How do you become a psychopath? Jon Uhler on psychopathy, sex criminals, and porn
meghanmurphy.substack.com
Listen now (60 min) | On the podcast, I speak with Jon Uhler, a licensed professional counselor, sex offender treatment provider, and certified clinical trauma professional.
I was not at first drawn to this podcast, always fearing to hear so much psycho-babble.
But I listened and was captivated immediately.
My positions on porn, transgenderism, deviance, etc., and their impact on women continue to evolve as new ideas enter the fray... so I've come a long way.
This podcast was a gripping reveal that left me not only enlightened but hopeful.
Jon, thanks for your comments and data. They're persuasive and useful. It's clear you're passionate about this given that sometimes your discussion is almost a rant. However...
I do sympathize with your frustration. I'm in London quite often and I stay at the Hard Rock Hotel (the one next to Marble Arch). On the large screen in the cafe area the hotel shows movie-trailer-type advertisements of a drag queen event to be held soon (or maybe already held). The content is subtly sexualized, as such content usually is. There are almost always children and families eating in full view of the screen as the ad is looped during breakfast. What really bothers me about it is the presumptuousness with which the video is displayed, as if everyone of us welcomes the "art and lifestyle" of drag. (Not surprising given Hard Rock's audacious legacy and style, but much of the clientele are families nonetheless.) I get so angry listening to the woke telling me that it's all ok. So it must be maddening for you to watch the insidious normalization of things you know to be harmful.
There's a lot to unpack in and around this interview. I agree with Meghan that porn is unproductive and harmful to many (are we talking about ALL porn I think?; egregious extremes like child porn are already illegal). And I don't doubt Jon at all when he points out that 100% of the offenders he treats are malevolently shaped by porn. What I'm afraid of is turning to government and the justice system as the answer. Such "solutions" set a precedent of transplanting decision authority from the individual to an uncaring ruling class. I don't want someone like Trudeau deciding what to ban or push on the internet. What to watch should be my decision.
So we need to figure out another way. For starters I think it's helpful to continue to publish interviews like this one. It's extremely candid and authoritative (the good kind of authoritative). More people should listen and consider porn in this context. I'm not sure if it would be a bad thing for adult sites to verify the ages of viewers (there are ways to do it without having to upload credentials to every site). But, speaking of rants, what I most want to see is a debate. I want porn producers to engage people like Jon and make their case so I can hear the exchange and maybe sit with my son while he hears it. I want to see trans-activists and drag queen story hour enthusiasts defend their views in real time, without the protection of the press or the curated, delayed, and unchallenged back-and-forth between Fox and CNN. The goal isn't to humiliate anyone. The goal is to expose the arguments from both sides so people can judge their relative values. Then we can make up our own mind.
BRAVO!
I was not at first drawn to this podcast, always fearing to hear so much psycho-babble.
But I listened and was captivated immediately.
My positions on porn, transgenderism, deviance, etc., and their impact on women continue to evolve as new ideas enter the fray... so I've come a long way.
This podcast was a gripping reveal that left me not only enlightened but hopeful.
The ring of truth does that.
Thank you both so much..
Thanks Meghan.
Jon, thanks for your comments and data. They're persuasive and useful. It's clear you're passionate about this given that sometimes your discussion is almost a rant. However...
I do sympathize with your frustration. I'm in London quite often and I stay at the Hard Rock Hotel (the one next to Marble Arch). On the large screen in the cafe area the hotel shows movie-trailer-type advertisements of a drag queen event to be held soon (or maybe already held). The content is subtly sexualized, as such content usually is. There are almost always children and families eating in full view of the screen as the ad is looped during breakfast. What really bothers me about it is the presumptuousness with which the video is displayed, as if everyone of us welcomes the "art and lifestyle" of drag. (Not surprising given Hard Rock's audacious legacy and style, but much of the clientele are families nonetheless.) I get so angry listening to the woke telling me that it's all ok. So it must be maddening for you to watch the insidious normalization of things you know to be harmful.
There's a lot to unpack in and around this interview. I agree with Meghan that porn is unproductive and harmful to many (are we talking about ALL porn I think?; egregious extremes like child porn are already illegal). And I don't doubt Jon at all when he points out that 100% of the offenders he treats are malevolently shaped by porn. What I'm afraid of is turning to government and the justice system as the answer. Such "solutions" set a precedent of transplanting decision authority from the individual to an uncaring ruling class. I don't want someone like Trudeau deciding what to ban or push on the internet. What to watch should be my decision.
So we need to figure out another way. For starters I think it's helpful to continue to publish interviews like this one. It's extremely candid and authoritative (the good kind of authoritative). More people should listen and consider porn in this context. I'm not sure if it would be a bad thing for adult sites to verify the ages of viewers (there are ways to do it without having to upload credentials to every site). But, speaking of rants, what I most want to see is a debate. I want porn producers to engage people like Jon and make their case so I can hear the exchange and maybe sit with my son while he hears it. I want to see trans-activists and drag queen story hour enthusiasts defend their views in real time, without the protection of the press or the curated, delayed, and unchallenged back-and-forth between Fox and CNN. The goal isn't to humiliate anyone. The goal is to expose the arguments from both sides so people can judge their relative values. Then we can make up our own mind.