pretty much
Posted on 04/06/2014 1:09:33 PM PDT by null and void
We think of psychopaths as killers, alien, outside society. But, you could have one for a colleague, a friend – or a spouse
...These people lack remorse and empathy and feel emotion only shallowly. In extreme cases, they might not care whether you live or die. These people are called psychopaths. Some of them are violent criminals, murderers. But by no means all.
Professor Robert Hare is a criminal psychologist, and the creator of the PCL-R, a psychological assessment used to determine whether someone is a psychopath. “It stuns me, as much as it did when I started 40 years ago, that it is possible to have people who are so emotionally disconnected that they can function as if other people are objects to be manipulated and destroyed without any concern,” he says.
Slowly we are learning to think of mental illnesses as illnesses, like kidney disease or liver failure, and personality disorders, such as autism, in a similar way. “A high-scoring psychopath views the world in a very different way, It’s like colour-blind people trying to understand the colour red, but in this case ‘red’ is other people’s emotions.”
At heart, Hare’s test is simple: a list of 20 criteria, each given a score of 0 (if it doesn’t apply to the person), 1 (if it partially applies) or 2 (if it fully applies). The list includes: ...
A pure, prototypical psychopath would score 40. A score of 30 or more qualifies for a diagnosis of psychopathy. Hare says: “A friend of mine, a psychiatrist, once said: ‘Bob, when I meet someone who scores 35 or 36, I know these people really are different.’ The ones we consider to be alien are the ones at the upper end.”
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Sorry, I didnt mean to direct my post to you. I got excited—should have directed it to “all”.
If it is a 2008, they’re just plain stupid. 2012 and you’re dealing with a killer.
There are a couple of people in my immediate family who have some mental/emotional disorders. they aren’t probably psychopaths, but they are nasty people. They each have some measure of guilt which helps somewhat, but the one would surely kill me if he could without getting punished. thankfully, they aren’t psychopaths. They both would probably kill me, or the rest of the family, with no cares to stop them.
This. As much as we think of psychos as creepy, sinister looking people, most of the time they appear outwardly friendly and charismatic, they tend to maintain theor composure better in social situations and can put on a front of being a very nice, gentle person. I dont believe people have the innate ability to discern a sociopath from a regular individual. I do think animals have a better sense, dkgs in particular seem to be better attuned to abnormal people, they also read faces better than we do and can pick up on traces of deception, whether we listen to them or not is another story.
pretty much
Thanks. I got a 9.
I scored 17.
The question about “feeling bad for tricking people” bothers me. If you don’t trick people, there’s no need to feel bad.
Some of the less well known characteristics of toxic narcissists and sociopaths are:
1. Needing constant praise.
2. Over the top fantasies concerning money, power, fame, sex
3. Secret sex lives.
4. Identification with famous and talented people, or seeing oneself, along with one or a few others as exceptional and above the usual rules( My ex-boyfriend was a perfect example of this when it came to his business partner with whom he was probably having an affair. He also liked to brag about famous people he knew.)
I learned this stuff from an article in the Seattle PI about 10 years ago. Also A Perfect Husband by Aphrodite Jones, so-so true crime book with one terrific chapter.
You can see how some of this stuff intersects with other problems such as bi-polar disorder or erotomania, which is what I suspect Anita Hill may ha e had.
I would say no, but my detested step-monster would say otherwise............
You can’t tell a really, really good psychopath. A safe bet is to look for politicians...especially “progressives”.
You have an excellent point, sometimes, it is difficult to take the test properly.
It seems that you don't trick people, period, and that is a positive trait.
However the answer should be yes you WOULD feel bad if you did so.
On the other hand is it tricking you into the admission that you trick people by allowing you to look good by "feeling bad"?
Bipolars are very charming. They are truly like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Now, now, just because they have a Massachusetts license plate does not mean they are a sociopath!
Perfect vehicle for a destruction derby!
I have two sons. One served ten years as an Air Force pilot and currently works as a contractor helping the air force train pilots. His future is bright. The other son was completely normal - until he wasn't. When he was in his early twenties he became very ill and was diagnosed with a serious (and rare) brain disorder - Schizoaffective disorder. In seemed to happen overnight. His future is not so bright.
I'm embarrassed to admit that, until mental illness hit our family smack in the face, I was probably one who would have jumped right on the "make fun of the mentally ill" band wagon. Now I know first hand there is nothing funny about it. Society jokes and puts down people who suffer from mental illness, yet these people have biological brain disorders through no fault of their own and deserve the same compassion as people with any other illness - but they rarely get it.
When a family announces they have a child with diabetes or cancer, they find their circle of support grows closer. They are surrounded by compassionate friends and community. Not so with mental illness. Families dealing with mental illness very often see friends draft away and a community that seems indifferent at best to their suffering.
People laugh and make light of mental illness, not because they are bad people, but because there is so much misinformation out there about these devastating illnesses. The problem is, while a very small percentage of people with mental illness become dangerous, those are the only mentally ill people that the media pays any attention to. It is mind-numbingly unfair. The vast majority of people suffering with mental illness are someone's mother or father or brother or sister and they are simply suffering silently with few good options for real help.
I apologize if I sound preachy. Honestly I do not mean to be. I'm just hoping people will think a bit about what mental illness really is and understand that those affected need our compassion and prayers (by the way, for any fellow Catholics, we have a patron Saint of Mental Illness, Saint Dymphna. ).
Because of our son's diagnosis, we got involved with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) several years ago. Since 2006, I have been a teacher and I am my state's program director for a 12-week family education program for families with loved ones diagnosed with mental illness. The 12-week course is free to family members who want to learn about their loved one's illness and learn problem solving skills and communications skills to better help their ill relative. The program is called Family-to-Family I am currently half way through teaching my 15th F2F course. If you know of anyone with a family member suffering from mental illness, please tell them to contact their local NAMI affiliate to see if this program is available in their area. It was a life saver for our family.
Lastly, as long as I am talking about NAMI, I hope I can make a blatant plug for our annual fundraiser called NAMIWalks for the Mind of America. This is a walk that takes place in cities all across the country as a way to raise money to do things like provide the family to family course, peer support classes and family support groups. You can find more info here: NAMIWalks Just click on your state to find the NamiWalk activities in your area and to find a team to join and/or donate to.
Thank for listening.
Thanks for sharing.
According to research most are politicians and CEOs.
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