by Denis Kucharski

There have been several attempts at defining schizoid personality disorder on other webpages. I won’t be redundant here. Just see any other website for more information about the diagnostic criteria, or go to http://mentalhealth.com to take a test for yourself and see if you have this personality type or "disorder" as the psychologists seem to see it.

What is the inner life of a schizoid person like?

Schizoids, deep down, honestly do not care what other people think of them. The opinions of others make almost no difference to them. They are oblivious to the effects they have on other people due to their psychological condition—they have a reduced ability to feel pleasure. In general, they are apathetic about human relationships and derive no pleasure from being around others. They are just not sociable people.

Some people tend to confuse avoidant personality disorder with schizoid personality disorder. Avoidant persons really want to be around people but cannot because of psychological inhibitions. Schizoids really do not want to be around people because people distract them from their own thoughts. Schizoids live in their own minds and their own thoughts. Most of them have rich, deep inner lives that are complex. Many, if not all, are highly intelligent.

Many schizoids are highly intelligent. Some intelligent people have a hard time dealing with normal people because normal people are stupid compared to them. Therefore, some intelligent schizoids would prefer to live within their own minds than listen to the mindless drivel of the masses.

Schizoids will work effectively enough to do their jobs well—well enough not to be fired. They have no interest in career advancement because they realize such endeavors as pointless anyway. Work does not stimulate them because they would prefer to be left alone to think and do things on their own, without the extra stimuli of other people working around them or giving them responsibilities that might interrupt their privacy. They highly value their privacy and social isolation.

Many work jobs that allow them to be alone for long periods of time. Night security guard, graveyard shift store clerk, farmer, telecommuter, researcher, or anything that involves working with ideas or things over people in a non-social situation. Some schizoids prefer to only work part time and live very simply. Besides, material things bring them little happiness anyway, and they usually don’t have families to support.

Being alone is not something that is freakish or wrong. It is a personality trait that is certainly statistically abnormal but not dangerous. Although serial killers are sometimes portrayed and loners or socially isolated, they are usually not schizoids. Why not? Because serial killers usually have an interest in interacting with people that has gone wrong along the way. They feel socially isolated, hurt, angry, and take that anger out on society. But schizoids have little anger toward society or hurt relationships. They don’t care about relationships and would prefer just to be left alone. They don’t give violence a thought because they are not interested in relationships with people.