Psychopaths: how can you spot one?

The Telegraph ^ | 3:00PM BST 06 Apr 2014 | Tom Chivers

[Twotone]

I also scored 4, but did enter my age & gender. :-)

I heard something on the radio a few days ago about identifying psychopaths. They were testing people for empathy by seeing if they would yawn when another person in the room yawned. If they didn’t, they were suspect.

It made me start to yawn just listening to them talk about it!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Very sorry to hear about our second son becoming ill in his early twenties. That must have been (and must be) totally devastating.

I reread the comments here and most people aren’t making fun of mental illness, but are making the logical connection between politicians in general (especially Democrats such as Clintons and Obama) and psychopathic behavior. There are definitely many symptoms among those people.

[Arlis]

Cannot believe no one has yet pointed out that Obama clearly scores at least a 30 on this......clearly a psychopath......

[warsaw44]

hey, now! Not all us Massachusetts folks are that nutty!

But seriously, you see that type of car all the time in the suburbs of Boston - especially in the more well to do towns. But they are usually hybrids.

A friend of mine had a nanny who owned a car filled with such stickers. I had meet her a couple times but really kept my distance as I had no interest in getting to know her. At one point my friend mentioned the lady was interested in seeing me.

Yeah, right - I stayed the heck away until she departed for another job. Dating liberal women is just a total waste of time.

[null and void]

Yeah? Marry one.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks null and void.

[MaxMax]

Children will avoid them if they have a sense about such things.
I've seen children run from people they don't know, and embrace strangers
they have a sense about. Intuition about bad people is strong in most kids.

[markomalley]

Generally, if a person self-identifies as a "progressive", they are a good candidate.

[Rodamala]

Dating liberal women is just a total waste of time.

Noted. I am ready after having a presence on OKCupid for many years, to ditch it... in theory all they "should" have left there acter this Firefox faggotry they pulled are braindead homofascists anyways.

[MHGinTN]

Scored 7 ... but I cheated. LOL

[GOPJ]

I bought the book for my kindle this afternoon... interesting stuff...

[Ditter]

Interesting, I scored 2. I get bored sometimes and I am fairly impulsive. How about you nully? :)

[crazycatlady]

I would doubt that this car is for real, except Ive seen some like it in Seattle.

[Rome2000]

I've seen the RNC up close and believe me they are only slightly less mentally ill.

At least the DNC members will make a person laugh out loud.

Looking at the RNC creeps makes one want to take a shower.

[crazycatlady]

I wasn’t knocking the mentally ill. We have such things in our family too. What I should have made more clear is that some of the symptoms, delusions, for example can occur for a variety of reasons, causing misdiagnoses, especially on the part of armchair psychiatrists, who should t be diagnosing to begin with.Wild spending and other impulsive behavior, for example, is a hallmark of bipolar, but happens with people with other disorders too.

[spankalib]

All?

The posters who are identifying democrats (and making fun of them), are more right than many of them know. The democrat liberal leftist fits EVERY diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
(read my profile)
When they don’t, it is likely they are Borderlines. Borderlines are less charming, which makes me question Rome’s description. Both Narcissists and Borderlines are repulsive to me, you were more uncomfortable with the RNC? Interesting. I find them – Dems – decidedly unfunny. Sanctimonious, hypocritical assclowns. If the RNC is worse – well my FRiend, trust your gut. Maybe it IS time for a 3rd party…
Hostage, Bipolar is a chemical imbalance, with ups and downs (severe) – it CAN be managed with the right mix of drugs. The big question with Bipolars is; “Are you taking your meds?”
Chemical disorder is not personality disorder.
For Borderline and Narcissist, drugs might ameliorate some corrosive behaviors (just keep ‘em happy all the time? I don’t know), but it’s hard-wired into their personalities. As of this date, It cannot be changed.
Jaguar, SAD is…well, sad. I’m sorry for your struggles. You are a hell of a warrior to take a stand in the front lines and do the work. I believe it can be managed, at least somewhat with drugs…correct me if I’m wrong…
ONE of the article’s themes is “we don’t know the brain”. I’m convinced there’s a difference
(and a differential diagnosis that could work). Maybe some clever FReeper could untangle what I’m saying, I hope so, but there’s a VAST difference between your son and a psychopath, between your son, and a cold-blooded leftist determined to take everything away from me, between your son and the narcissistic sob’s that seek to destroy us.
Please, let us make fun of them, without becoming offended.
Leftists ARE mentally ill – but that is not an excuse, it is a description.
Your son is mentally ill, but, not in the ‘leftist sense’.
catlady, enjoy your contribution on here. I can tell you’re ‘Narcissistic Supply’ – which means you’re full of goodness :0…the reason you’re a notoriously bad judge is well, you’ve been trained, haven’t you?
I doubt that you’re as “notorious” as you say… :)))

Berlin actually has the right of it (for once) haha –
“…when you feel uneasy…”
IOW –
TRUST YOUR GUT!
(“The Gift of Fear” is a good book to read @ that)

Scored a 6, and I’m stayin away from fred...

[ohioman]

Good post. A great friend of mine developed paranoid-schizophrenia when he was about 18. It would always piss me off to see and hear of folks making fun of him. His case always reminded me of Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd - so much promise destroyed by an incurable disease. I wish your son the best.

[crazycatlady]

I give a mixed review to The Gift of Fear. There is worthwhile information in it, but this stuff—predicting who will go postal, for example, just isn’t an exact science.

I also think that books like his are reason for the popularity of personality tests in the hiring process. I despise these.

Remind me again, does Gavin deBecker take any position on people arming themselves in case of workplace rampages, etc? It seems to me he does, but I can’t remember.

[ponygirl]

There is a woman who walks in my neighborhood who is a very pleasant, friendly person and always stops to talk to me when I'm out walking my dog.

My dog absolutely hates her. I have never been able to figure it out. Her hackles stand up and she just stands back and glares at her. She doesn't growl or anything like that, but she just gets this body language that spooks me out a little.

Makes me wonder what she knows.

[spankalib]

Don’t remember either.

It’s valuable for ONE thing - Trust. Your. Gut.

Since psychopaths (& Narcissists & Borderlines) can only “mirror” emotions, what the (in-tune) gut notices is that their timing (in social situations) is a little “off” - if not downright puzzling or inappropriate...