consistent across situations. D. The impairments in personality functioning and the individual‟s  personality trait expression are not better understood as normative  for the individual‟s developmental stage or socio - cultural  environment . E. The impairments in personality functioning and the individual‟s  personality trait expression are not solely due to the direct  physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse,  medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., severe head trauma).

I also read paper by a collegue at der Institut für schweren psychiatrischen Erkrankungen who Hit Nagel auf den Kopf or as you say in der English "hit nail on head.",

The most telling thing that narcissists do is contradict themselves. They will do this virtually in the same sentence, without even stopping to take a breath. It can be trivial (e.g., about what they want for lunch) or it can be serious (e.g., about whether or not they love you). When you ask them which one they mean, they'll deny ever saying the first one, though it may literally have been only seconds since they said it -- really, how could you think they'd ever have said that? You need to have your head examined! They will contradict FACTS. They will lie to you about things that you did together. They will misquote you to yourself. If you disagree with them, they'll say you're lying, making stuff up, or are crazy. [At this point, if you're like me, you sort of panic and want to talk to anyone who will listen about what is going on: this is a healthy reaction; it's a reality check ("who's the crazy one here?"); that you're confused by the narcissist's contrariness, that you turn to another person to help you keep your bearings, that you know something is seriously wrong and worry that it might be you are all signs that you are not a narcissist]

Und...

Narcissists are totally and inflexibly authoritarian. In other words, they are suck-ups. They want to be authority figures and, short of that, they want to be associated with authority figures. In their hearts, they know they can't think well, have no judgment about what matters, are not connected with the world they inhabit, so they cling fanatically to the opinions of people they regard as authority figures -- such as their parents, teachers, doctors, ministers. Where relevant, this may include scientists or professors or artists, but narcissists stick to people they know personally, since they aren't engaged enough with the world to get their authoritative opinions from TV, movies, books or dead geniuses/saints/heroes. If they get in trouble over some or another opinion they've put forth, they'll blame the source -- "It was okay with Dr. Somebody," "My father taught me that," etc. If you're still thinking of the narcissist as odd-but-normal, this shirking of responsibility will seem dishonest and craven -- well, it is but it's really an admission of weakness: they really mean it: they said what they said because someone they admire or fear said it and they're trying to borrow that person's strength.

So der you have it. If you are ever in Vienna stop by der  Institut für schweren psychiatrischen Erkrankungen and if you mention Frank Sinatra Jr you will get a free diagnosis on der house by me.

Auf Wiedersehen!!!