Profiling Nasedo
...may be an exercise in futility. But it helps explain the environment in which Tess has been raised to this point.

The possible futility arises in the fact that it isn't clear whether Nasedo has emotions that change easily; or whether he has no emotions and is just faking it, and the fakery sometimes slips. The way he goes from smiling with Liz, to snapping at her to leave the broken statue alone, back to smiling as if the mood hadn't been broken, can be analyzed either way. Moreover, he seems to enjoy being Max. This raises the possibility that he can experience emotions, but has none of his own, whether by nature, or because of being captured after the 1947 crash and tortured and experimented on. (When he tells Michael emotions are a weakness, that is much like what humans do when they say "e;Don't let your emotions get the best of you,"e; or "e;Don't get carried away."e;)

Ed Harding/Nasedo sometimes shows signs of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). OCPD is characterized by a rigid, conformist, and perfectionistic style of behavior. These people have a tight, restrictive range of affective expression. Compulsive personalities are "e;workaholic"e; types who are unable to relax. But they may waste time ruminating over things rather than accomplishing real work. The description as "e;compulsive"e; is most due to his fastidious neatness, "e;workaholic"e; regime, and affective expression. These characteristics, which are frequently positives, become a disorder when they interfere with the subject’s functioning in society. Sometimes, the subject can locate the cause of his or her distress, but often it is third-parties that really notice and point it out. As is the case with many mental disorders, the sufferer has difficulty perceiving what is wrong with his or her own thought processes.

In some situations where his behavior exceeds normal bounds, perhaps instead of OCPD, Nasedo should be classified as an extremist. Being a sort of emotional wasteland, he is in a sense a blank slate to be written upon. Tactile and sensorial stimuli become excessive desires, whether it is eating of food, such as a mound of potatoes or fried chicken, or appreciation of art.

Nasedo will do what ever it takes to survive and to ensure the survival of the alien/hybrid children. Having lost three of them early in their development was bad enough for his perfectionistic view, but to lose them again would be inconceivable. His lack of morals or regard for human life is more than likely seated in his lack of emotion, anger over being imprisoned, tortured, and tested, etc. Duty, anger and fear will always be motivators in Nasedo actions.

Riso label: Reformer
Palmer label: Perfectionist
Key traits (healthy and average function): Principled, orderly, perfectionistic, and self-righteous (many of these imply morals, which are negated by his lack thereof)
Gift: Discernment
Unconscious drive: Anger
Approximate DSM-IV correlates (unhealthy): Compulsive and depressive

Riso label: Enthusiast
Palmer label: Epicure
Key traits (healthy and average function): Enthusiastic, accomplished, uninhibited and excessive
Gift: Optimism (This is negated by being trapped by alien hunters, from whom he since escaped)
Unconscious drive: Gluttony
Approximate DSM-IV correlates (unhealthy): Manic-depressive, histrionic

DocPaul, Karst