![]() For two hours he repeatedly stated, “He could have killed me and didn’t.” His superiors who were present kept on yelling at him what a mean bastard that crook was, but this under-cover agent persisted in defending the criminal. He kept telling me what a good guy the leader was. I interviewed this detective two months later. As one report recounts:Ī detective undercover agent making a buy of narcotics was held captive for 3 1/2 hours while the criminal gang deliberated whether to “waste him or not.” However, the leader of the gang said, “No.” Finally the detective’s back-up team was able to figure out where he was and rescue him. It can be experienced by people who have only been held captive for a couple of hours it can be experienced by people of any gender it can be experienced by people who are used to experiencing stress and violence. Stockholm Syndrome occurs with great frequency in hostage situations. When Lucy Nicols was “craving the scraps of praise occasionally tossed my way” she was experiencing paradoxical gratitude. Paradoxical gratitude is the irrational feeling of thanks felt towards a person who is imprisoning you when they carry out a small act of kindness. Whilst the effects vary from case to case, one trait is common to all of them – paradoxical gratitude. It is sometimes described as a condition whereby hostages fall in love with their captors, but the reality is both more subtle and more complex. ![]() Most people have heard of the term “Stockholm Syndrome” but many have misconceptions about what it actually means. Lucy Nichols, writing in the New Zealand Herald 12 th September 2015 With hindsight, maturity and a Teflon coating of resilience, I now realise I was suffering from a classic case of Career Stockholm Syndrome.” ![]() I was brought up to believe that hard work and loyalty to your employer were the main qualities you needed for success so I sacrificed my well-being and integrity flogging this dead horse of a job for far too long. ![]() This individual created an office culture more toxic than Chernobyl and yet I clung grimly to my job, jumping through hoops like an eager-to-please performing seal, craving the scraps of praise occasionally tossed my way. “I once worked for someone so unpleasant that they still induce a Pavlovian response of self-doubt in me years later. ![]()
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