Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: The Ghost of FReepers Past
Why would it not be a mental illness? What would you call it? A mental abnormality? A mental disability?

I have considered it to be a mental abnormality. Psychopaths are very rational people and not psychotic. They function well in society, but do not have what I believe to be a conscience. They fall in the area of personality disorders.

The Psychopath

And why is it not fixable? I neither agree nor disagree. I don’t know. I’m just wondering why you think so.

I believe psychopaths are born and have different brains than normal people. There have been some studies attesting to it, however I see the conclusions as grant chasing versus an ability to attain a cure.

Psychopaths aren't just mentally different - their brains are physically deformed to prevent them feeling fear or guilt
79 posted on 08/02/2015 4:15:52 PM PDT by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media. #2ndAmendmentMatters)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies ]


To: PA Engineer

It makes some sense that the brain could have abnormalities in the areas that control emotion just like it sometimes has abnormalities in other areas. It sounds like they compared people who had head injuries with some of these people. Still, unless you know the nature of their brain when they were young, you could not entirely conclude it was nature and not nurture. Or it could even have been an unknown head injury — baby shaking, falling, concussion, sports, etc. Could it be that they had some head injury along the way that caused damage or were they truly just born unable to empathize or feel guilt, at least in the way that it connects with their ability to feel fear and restraint?

Do you think since it is an abnormality that they cannot be held criminally guilty of crimes? That it is not their fault they were born that way?


88 posted on 08/02/2015 5:05:37 PM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson