A flying monkey is someone who abuses a psychopath’s victim on behalf of the psychopath.  The term derives from the flying monkeys in the film “The Wizard of Oz”, who did the bidding of the wicked witch of the west.

A hallmark of the psychopath is that they collect and deploy flying monkeys.  A psychopath chooses minions who have flying monkey potential.   This means that the minion is responsive.  The psychopath needs drama, and the minion will provide it.

When the abuser trades places with the victim and portrays himself as the victim, the flying monkeys attack the real victim.  This generally begins by slandering the victim, and progresses towards creating havoc in the victim’s life.  The goal is to have the victim ultimately killed or commit suicide.   The psychopath will often keep his relationship with the flying monkeys a secret to confuse their victim.  The victim can’t imagine why so many people would attack them.  They may even believe they deserve it.

The psychopath relies on the fact that most people have no idea how pervasive this type of evil is in our society.  In a tell, my ex-psychopath once said, “It’s amazing how easy it is to find guys who are willing to rape a girl if they think she’s drugged.”   Later, I found an empty bottle of the date rape drug Rohypnol in the storage shed.

Some flying monkeys naively believe the psychopath’s sob story. They are genuinely unaware that they are involved in a mob campaign.   Others are bloodthirsty narcissists who look forward to joining the mob because they believe they won’t be held accountable.

When a psychopath is recruiting for his mob campaign, it can be difficult to differentiate between the psychopath and the real victim.   Recognizing a psychopath’s pity ploy is crucial to avoid inadvertently becoming a flying monkey.  Your emotions can inform you, pay attention if you feel the urge to confront or attack the accused.  You might be a flying monkey. Check your drama.