Psychopaths

[Flashman]

17. I may change my signature.

[Spacecadet]

26

[Zero Liability]

Which is why the psychiatric profession tends to talk in terms of personality disorder 'clusters' rather than black and white diagnoses. Either way, they are untreatable and they are mean. Steer clear.

Yes, the quoted bit does sound consistent with other stuff I've heard (through podcasts) on the topic in my own amateurish ventures into it. Regarding the untreatable bit, I believe it's to do with the 'wiring' of the synapses, i.e. epigenetic factors. Once your brain is 'wired' a particular way it is very difficult to 'rewire' it. Authoritarian or neglectful parenting probably have a big part in it, and especially the absence of a father figure. The incidence of psychopaths in the population is supposedly something like 2% (and we can hazard a guess as to which profession they flock to, for the more charismatic ones), but they're useful in some proportions, e.g. it's a useful trait for a surgeon not to be overly empathetic, lest they develop a distaste for inflicting necessary pain.

I think you will probably get a number of people who are genetically predisposed towards it, and then other people who are less so but through bad environmental factors show a predilection to low empathy. It's useful to identify who they are, to steer away. I reckon you can tell from some people merely by looking at their eyes (glassy eyed), but obviously with the ones with a higher level of charisma and social functioning, it's more a matter of waiting for them to slip up in pretending to care about others or supposedly cherished ideals or goals. They tend to blow up when they don't get their way.

[zeitghost]

26

Want to borrow a nice cup of fava beans?

[vetran]

21

again?

[GreyWolf]

Surely any psychopath worth his salt would know what the "right" answers are? It's the ones with the suspiciously low scores you need to look out for.

I got 12, a reassuringly low but not too low score.

[BionicTeddyBear]

I recently worked with a psychopath. They aren't easy to deal with I tell you. They'll either try to manipulate you and if that doesn't work victimize you. Kinda got my own back on him before I left though.

Oh and I scored 8.

[speling bee]

Psychopathy is a term made up by ordinary people who don't understand extraordinary people.

[alluvial]

Psychopathy is a term made up by ordinary people who don't understand extraordinary people.

In your dreams perhaps.

[pjclarke]

Psychopathy is a term made up by ordinary people who don't understand extraordinary people.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms | Psych Central