Stop The Madness Published in "The Source", May, 2001 By: Michael G. Conner, Psy.D, Clinical, Medical & Family Psychologist .... ---------------------------------------------------------- For most of us the idea of a psychopath conjures up images from movies like "Silence of The Lambs" and characters with names like "Hannibal Lector." Fortunately characters like Hannibal don't really exist. Serial killers and people involved in ritual torture are rare, but psychopathic behavior is more common than you might think. I have known several psychopaths in my life. A psychopath will use people for excitement, entertainment, to build their self-esteem and they invariably value people in terms of their material value (e.g. money, property, comfort, etc..). They can involve and get other people into trouble quickly and they seem to have no regret for their actions. To date there is no checklist of behavior and symptoms that will tell you with certainty whether or not a person is a psychopath. But there are warning signs. The following warning signs are based on my experience but primarily research conducted by Robert Hare, Ph.D - the leading expert on the Psychopathic Personality. Characteristics of a Psychopath a.. superficial charm b.. self-centered & self-important c.. need for stimulation & prone to boredom d.. deceptive behavior & lying e.. conning & manipulative f.. little remorse or guilt g.. shallow emotional response h.. callous with a lack of empathy i.. living off others or predatory attitude j.. poor self-control k.. promiscuous sexual behavior l.. early behavioral problems m.. lack of realistic long term goals n.. impulsive lifestyle o.. irresponsible behavior p.. blaming others for their actions q.. short term relationships r.. juvenile delinquency s.. breaking parole or probation t.. varied criminal activity .... A psychopath is usually a subtle manipulator. They do this by playing to the emotions of others. They typically have high verbal intelligence, but they lack what is commonly referred to as "emotional intelligence". There is always a shallow quality to the emotional aspect of their stories. In particular they have difficulty describing how they felt, why they felt that way, or how others may feel and why. In many cases you almost have to explain it to them. Close friends and parents will often end up explaining to the psychopath how they feel and how others feel who have been hurt by him or her. They can do this over and over with no significant change in the person's choices and behavior. They don't understand or appreciate the impact that their behavior has on others. They do appreciate what it means when they are caught breaking rules or the law even though they seem to end up in trouble again. They desperately avoid incarceration and loss of freedom but continue to act as if they can get away with breaking the rules. They don't learn from these consequences. They seem to react with feelings and regret when they are caught. But their regret is not so much for other people as it is for the consequences that their behavior has had on them, their freedom, their resources and their so called "friends." They can be very sad for their self. A psychopath is always in it for their self even when it seems like they are caring for and helping others. The definition of their "friends" are people who support the psychopath and protect them from the consequence of their own antisocial behavior. Shallow friendships, low emotional intelligence, using people, antisocial attitudes and failure to learn from the repeated consequences of their choices and actions help identify the psychopath. .... Are you involved with a psychopath? You may not know because they can be very charming and friendly until you get close and disappoint them. .... from
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