Kath
Met another one; a distressed ex-spouse that has been left. As usual the demon leaving party has an undiagnosed psychological issue (in this case Narcissism), is a bloke, and (on paper, at least for a little while) had most of the privileges that society can offer.
Why is he a nutter? The story-teller is unwilling to face the fact that:
(a) He didn’t like being with her, but
(b) Had so much empathy that he couldn’t face telling her this, so
(c) Left via the back door, forever blackening his name in the view of her confidants.
Better still, the confidants, being weak minded as they usually are, extrapolate this data point to the whole humanity, or at least half of it. It’s the same sort of heuristic that leads to racism.
Not one of them questioned the story as told (e.g. what did she do, or what did she not do to make the marriage a happy blissful place, even tolerable?). They don’t have the capability to critique, an art form that is being lost.
Basic rule of thumb; distrust a story where the teller is the victim. Or at the very least, use your imagination to see how the stated facts could fit an alternative ethical construct.
offshore westerly 