In furtherance of yesterday’s discussion and the subsequent comments, I wanted to expound on some of the core elements of psychopaths and sociopaths. And to let the experts weigh in.
People tend to shy away when you mention crimes involving sociopaths or psychopaths. They don’t want to think about it.
I fully understand that. Yet, it isn’t going away.
I’m one of those people who look at these aberrations like puzzles. I’d rather know what their traits are so I know what I might be dealing with.
And I admit that it fascinates me, as it did in college when I took courses in psychology and criminal justice and wrote about various crimes.
What makes people do what they do? Are they born with their wiring a little out of whack?
To use an old phrase: What makes them tick?
From The Experts:
Psychopathy is a spectrum disorder that varies from mild to severe.
“There is no “psychopathy gene,” but research tells us that psychopathy tends to run in families.
“Even if a parent does not have psychopathy, they may carry one or more genetic variants that increase their child’s chance of developing psychopathy.” – According to Psychopathy Is. (psychopathyis.org)
How Sociopaths Are Different from Psychopaths – Verywell Mind
While there is much overlap between psychopathy and sociopathy, they are not one and the same.
But the commonality is this: Both are forms of antisocial personality disorder.
“Antisocial personality disorder, sometimes called sociopathy, is a mental disorder in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others.” – Mayo Clinic
Female Psychopaths Versus Male Psychopaths:
As you’d imagine, they say there are more male psychopaths than female. When you think of a female who exhibits these traits, the next paragraph might come to mind…
“Charm, lies, manipulation, and a lack of remorse are all marks of a psychopath. They know what is right and wrong, but it just doesn’t matter. Everything is about self-interest.” – Psychology Today
Contrary to what we see in movies, not all psychopaths are violent.
“But when they are,” writes Katherine Ramsland at Psychology Today, “they tend to be cruel and criminally diverse. Callous and opportunistic, female psychopaths are the rarest of a rare breed.
“Though they share much with their male counterparts, they may be even better equipped to elude detection.
“Male and female psychopaths show similarities on core characteristics such as lack of empathy and remorse. But the ways in which psychopaths process information, make decisions, and behave appear to differ between the sexes.
“Female psychopaths are typically less violent than males, though they can be just as remorseless and manipulative.”
When Can It Be Diagnosed:
“Usually, the symptoms appear before the age of 15, and sometimes they are present early in childhood. – Paradigm Treatment
Sociopaths Versus Psychopaths Research:
Psychopaths tend to be more manipulative. They can be seen by others as charming and lead a somewhat normal life.
A psychopath may minimize risk in criminal activities. Sociopaths tend to be more erratic, rage-prone, and unable to lead as much of a normal life.
“A sociopath is someone who might have repeated run-ins with the law. They might lie, use physical aggression to get what they want, and have a lack of empathy or guilt.
“A psychopath, however, has a stronger case of the antisocial personality disorder that causes sociopathic behavior.
“In this way, a psychopath is always a sociopath, but a sociopath is not always a psychopath.
“It’s important to note that psychopathy and sociopathy are sometimes seen as a spectrum.”
Not all psychopaths will become serial killers or commit heinous crimes.
“Some psychopaths become con artists but do not have violent tendencies. The common factor is a lack of remorse and empathy.
“There are some who say that “sociopaths are made and psychopaths are born,” but this characterization may be too far broad.”
It is fascinating. Thanks for summarizing it and making it easy to understand.
Some other great books that I would recommend are the following:
The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence Mass Market Paperback – by Gavin de Becker. This is what it says about him: Gavin de Becker is a three-time presidential appointee whose pioneering work has changed the way our government evaluates threats to our nation’s highest officials. His firm advises many of the world’s most prominent media figures, corporations, and law enforcement agencies on predicting violence, and it also serves regular citizens who are victims of domestic abuse and stalking. De Becker has advised the prosecution on major cases, including the O.J. Simpson murder trial. He has testified before many legislative bodies and has successfully proposed new laws to help manage violence.
In Sheep’s Clothing: Understanding and Dealing with Manipulative People Paperback – April 1, 2010–by Dr. George K. Simon Ph.D. This is a great book about manipulative people that I keep on my bookshelf for reference. He also has a website and videos on youtube.
Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation, and Guilt to Manipulate You – by Susan Forward.
I wish more people would read books to learn to self-protect.
Have you heard of or read the book, Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. The author is Robert D. Hare who is a Canadian forensic psychologist known for his research in the field of criminal psychology. He’s authored several books including Snakes in Suits and many others. He also has a website.
This is a timely post as I also have an interest in the topic and psychology given my own experiences. I had unfortunate experiences at a very young age. I think it important for people to learn self-protection strategies. Also someone I’m close too had to serve as a juror at a murder trial.
No, I haven’t read that one. Thanks for the mention. I’ll look at it on Amazon.
So interesting and confusing. There are so many of both of these types of people walking the earth, no wonder the world is messed up.
How are you feeling?
I’m okay. Still having pain in the ankle after walking a bit Saturday.
Please do a book review after you are finished reading it. I don’t think I can read it myself. I’m too much of a scaredy cat. But I’m interested to know some of the red flags.
Will do.
That is confusing and interesting at the same time Brenda! That’s why I’m cautious when I talk to ppl I don’t know.
A few days ago I went grocery shopping and while I was online I was talking to a older guy in back of me. While I was waiting for my daughter to come pick me up that guy sat in his truck watching me! The store was closing so one of the guys that work there stayed there talking to me til my daughter came! That was creepy!
While I was in-line it was suppose to say! Stupid phone lol
Sounds creepy. I just don’t think I want to go out to shop anymore. Even if I could.
I have no idea as to the intellect…the IQ on these people, but the ones we have had contact with definitely are smarter than average…like way smart, as in jobs like engineering etc…and the striking thing to us is, they say they have no feelings…one way or another…yet we saw anger and rage…so apparently they do feel that one. We think in our situation, it was the choices of the parents that most likely led to this…in fact, we wonder about whether maybe even incest was part of it…and from what the public sees, there is a big lack of observing any boundaries. These parents even worked in the field of counseling…if you can imagine!! It just blows our minds!! But I guess if your goal in life is to use others, manipulate them, etc etc perhaps one can learn more ways to do that in the field of counseling?? I doubt any family is able to see this minefield in time to avoid disaster (like marriage to them). But maybe in your sharing, Brenda, it may help others to avoid what has happened to us. Thank you!!
I’ve kind of learned that the most screwed up people tend to go into fields like counseling. Guess they think they’ll fix themselves. I was married to a psychiatrist, and boy was he messed up.
Yes indeed, you also have first hand experience with these kooks!! Their extreme desire to CONTROL others is beyond belief…something I simply cannot understand…
I had experiences with counselors that were not so good. I’ve had good experiences as well, so for me it’s a mixed bag. I do believe there are good psychiatrists and psychologists out there and I know that many people enter the profession with the desire to help others. Sad to say that it’s like many professions where you’ll find that some people are much better than others or a better fit for you personally. I will say that after a few bad experiences that I won’t get into here it took me some time before I reconsidered or was even able to try again. I do think that it can be helpful for many people.
This is so interesting! This might explain some of the the school, mall and store shootings. Most of the shooters are so young. It would be interesting to know if it is one of these mental disorders or if some are done because of the times. So many people seem to think that if things don’t go their way it is ok to use violence.
You’re right. There’s so much violence because of people who have grievances or feel disenfranchised.