Philippe Petit is a sociopath and a terrible person in general

Man on Wire was an awesome movie, from its astounding soundtrack to the dynamic reenactments, to the informative interviews. However, what stood out to me most was Philippe Petit. Throughout the entire film, I found myself often scratching my head at his story. Something wasn’t right. And then it hit me. I had been unknowingly comparing him to a sociopath the whole time. As I became conscious of this realization, more and more examples of his behavior began to stand out as strikingly similar to those of someone with ASPD (antisocial personality disorder/”sociopath”) the farther I delved into the film. Mayo Clinic defines some symptoms of ASPD as using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or personal pleasure, unnecessary risk-taking or dangerous behavior with no regard for the safety of self or others, a complete lack of empathy, tendency to repeatedly violate the law or engage in illegal behavior, repeated exploitation of others for one’s own personal gain, a sense of grandiose, poor or abusive relationships, complete disregard for right and wrong, impulsiveness, and failure to learn from past experience. Sociopaths tend to create a cult of personality surrounding themselves, but lack any regard for those who make even incredible sacrifices for them. Sound familiar? From his earliest memories, Philippe fits one of the criteria, stealing a newspaper in his youth. His repeated, grand, illegal stunts, often occurring on a whim, are all he cares about. Petit has even described his mental process as “When I see three oranges, I juggle. When I see two towers, I walk.” Despite this, Philippe’s friends are lulled by his incredibly charming, bubbly personality into sacrificing their own lives and destinies to benefit his own. Philippe exhibits a complete lack of regard for their goals and dreams, and remains completely unimpressed with them, even after their repeated sacrifices for his sake. Would you stay completely still underneath a tarp for four hours and plan to walk into imminent arrest for someone you didn’t care deeply about? Philippe uses them as dispensable pawns with the sole purpose of making his dreams possible throughout his story. His longtime girlfriend, Annie Allix, who dedicated her life to his, states “My life was completely consumed by his, and he never thought to ask me whether I had my own destiny to follow. It was quite clear I had to follow his”. After he accomplishes his walk, Philippe abandons her, cheating on her with literally the first girl he sees. The same becomes true of so many of his other friends who dedicated their lives to his, such as Jean-Louis, who did so much to protect his friend and even cries during the epilogue while remembering their friendship. Philippe, even in the present, shows no remorse for abandoning his friends and betraying his girlfriend, rather bursting with excitement upon his newfound celebrity at the time as they weep. It’s really a shame that Petit is such a terrible person, but hey. At least we didn’t waste 3k for him to talk to us.