Different Types of Sadists

Four Kinds of Sadists

What type of sadist you are?

Four Types of Sadists.

The Odore Millon identified four subtypes of sadists. Any individual sadist may exhibit none, one or more than one of the following:

1. Spineless Sadist

This sort of sadist is completely opposite of the other three types, because they are deeply insecure and act like cowards. They anticipate real danger, projecting their hostile fantasies, and they strike first, hoping thereby to forestall their antagonist and ask questions later. While these sadists are fearful of many things, when they experience panic they will counteract their enemies by doing the things that they fear. Spineless sadists use aggressive hostility to send the message to others that they aren’t intimidated or fearful. This allows them to control their inner feelings and help display the exact opposite of how they actually feel. Their behavior can be described as counterphobic, which allows them to master their personal fears, but it serves to divert and impress the public by a false sense of confidence and self-assurance. Spineless sadists also seek out scapegoats to gang up on, which allows them to assault the exact things that exist within themselves that they want to deny.

2. Explosive Sadist

This type of sadistic personality is known for being unpredictably violent because they are disappointed and/or frustrated with their lives. When they are feeling humiliated or hopeless, they lose control and seek revenge for the mistreatment and deprecation to which they feel subjected. These violent behaviors are revealed through tantrums, fearsome attacks on others, especially family members, and uncontrollable rage. Generally, explosive sadists will suddenly feel threatened in a certain situation and shock others with their abrupt changes. Explosive sadists do not, “move about in a surly and truculent manner” so it is impossible to know when or what will set them off. While the violence that is released is almost always directed at someone, it mainly serves as an emotional release and a way to get out all the feelings they are holding inside themselves.

3. Tyrannical Sadist

This variety of sadistic personality is one of the more frightening and cruel of the subtypes because these sadists appear to relish the act of menacing and brutalizing others; forcing their victims to cower and submit seems to provide them with a special sense of satisfaction. This subtype of SPD is somewhat similar to that of the explosive sadist, but tyrannical sadists are more methodical in their actions. These sadists are not trying to release their frustration for their own emotional gain as explosive sadists are, but instead they are looking to employ violence as an intentionally utilized instrument to inspire terror and intimidation. Another significant difference between explosive sadists and tyrannical sadists is that tyrannical sadists pick their victims very carefully making sure that their choice is not going to fight back when they are attacked. Tyrannical sadists generally have low self-esteem and inner insecurities that they are desperately trying to hide from the world, so by overwhelming others they can feel superior to the people around them.

4. Enforcing sadist

This category of sadist can sometimes be found amongst military sergeants, deans of universities, prison overseers, police officers or other authoritative functions, because they are in a position where they feel they should be the ones controlling and punishing people who have broken rules, regulations or laws. Though they believe they are acting for the common interest, there are deeper motives than just that. These sadists generally seek out the rule-breakers in their domain of authority, or in society in general, and exercise the most severe punishments they are able to give out for the individual case. If enforcing sadists are employed by society as, for example, police or prison staff, their actions are not perceived to be unjust and they have far-reaching freedoms to dominate, victimize or destroy others at will. They are supposed to act fairly but their personalities are not able to put limits on the emotions that drive their sadistically vicious behaviors. The more these sadists dominate and punish others, the more satisfaction and power they feel. Their self-perception of righteousness is reinforced and their ego increases. The satisfaction the enforcing sadists gets from punishing other people can reach a state of intoxication where they cannot stop their behaviour and lose their awareness of reality in these situations. In most cases this does not attract any negative attention because they are acting within their legal authority to exert power and behave completely normally in everyday situations.