Jill: Basically, Dr. Laura goes on to tell him to get a book that talks about sociopaths; growing sociopaths which, I think, it's important understand what a sociopath is. Mark: What is a sociopath?
Jill: Well, I'm no psychiatrist or psychologist so, I mean, people who are sociopaths generally, I think, they demonstrate antisocial behavior. So, behavior that is against what is normally acceptable behavior; considered to be normal behavior. And so, usually, they don't have a conscience; they don't have remorse. You know, if they do something bad they don't feel bad about it; whereas, a lot of people, you know, lots of people do bad things or say bad things, but will feel guilty; will have a conscience about it. Mark: They know they've done bad. Jill: They know they've done something wrong. Mark: Right.
Jill: Whereas, I think sociopaths they just don't feel that. They don't feel the guilt. They don't feel the remorse. They don't feel bad. And so, typically, I think like Dr. Laura goes on to say sociopaths, they lie, they cheat, they steal, they manipulate, they do all of these things to get what they want.
Mark: Without feeling any remorse.
Jill: Right.
Mark: Because you can not be a sociopath and do all those things, but then feel guilty about it later.
Jill: Right.
And you can probably, I don't know, you could probably do some of those things at some point in your life, too, not be a sociopath and not feel guilty about doing those things, too. I mean, maybe there's some instance where you can justify lying or manipulating. Yeah, you can justify it to yourself and not feel bad about it and it doesn't mean you're a sociopath. Mark: Right.
You are doing it because that person deserves it.
Jill: Right, right; so. And then the next phrase is "get on track", "to get on track". So, this book helps parents get on track to deal with all of these things.
Mark: Right.
Jill: So, if you get on track or you're put on the right track you're given some sort of tool or information to help you know how to deal with the situation. Mark: To help you get headed in the right direction.
Jill: Right.
Mark: And, really, I assume it's a train reference, you know, to get a train on the right track headed in the right direction. I mean, we often use the expression or hear the expression that so and so is on the wrong track. And so, this phrase here suggests that you are trying to get someone who's on the wrong track going in the wrong direction switched onto the right track. Yeah.
Jill: And "before it's too late." Mark: Before they get to wherever the wrong track ends up Jill: which would probably be prison. Mark: In this situation, right. So, I should be pulling that friend of my son's aside and offering him some advice. Jill: Maybe his parents.
Mark: Try to get him on the right track.
Jill: Maybe you should try to get his parents on the right track.
Mark: Maybe. I don't think he's quite the compulsive liar that this guy is but, all the same, it's quite funny when he's talking. Jill: Well, and that's the thing. I mean, kids like to make people laugh and they like attention and so if he kind of has clued into the fact that people laugh at his stories it gets him attention. That's probably why he's doing it. Mark: Right and maybe not even laugh, but some people if they even believe him and people will pay attention and he gets them going, obviously, he enjoys that.
Jill: Right.
Mark: Yeah. So, you know, I wouldn't put him in the same category as this sociopath. Jill: No, no, not yet, anyways.
Mark: Yeah, time will tell.
Jill: And Jim goes on to say "because if we can help him before he gets to the point where he is a burden on society." So, you get to a point I don't really know how to explain it, but you can say, you know, I got to the point where I was very angry or, you know, if we can get him before he gets to the point where he does something really, really bad. Mark: Right.
Jill: So, basically, if somebody gets to a certain point they've Mark: reached their I mean, if we bring it back to the train analogy. If you're on the track and the track, the wrong track, at a certain point on the track when you reach it and you do something really bad, well then, you can't go back, you know. Jill: Right.
Mark: In this situation, if the guy reaches that point where he does something really bad he is going to go to jail and so it's sort of figurative reference to that point. Jill: Yes, exactly; a point. So then, Dr. Laura is just talking about the book and she says "it's in paperback, it's cheap, it's worth the read." So, in paperback means a simple soft cover book, not a hard cover book which, typically, is much more expensive.
Mark: Right.
Jill: So, it's cheap meaning it's inexpensive. It doesn't cost a lot and it's worth the read. So, it's worth it. You'll get something out of it. It's a good idea to read it. Mark: Right.
Jill: It's worth the time you'll spend. Mark: That's a good phrase. Jill: It's worth it. Mark: It's worth it. It's worth it. You know, if we go out for dinner and it's good and it wasn't too expensive we say it was worth it. That was great; whereas, if we go out and it was no good then it wasn't worth it. That's a good phrase to learn. In this case it's a little different "it's worth the read". I don't know if you'd use that in any other situation, but you do say it's worth the read. Jill: Well, you could say it's worth the wait. Mark: It's worth the wait; right. Jill: We often say that.
Mark: Yeah, for sure.
Jill: So, something, you know, really good is happening or going to happen or you're going to go someplace and it's a ways a way, you know, you can say even though it's two years away, it's worth the wait because it's something so great. Mark: Yeah, yeah.
Jill: So, Mark: it's worth the effort. Yeah, there are, there are?
Jill: It's used a lot. Mark: That's actually a good construction to learn. It's worth the effort. It's worth the wait. There must be others?
Jill: It's worth mentioning. Mark: It's worth mentioning, yeah. Jill: So, yeah, it's used quite a lot. Mark: Yeah, yeah, that's a good one. Jill: And that's basically it. I mean, at the end Jim says when he's saying thank you to Dr. Laura and he says "you're a cornucopia of nourishment to a starving world." Most people, I think, would have a hard time understanding what that means.
Mark: Right.
Jill: I think it's really not all that important. Mark: No.
Jill: It's something I mean, he's trying to be clever. It's not something you're probably ever going to hear. Mark: You almost never hear someone using the word cornucopia, unless they are tying to sound clever.
Jill: Exactly, which just means a lot of something; an abundance of something.
Mark: Right.
Jill: And so, yeah, he's just trying to? Mark: But, I mean, it's a good word. It's a colorful word and, certainly, you can learn it, but it's not something I would spend a lot of time and effort learning and learning to use. Jill: No, no.
Mark: Yeah. Well, with that, I think that takes care of our compulsive liar. Hopefully, he can straighten himself out.
Jill: Hopefully, he's going to be reformed. Mark: Hopefully, Dr. Laura has Jill: has put Jim on the right track. Mark: It would be nice to find out what happens to these people in the end.
Jill: I know, I know.
