FitChick Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 Interesting article in the Daily Telegraph about how to spot a psycho.
Anela Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 Sounds like the sociopath my mother was involved with when I was a kid. I had nightmares about him for years. He had at least six other women on the go, and took one of them on the trip to a European country, that he'd had my mother get ready for - his treat. She was left wondering where the hell he was, and he was on the trip with the woman who ended up leaving her husband and kids for him. :sick: I didn't trust him on sight, but he had women falling all over him. I never did understand that. When my mother found out what he was doing, she got herself a separate bank account (they were supposed to be living together and engaged), and moved us out - this was after he drained their account (an account he had promised to add to, but never did). His own mother called him a sociopath.
Feelin Frisky Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 It's interesting that she doesn't mention the word "sociopath" or try to distinguish what is sociopathological versus psychopathological. There is professional debate over what the difference is but generally a sociopath is less organized and acts out reactively based upon circumstances where a psychopath knows the consequences and deliberately acts with extreme malice usually with plans of evading consequence. I feel it should at least be mentioned because there is the potential in anyone who lacks empathy to some day be a worst case scenario criminal. I find the word "psycho" to be a bit heavy-handed where people use it so loosely they brand others wrongly--like saying someone has a "complex" really doesn't mean much unless you've been burned by interaction with this person who thinking and feeling defies normal rationality. If you take the time to look into sociopathology it becomes more understandable as character type observable in more people than you'd probably expect. Ever wonder how or why so many men could lend themselves to the atrocities in Europe over the last century? What was alive in them is alive in people today. It's just dispersed but still there. Cruelty and heartlessness is a seriously big part of the human condition. I believe goodness must become universalized in ways other than religion to deliver the world from the potential harms of mob psychopathology.
Anela Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 Like what happened in Rwanda, and is going on in other places.. you have me thinking about that movie, The Wave, about the people extremists who blow up abortion clinics or kill doctors who perform abortions, etc. I wondered about the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath; I also think certain labels are thrown around too easily.
Dust Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 That article was particularly pointless. Especialy the part where it told me about the "make the hairs on the back of my neck stand" unscientific test. I particularly love the part where they are like Psychopaths work in all fields even trusted ones like Lawyer, stockbroker, and even gasp Psychiatrist! I'd expect most Psychiatrists and mental health professionals to be psychopaths and crazy people to work in such a profession where they label every thing with a disorder prescribe drugs and then call it science. Look at what happened to kids they are all now labeled with ADHD and a slew of other conditions then druged up until they have ticks in their movement. Basicaly what does it matter if some one is a psycho or parasitic its not some secret. If some one say "I love you" and then tries to use you it becomes obvious very fast. People used to just be nerds or A-holes. Now they are Autistic and Psychopaths. Hilariouse another profession which rapes us. Thank you!
Eddie Edirol Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 I like how it describes how Psychopaths are resistant to change, which describes many people on this board who are given the best advise, but have no intention of improving their situation. Then there were the few people who had multiple screenames on this site. Seems that the Psychopath is easy to spot on here.
TheFinalWord Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 Interesting article in the Daily Telegraph about how to spot a psycho. Interesting questionnaire. Thanks for posting!
Tybalt Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 There is some useful info in the article, particularly the emphasis on the "subcriminal" psychopath, which is the most common (and confusing) manifestation. The terms "psychopath" and "sociopath" are generally considered interchangeable, though in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), these classifications are covered in the category of "Axis II" disorders (which are considered hard-wired personality disorders), under the the umbrella of the "antisocial" personality disorder type. Other personality disorders such as borderline and narcissism fall under Axis II. In May 2013 a new version of the DSM is due to come out, and it is my understanding that they are planning to reduce the numbers of "categories" of these disorders, in large part because there are so many overlapping features, such as lack of empathy and inability to affect lasting change/growth within themselves. In my personal and anecdotal experience, the label matters less to me than an awareness that the person I am dealing with lacks empathy and causes me emotional harm by doing what they do. I sense that at all and I'm out. One of the most important points I believe the article makes is that this person will not change, and the best advice is to remove yourself from their orbit.
carhill Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 In my personal and anecdotal experience, the label matters less to me than an awareness that the person I am dealing with lacks empathy and causes me emotional harm by doing what they do. I sense that at all and I'm out. One of the most important points I believe the article makes is that this person will not change, and the best advice is to remove yourself from their orbit. Yeah, my change was stopping giving such people the benefit of the doubt and accepting the behaviors as authentic and processing them as such. Great visual on 'remove yourself from their orbit'. Thanks to the OP for referring me to the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. I wasn't aware of Dr. Hare's work prior. Our former MC is also a forensic psychologist and I noted a lot of similarities in style. 'Intraspecies predator'.... great phrase.
Anela Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) ............... Edited February 9, 2012 by Anela
Oxy Moronovich Posted February 9, 2012 Posted February 9, 2012 1. When they talk about their childhood, do they always paint themselves as either tragic victims or valiant heroes? 2. When talking, do they make a lot of hand gestures to emphasise their points, particularly when speaking of emotional matters? 3. Do they “fall in love” with alarming regularity and speed, always moving in with their latest conquest… only to move out again a few months later when their partner is no longer happy to shoulder all of the rent and bills? 4. Do they make the same mistakes over and over again, never learning their lesson? 5. Are they slow to recognise fear or disgust in the faces of others? 6. When you first got to know them, did you find that you were revealing a lot more about yourself than you intended to? 7. How do they make you feel? Around them do you feel used, dominated and anxious? 8. If caught out in a lie, do they brush it off without explanation or embarrassment? 9. Are they enthusiastic about risky ventures — driving too fast, using drugs, unprotected sex, extreme sports or, most likely, all of the above? 10. Do they brag about petty criminal exploits in their childhood? So apparently, all the above will help you spot a sociopath. I know many people at work, school, and other places who do these things. Society must be full of sociopaths. If you locked all the sociopaths up, 3/4 of the world's population will be incarcerated.
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