I’m disturbed. I’ve wasted most of my weekend binging true crime docu-series on Netflix. I watched every episode of Unsolved Mysteries and every episode of Filthy Rich. I’ve learned two very important lessons (neither one of them make me happy):
- No body, no crime.
- The truly evil are master manipulators.
The latter of these terrifies me the most because it demonstrates the high level of intelligence and the low threshold for brainwashing it takes to commit atrocities in plain sight. A master manipulator can Jedi mind trick almost anyone. I guess that makes them Sith.
They understand the human mindset: They easily read a person, pinpoint their weaknesses, and weaponize this knowledge against them. They are constantly playing a game of chess with everyone they meet whilst most people are playing an unaware game of solitaire.
The question I heard most often–even in my own mind–was how could this individual get away with this magnitude of evil for so long? Why aren’t they in prison already? The answer isn’t as simple as “because we don’t believe women.”
Someone like a Jeffery Epstein, has played the game out to checkmate in their minds. They know that most people would rather rationalize behavior than to believe the absolute worst case scenario. This plays to their advantage because they know also that the people who can decipher what their behavior means have a tough time trying to convince others of the truth.
The strategy is to go big–or go home–so big that it’s impossible to believe. The average person cannot accept that anyone could actually do something like this and get away with it, so therefore, they actually can’t be doing what it is that they are doing.
The absolute worst, most abominable things break us–traumatize us. Trauma impacts the brain to such an extent that it changes human behavior; Our actions and reactions will not be what they ought. This too works to the advantage of the master manipulator. By being human and experiencing trauma appropriately, we aid their long game.
A master manipulator has both a high IQ and EQ. The EQ is how they are able to get away with so much for so long. They themselves might never feel emotions like guilt, remorse, or sympathy, but most people do. This is what makes it easier for them to exploit others. Guilt, especially, can be harnessed to control others, as is often done at a societal level via religion, codes of ethics, or laws.
Not everyone can be controlled and a master manipulator knows this. They know who is susceptible and who is not. Those who cannot be controlled can still be manipulated. Part of this manipulation is the persona: The Philanthropist. Doing good deeds is not in any way a part of retribution, but rather a distinct part of the deception.
Having not personally met Jeffrey Epstein, some might assume that they would have known–that they would have hated him and perhaps stopped him–but it’s more likely that they would have liked him or at least liked being around him. By all accounts, he was charming, charismatic, and a good listener.
In fact, he had a personality quite similar to a cult leader. Think about that for a minute. Cult leaders are able to manipulate the men in their flocks to the point that the men feel privileged when the leader sleeps with their wives and daughters. They can even manipulate cult members into committing suicide or homicide.
Down this rabbit hole is dark. Fair warning.
If murder and suicide can be a part of the cult ritual, then too can child molestation. If Jeffrey Epstein was a cult leader, then his flock was being groomed in the moralization of child molestation and trafficking. The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s cult kept saying it’s bigger than the general public or media know. Maybe it’s bigger than they had the words to describe.
Maybe Jeffrey Epstein created and funded a cult, and the island–Pedophile Island–where his wealth is held in a trust, is their holy city. Their enigmatic leader is dead, but does that mean the cult died with him? Did he groom another to take over? Is he a cult leader or simply a very smart child molester who Ponzi schemed his pedophilia?
This has weighed heavily on my mind, as I recount the experiences of the Palm Beach police detectives, who found a number of women unwilling to testify on account they fancied themselves in love with Jeffery or the young girls who brought him other young girls and are now facing a lifetime of guilt for aiding and abetting a child molester.
This is easily the story of wealth and power and corruption in high places. It’s almost comforting as a narrative because it can’t happen to me if it’s the corruption of power and money. I can’t help thinking that it’s not; I can’t stop thinking that it’s a much more terrifying event. It reveals the underbelly of humanity–the soft point at which humanity can be split open.
It’s The Lord of the Flies. It’s The Lottery. It’s the Holocaust. It’s the ease at which we destroy human life with a smile upon our faces.
Like I stated at the outset: I’m disturbed. I think that’s enough true crime for me for awhile.
The Insignificant Thoughts Of One Of Us 