I just finished watching the last season of House M.D. Great show, very daring to create a character as nasty as House, who holds so many views that seem antithetical to most people’s and who is so open about hating everyone and holding human emotion in contempt. Hugh Laurie is brilliant in his portrayal.
There was an ep in season 3 where Dr. Wilson and House are talking about being objective when making decisions for patients. He says to House, “So a sociopath would make the ideal patient advocate then?” House responds, “Oh, I’m blushing!”
I’ve been thinking about that ever since, wondering if House actually is a sociopath. Like Dexter (from the epoymous HBO show about a serial killer who only kills other serial killers), the thing that keeps him from being in jail is that his goals are usually confluent with a better world: he saves people’s lives, not because he cares about people, but because he is obsessed with solving cases. He is a master at it, so he is forgiven all his monstrous acts because for most people, the ends justify the means if a life is so clearly saved from almost inevitable death. The thing is, he doesn’t care how much the patients suffer before then. When they die, he feels personal defeat, not grief. He also seems to care very little for the suffering of his friends and colleagues, and openly scoffs at their feelings.
I looked around and found the Diagnostic Criteria for antisocial personality disorder, and I think House meets them all:
**1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest **
House was arrested for speeding, driving without a license, and possessing far over the legal amount of Vicodin. We also know he falsified prescriptions. We’ve seen him break the lock on the cafeteria to get some coffee, steal stuff from his friends and co-workers, lie, say horrible things to people. I think he fits.
**2. Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure **
See the Vicodin issue. He lies all the time, he used Wilson’s name to get drugs, lied about trying rehab, canceling Foreman’s job interview, pretended to have brain cancer to get awesome drugs, etc. He also tried to break up Stacy’s marriage, not because he really loved her, but just to win, to figure out that puzzle of how to get her back. He dosed Wilson with speed to find out why he was yawning, for chrissake.
**3. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead **
In his line of work, House has to act in the moment and do what he thinks will save the patient, even if he has no consent to do so, and even if doing so will get him sued. Too many examples to list.
**4. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults **
Punched Chase in the face, I think he also hit Wilson once. It’s indisputable that he’s irritable and aggressive, though most often this expresses itself through verbal abuse, not physical.
**5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others **
The man will try anything to save a patient, including making them sicker, using experimental treatments, hurting them, etc. He also takes narcotics constantly, which must impair at least his driving ability, if not his doctoring. It screwed up his ability to piss last season too, but he didn’t care.
**6. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain steady work or honor financial obligations **
Always borrowing money from Wilson because he’s broke, in large sums. Cuddy said that she hired him for cheap because no one else would have him, so his employability is definitely an issue because of his personality and behavior.
**7. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another **
Forged prescriptions from Wilson, let all his friends and co-workers have their assets seized, with no remorse. Screwed with Stacy. Does insane things to his patients, only gets away with them because he saves lives. Openly states that he does not care about people at all, just solving cases. Shows remorse about twice in the history of the show, and always denies later that the remorse was sincere, claiming it was manipulation on his part.
Of course there are examples of him caring about people, most notably the girl who was raped and then got pregnant. Seemed to care about her for some reason. He has apologized to Wilson a couple of times, but not nearly enough to make up for the egregious abuse he heaps on the guy. Cares about patients in the sense that he doesn’t want them to die, because if they did, he failed to solve his puzzle.
We know he was an abused child who thinks of himself as a freak. Is the whole emotionless, remorseless, careless thing a put-on? Is he really feeling inside, as Wilson, Cameron, and Cuddy seem to think? Or is all about control, power, and personal pleasure for House? What do you think? Is House a sociopath? If so, what does it say about his legion of fans, including me, who love him and think he’s the best character currently on TV?
