We are accustomed through movies to identifying some characters as psychopaths. Typically, we call the movie serial killer a psychopath who, at first, seems devoid of emotion or empathy. The only emotion he seems to feel is pleasure in seeing others suffer. So is this really a psychopath? How could we identify a psychopath in real life? Are there different degrees of psychopathy so that it does not reach the levels in the movies? What is the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath? How should I treat a psychopath and what would happen if I rejected him? What is a built-in psychopath?
We must know that there is no clear consensus on the characteristics of a psychopath but in general there is a consensus between the main factors that would make up a psychopath. Keep reading Psychology-Online to see the answers to all these questions and know how to identify a psychopath.
Next we will see the main characteristics of a psychopath.
They have charm
If you are wondering how to recognize a psychopath, you should know that it is not easy and that it is not something that is seen with the naked eye. A psychopath is a person who knows how to charm others and “take them to his territory”. At first they seem like very kind and pleasant people with whom it is easy to establish a relationship.
They know how to act to even make someone fall in love with them or appreciate them, which is why, in the beginning, they have good social skills.
However, all this charm is superficial and is a form of strategy, that is, they are not like that naturally but rather it is imposed in order to obtain a certain benefit from a person.
They have no empathy
One of the characteristics of the psychopathic personality is a lack of empathy. These people are not able to understand how others may feel. Various studies have shown that they could become empathetic, but that they do so voluntarily, that is, that, in general, they choose not to be and They have the ability to “numb” these feelings. Other theories indicate that they have a more cognitive but not emotional empathy, that is, they are not able to empathize with the suffering of others but they can understand that certain actions can harm the other person at a work level, for example. Besides, they know how to fake it.
They are narcissists
It is quite common for narcissists to have excess self-love and believe they have qualities that they do not have. This causes them to have a self-concept of being superior to others. This also means that, in general, they do not admit their mistakes or understand that there are other points of view or that perhaps there is a better method to do things, which is why they take criticism very badly. They believe that they have a level of importance much higher than real Therefore, they may have problems at the level of relationships by rejecting some people for not having “the same level as them.” In this article you will find more information about .
They are not very emotional
Psychopaths have difficulty feeling emotions. This not only happens with positive ones, but also with negative ones. This is a big problem since in a dangerous situation, for example, they don’t feel afraid Therefore, they may arrive inappropriately in such a situation, exposing themselves even more to danger. In this article we explain the.
Some theories support that they do have the ability to feel positive emotions although, regardless of this, they perceive themselves as cold people. On many occasions, if they express emotions, they may be faking it, as we have mentioned in point 1.
In this article we explain.
They present crime
It is quite common for a person with psychopathy commit various types of crimes. This can range from robberies, street fights, substance use to more serious situations such as pedophilia, crimes and torture of people or animals. Therefore, we would have two types of psychopaths:
- Subclinical or integrated psychopath: would be the typical cold, manipulative person with a lack of feelings, emotions and empathy. However, she does not commit serious crimes. He is what we would colloquially say is a “bad person.”
- criminal psychopath: It would be the highest level of psychopathy at which the aforementioned crimes would be committed. They can be cruel and are completely oblivious to the problem of the acts they commit.
When the person is a child or adolescent, it is quite common for them to be the “typical troublemaker” who picks on classmates, bothers animals, steals small objects from stores, or consumes substances. These behaviors could escalate over time.
They do not admit mistakes and do not learn
Related to their inability to recognize mistakes, another trait of a psychopath is that these people They don’t learn from experience. That is, they do not admit mistakes, not because of a self-esteem problem, but because of a lack of self-criticism and self-analysis. Therefore, it is quite common for them to try to achieve a goal in the same way over and over again despite constantly failing. This problem is due to a connection problem between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala.
They are impulsive
Another characteristic of people with psychopathy is impulsivity. Although they may seem like very cold people, another characteristic of psychopaths is a wide range of decreased activity in the prefrontal area of the brain. That is, they act without premeditation, so they do not anticipate the long-term consequences of their behaviors, but rather the immediate benefit. That is, they manipulate a person in order to obtain a certain objective, however, they do not analyze the consequences that having used others may have in the long term. This would also explain what is common in these people, which is consumption of drugsetc.
They manipulate and lie
As we mentioned, psychopaths They tend to see others as a means to an end.. Therefore, it is quite common for them to use various tricks to achieve this goal. In people with a more moderate level of psychopathy, although many of the other characteristics are not usually reflected, it is common for there to be manipulations and lies.
Furthermore, the charm that we mentioned would be part of these manipulations. This is easy for them to do due to the lack of empathy that we have mentioned previously. In this article we talk about the.
They get tired and bored easily
It is quite common for them to get tired quickly. This can be transferred to all planes. Therefore, another trait of a psychopath is that he has many short relationships and seek constant stimulation which they achieve through substance consumption, constant sexual relations, gambling addiction… Therefore, this boredom would also be related to the impulsivity they may have.
They have no regrets
Lack of empathy causes them to lack remorse and guilt. They may understand that what they have done is not right or within the law or social norms, however, this It does not imply that they regret it or feel bad. for having harmed other people. That is why, if we return to point 8, they can constantly manipulate and obtain the benefit of others. The lack of regrets is also one of their problems in learning about the different scores.
They take advantage of others
As we mentioned, the main trait of a psychopath is taking advantage of others. Why would they want to do it? One of the reasons is to obtain money or other benefits. For example, it is quite common for them to take advantage of their partner or their parents to do everything for them, that is, to have an economic dependence on others, as well as to make their food, wash their clothes, etc. This depends on the situation, but it is quite common that delegate their responsibilities to third parties and through manipulations always get others to accept.
As we see, the traits of a psychopath are based on their behavior, emotions and feelings. Psychopaths do not have specific physical characteristics nor can you recognize a psychopath by their face.
They are born with these personality traits
The differences between the two are quite limited, and it is common for a person to suffer from both types of disorders. Psychopathy would define, above all, the most problematic characteristics of the person’s personality and sociopathy would focus on those that focus on harm to third parties.
One of the main differences is that Sociopaths develop the disorder while psychopaths are born with it. Sociopaths have greater impulsivity than psychopaths and it is not common for them to engineer manipulations; rather, all their inappropriate acts are the result of a lack of self-control. Here you can see the .
They do not accept rejection
They are experts in manipulating, in taking situations where they want. Therefore, do not try to do it yourself. In the same way, think that they will be constantly trying to manipulate you. To detect whether they are doing it or not, look more than at their words, at their actions and check if they are coherent or if they are obtaining benefits from what they have done or said.
Also, if you have the same group of friends or work in the same place, it is common that if he has a problem with you, he will try to turn everyone against you. Therefore, try to have social relationships with people who are not in common, so that, if something happens, you are not alone.
On the other hand, it is logical that on many occasions you decide to end the relationship and move on. You must anticipate his movements and wait for him to try to play the victim role in order to dazzle you and “win you back.” He will try to make you feel guilty and may reach the point of harassment when trying to contact you. However, it is common that, the moment they find another person, they quickly forget about you.
In this article you can see.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Cantero, F. (1993). Who is the psychopath? Psychopath: Psychological profile and reeducation of the most dangerous criminal16-46.
- Hare, R. D. (1984). Psychopathy: theory and research. Barcelona: Herder.