To identify a sociopath, beware of the following behaviour: fire-setting, violence towards animals and bedwetting.

Photo: Screengrab from Vimeo

Photo: Screengrab from Vimeo

A combination of any two is considered a sign for worry.Then there is compensation, a strategy whereby people cover up for their shortcomings, real or perceived, by excelling in other areas of life. This, in itself is quite normal. Children keep playing different sports till they find one they are good at and the ones who are subpar at all of them will usually end up burying themselves in books and getting good grades Then there is overcompensation, a strategy whereby people cover up for their shortcomings, real or perceived, by aspiring for wealth, power and influence. Many people with this problem have a desire to show off their wealth in classless ways, such as announcing the price of a new high-end accessory or fishing for compliments for the same.You know them.They’re the ones who leave price tags on expensive shoes, show you the label of the designer they’re wearing or flash that gaudy new watch or ring in your face in an attempt to blind you.They are also the ones who must own big cars so that they can cover the dangerous and rugged terrain of Lahore and Karachi. Or maybe it is just because the psychology of physically sitting at a higher elevation than ‘commoners’.Why else would city folk race after a category of vehicle that is highly-polluting, has poor road performance and are usually no more aesthetically attractive than the average tank?I think I answered my own question.More on topic, an amateur video made in Lahore’s Safari Park shows what seems to be a group of Isloo boys – judging by their Sport Utility Vehicle’s (SUV) licence plate – with chips on their respective shoulders large enough to affect their posture and a car big enough to compensate for their shortcomings.These big strong men in their big bad SUV (NG-8) must have noticed that no one is cowering before them in the neighbouring sedans and coupes, so they went and put on a show to establish their class. Long story short, the young men drove off the path in the safari park and towards a group of lion cubs.Once there, possibly offended by the fact that the lions didn’t rise to attention upon the sight of them, they tried to scare the young lions, and at a point appear to hit one, because torturing animals is a joyous activity — for budding sociopaths.Unfortunately, because of the angle of the video, I cannot confirm if the mudguard a cub is playing with fell off the car before or after the cub was attacked, but maybe the action was revenge against the cub that ripped the mudguard off.Ha. Ha. Ha.Stupid animal. That’ll teach him to react playfully when a big shiny thing comes and parks itself next to it.I wonder how they react when the young of other species react to their big shiny toys the same way. If a puppy were to bite their toes, would they kick it, hit it with a car or try to teach it not to?As a bespectacled person , I know young children are fascinated by eyeglasses. Maybe they deserve a slap when they try to snatch them of my face. Or maybe they deserve a simple “Noooo!” backed up with a wagging finger and possibly a kiss on the head if they listen, because they are too young to know better.But then how will they know that I am a big, strong ‘manly’ man One day they will, because when they grow up, they will see characteristics worthy of respect in the person who refused to strike them, such as simply being kind to others, with others including all life — two-legged, four-legged, three-legged, one-legged, eight-legged or no legged.On a separate note, violence is still treated as a spectacle in much of our society. Dogfights, cockfights and other such ‘sports’ have rabid following. The sight of an animal being slaughtered draws large crowds of blood enthusiasts. Even bomb sites and plane crashes draw ‘spectators’ who inspect the carnage and behave as if they are in an amusement park.I have personally slaughtered animals and later cooked them. They were delicious. But that doesn’t mean that I was full of joy while killing them. Each time, I felt sorry for them and had to remind myself to make sure death was as painless for them as possible, because even if they were ‘future food’, at the time, they were living, breathing creatures.But maybe that is just because I have a soul.As for the NG-8’s passengers, if you know them, make sure they do not like setting fires.Also, if their beds have a suspicious, dank smell, run.Pictures and video: Saad Sarfaraz Sheikh