M. Scott Peck, R.I.P.

News came this week of the passing of M. Scott Peck, who died at 69 of cancer last Sunday at his Connecticut home. Peck, a psychiatrist, was author of the best-selling The Road Less Traveled and several other highly successful books of the self-help and spiritual development variety.

The acclaimed helper of others, however, led a sad and chaotic life himself. A failure as a husband and father, his conversion to Christianity later in life did not bring sobriety and active obedience to wiser Christian heads, but a notable adventure in religious silliness. His post-conversion work impressed me as that of someone who had been lionized as a spiritual master in the secular world (one recalls that the psychiatrist has taken upon himself the title of “soul-healer”), who believed that when he became a Christian he did not enter that world as a novice, but at the same level of accomplishment and authority that he had outside it. At the end of life he was enthusiastically receiving personal instruction from God on the composition of low-grade Christian music. It was a sad end.

I, however, owe a large debt of gratitude to M. Scott Peck, and profited greatly from the wise and courageous part of this complex man. Frequently commending his People of the Lie to pastors who are being tormented by those he describes in that book as evil, I found it a great comfort when I was in the pastorate, and dealing with one of these, to know that someone out there understood--that the proper label was being placed on people like this by a practicing psychiatrist who was willing to open himself to criticism within his own profession for doing it.  (One will not find “evil” as diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual—perhaps, as Peck admitted, because evil people are almost always perfectly sane.)

In those days, other pastors to whom I applied for counsel thought I was dealing with just another  parish problem person, assuming my inexperience was causing me to overreact. They really didn’t understand.  Since then, though, I have met more than several who have encountered the same raging malignancy Peck describes in the book, people who are adept at seeming perfectly benign while destroying those they make the objects of their exertions. They are not common—they are not garden-variety bad eggs. Few criminals, however cruel or violent, meet the profile, because People of the Lie place a high premium on respectability, so don’t commit crimes.  They often consulted Dr. Peck with their victims in tow as the identified psychiatric patient. He identified this variety of narcissist by how they went calmly on their way, convinced of their rectitude and perfect innocence, leaving behind them a trail of human wreckage. And I will add to his observations, that they thrive in certain kinds of churches.

M. Scott Peck was man with a truly extraordinary gift, held in a vessel of corresponding weakness.  Indeed, may he rest in peace.  For what it's worth, my own blessing follows him, for he gave me, and has given others like me, a cup of cold water at a time when it was desperately needed.

Comments

[Jim Kalb]

I once had the horrible experience of dealing with one of the people Peck describes, an Episcopal priest. When something like that happens people who aren't involved to the same extent truly don't understand. Even if they see things that should tell them something is deeply wrong there's a human tendency to try to understand things as normal that can be deceptive if things are not normal.

At the time it occurred to me that if your life is one long campaign to reverse spiritual reality you'd naturally try to work your way into a position that gives you both job security and unsupervised spiritual authority, like a position as rector of an Episcopal parish. I have no idea though whether priests and pastors who are evil in the peculiar sense Peck's book would suggest are at all common.

[david pence]

I hope the Sm hutchens note on scott peck is put in the magazine next month. My father recently died--a lifelong atheist who always talked about God. he had read hl mencken at an early age was never the same equating uncertainty with intellectual honesty. not until his last weeks in bed though did I learn that this tough marine atheist had a basically liberal protestant view of the devil and evil. He had fought in all the major batttles of the Pacific but he said men were not evil just mistaken and while the presence of God he now saw as a question- the presence of satan he knew was ridiculous. To clarify the christian cosmos, we should clarify the presence of the Evil One and alert ourselves to the respectability of the people of the lie. Thank you Dr Hutchins and RIP Dr Peck.

[Steve Hutchens]

Since my own experience I have kept my eyes open, and am in a good position for wide observation. My guess is that they are, like people of extraordinary height or intelligence, numerous, but not common. There are many ways a person can become bad, but comparatively few have the ability or will to go bad in this particular way. Look for it, though, among those who must be in control of the world in which they live, have learned how to use others toward that end, and so hate above all things the freedom of other selves. I have seen it in manipulative children in whom, if the "gift" is not abandoned somewhere along the way, its techniques are perfected as life progresses.

This goes beyond mere Machiavellianism, for what Machiavelli was proposing was mere practicality--a form of statecraft wicked because it was amoral. The Machiavellian recognizes enemies, and thus other selves. It is beyond mere narcissism, for the narcissist, while he is self-absorbed and so has the tendency to ignore or use the humanity of others, may not possess the active will to absorb them into his sovereign self. No, this is what we have in "Screwtape Proposes a Toast," the desire to nullify and assimilate the other. We must not treat these people as beyond redemption, for by the power of God they are not, but neither must we allow them to do what they wish. To contain them, one must do "mean things to nice people," we must "break collegiality," and the like, and therein lies the rub.

The unusual susceptibility of churches lies principally in their willingness to accept sociability and respectable appearance for Christian behavior, and to ignore or tolerate destructive actions in the name of charity. If one of these people decides to devote himself to the service of a such a naive and undefended church, to help it become what he thinks it ought to be, it is finished. And I will say with some confidence that this kind goes out only by fasting and prayer.

[Daniel Propson]

Peck was yet another example of a phenemena I've noticed -- that of the spiritually perceptive person whose life falls short of his philosophy. (The other shining example of this is theologian Paul Tillich). The motivational philosopher may preach self-sacrifice and delayed gratification, but in the nitty-gritty of life he finds it just as challenging as the next guy.

Knowing the rules does not equal winning the game.

But Peck's writings are nevertheless compelling. He was talented and sincere, and "People of the Lie" is -- as you indicate -- a marvelously unique book. Thanks for letting me know the news about him.

[Jim Kalb]

My own (luckily very limited) experience tells me that the big practical weakness of at least some such people is that they don't understand anything because to understand is to recognize the reality of something other than oneself. On the other hand they have unbelievable tenacity and by constant application develop a good sense of what buttons to push to get things to go their way. So they're good at manipulating people or situations of which they understand nothing. I found it a bit like dealing with a sort of artificial intelligence program only demonic.

On a human level it's impossible to know what to make of it. Is it a kind of insanity and so in some way not altogether culpable? But there's certainly nothing innocent in such extreme malice and total lack of good faith. Apart from the practical task of opposition you can only leave it up to God. Certainly "niceness" -- a.k.a. love of comfort -- makes it impossible for people to respond in an appropriate way. It's more likely to lead them into gross injustice to those faced with the brunt of the situation. People just don't want to know.

[Paul Gorman]

I feel that the criticisms of Peck, including his personal shortcomings and being "spirituality light" try to unfairly negate the profound influence he has had on thousands (millions?) of Stage II and Stage III pilgrims, like those who went to him in psychospiritual pain.

[Rebecca Gunnels]

How was Peck a failure as a father and husband?

[peter]

We see here that Peck is sincere, despite all of the things around him, he still doing his best.

[Diana]

Hi all.I have experienced the evil that Scott Peck writes about, however, i didnt understand it until i read his books.Evil is so insiduous pervasive and horrible that it leaves u gasping for air. I thank Scott Peck from the bottom of my heart for giving this sickness a name and for helping me to understand what i was dealing with. I am now able to heal because of this brave and honest man.Once again thankyou Scott Peck you have helped me more than youll ever know.xxx

[Shawn]

I am just out of a long term relationship with someone who is totally under the control of a couple who are "people of the lie". I am eternally grateful to this book - and of course the author for allowing me to finally see these people for what they are - and to validate and name what I saw as wrong from the start. I am saddened that the person who I love is not able to break free from them, but I can at least break free myself and begin to heal - I was one of many scapegoats to these evil people & no matter how I tried to plead my case for goodness, I was always made odd man out. I don't know if there is hope for the man I love, as he has been under their control since his teen years - but I know now there is no other choice for me but to remove myself from their evil.

[Shawn]

I am just out of a long term relationship with someone who is totally under the control of a couple who are "people of the lie". I am eternally grateful to this book - and of course the author for allowing me to finally see these people for what they are - and to validate and name what I saw as wrong from the start. I am saddened that the person who I love is not able to break free from them, but I can at least break free myself and begin to heal - I was one of many scapegoats to these evil people & no matter how I tried to plead my case for goodness, I was always made odd man out. I don't know if there is hope for the man I love, as he has been under their control since his teen years - but I know now there is no other choice for me but to remove myself from their evil.