The Human Virus
But I really believe that the same way in which we get viruses, worms and trojans, we have the same thing in real life.
I call it the virus phenomenon.
Most of the people around us are pretty stable... so life is pretty normal, and run-of-the-mill.
Now, imagine if there are persons(HVs), who are unstable, insecure, unhappy about who they are..and who they are with.
These HVs display a vulnerability which attracts those around them. The people around the HVs get attracted... get sucked in! The vulnerability displayed..makes the people want the HV all the more, till they finds they can't get enough.These type of HVs can be in all walks of life, whether in college, the disco, or at work.
Update-5/9/05: The idea of a human virus, would focus more on the thought process of a human being, and not reflect on the person as a whole. The mental process, rather than the person as a whole, is at question. Hence, when the thought process is cured, or removed, the actual person would be considered mentally cured or healthy.
The Human Trojan
The popular guy : Some time back,college.. I remember this one guy, who was really popular.
You know, the kind of guy everyone wants to be seen with.
The kind of guy who could, make or break, your reputation.
The problem which came up was, he had an inferiority complex, which resulted in him making everything he did, seem right, while everything done by everyone else, was considered cr.ap
So, you meet this guy, you are impressed by his confidence, then you realise the negative attitude he has, and then observe the way he destroys relationships between those close to him.
The girl's friend : Sharon makes friends with Tina. Now, the problem here, is that Sharon is always looking for something or someone to be pissed about, to the extent that, she would even make up lies about it. If Tina introduces Sharon to a guy she knows, Tom, Sharon would first try to get close with Tom, basically make him pick her up, or wait a while longer at a cafe. If Tom showed a sense of reluctance, Sharon would go to Tina, and tell her that Tom had made a pass at her, after which Tina would stop talking to Tom. Slowly, similarly Sharon then gets Tina to break bonds with all her other friends, till she is sure that Tina is only her friend. This occurs, all due to Sharon's insecurity about herself.
The Human Worm
The possessive girlfriend: You are going around with this girl.
In the beginning, it all seems pretty normal. Then after sometime, you find that the woman has become more intrusive on your normal routine. You will get calls every half an hour, full details are asked about where you were, who you were with , what you spoke about,...etc..etc...
The result, is that you end up trying your hardest to prove your commitment to this person, while at the same time, straining your relations with your friends and family. Every move you make, every breath you take(She'll be watching you ;) ), is scrutinised, to satisfy the woman's insecurity.
The extramarital affair: A married woman, Sharon decides she aint getting enough love (and sex) in her married life. So she starts having this secret affair with a younger batchelor, David. The problem is .. Sharon is insecure and is in a such a state that she tends to forego her existing marriage, and believe that David is her love, her life.
But David realises that the whole thing is a mistake, and decides to end the relationship. Sort of like trying to click on "End Task" on svchost.exe. Sharon doesn't give up on David, and decides to tell her husband Tim the whole story. This then blows up to the extent where David is made to leave his old home, his work is affected, and the whole time his mind is occupied with how to get out of this mess (100% CPU Usage ;)).
The Human Virus
Hitler. Need I say more?
Solution
The solutions are similar to those posed by Norton or Stinger. Firstly, prevent them from entering your circle of concern(your close circle) using a firewall, where you scrutinise the people who you allow yourself to get close to. After this, if there is still doubt about their personal level of insecurity or instability, keep them in quarantine or out of your circle of concern, till you are absolutely sure that they are stable enough to let into your circle of concern.The other option,obviously, is try to help them out as much as you can (Repair option) till you realise it is out of your hands.
Update-5/9/05: The actual curing of the thought process, should, similar to a medical ailment, be attempted by an expert in this field. If a lay person were to try to cure it, this person would stand a chance of being mentally influenced by the same thought process.