Psychopaths

I've been thinking about the mind of a psychopath a lot here lately. Now we all know how they work and what kind of traits they possess. So I'm not gonna list them or anything like that. However I do wanna touch on 2 of their traits. Which is their inflated sense of self worth and their sense of entitlement.

First off let me say that I'm not playing the devil's advocate here. What I AM trying to do, is explain that I can understand why they possess these 2 traits.

Now, everyone wishes to obtain some type of particular ideal. Most of the time our utmost ideals, are never obtained because they're more often than not unrealistic or we lose hope in obtaining them.

In just about every psychopath I've read about, they seem to possess one ideal and one ideal only. Which is to inflict pain and suffering on their targeted victims.

If you look at serial killers who are stone cold psychopaths (prime examples being Manson and the zodiac killer) you notice that they never ONCE stray from obtaining that sickening ideal. They kill, kill, kill, and kill. Why? Because that's all they believe in. That's their drive, passion, and how they unfortunately develop some type of integrity....I guess you could say.

By now you're probably asking, "what does this have to do with the 2 traits you mentioned" and or "how does this make you understand why the possess those traits".

Let me explain. Since most people don't ever get to obtain their ideals they usually wind up fantasizing about them, and usually go through the universal "woulda coulda shoulda" stage in their life. Imo a psychopath NEVER goes through this stage because they more often than not adhere to their belief that most people (usually the weak) deserve to suffer and or die.

Psychopaths consistently throughout their life cause drama, pain, suffering, misery, tragedy, agony etc etc..because they love to do it. You can basically say that these are their goals throughout their life. The average person however, usually never acheieves their goals or obtains their ideals. Some do but most don't.

Since psychopaths usually are always up to no good and always committing crimes of murder, robbery, assault and battery, etc..you can say that they feel a sense of superiority over the average person because they (as I had mentioned earlier) realize that their always consistently living out their ideals, as well as realizing that average people don't usually get to do so, or give up in the process.

This also gives them their sense of entitlement because they usually always carry out their heinous acts whenever they get the impulse to do so. For example a psychopath may say to theirself "I want his wallet NOW" and they'll go and rob a person. Since they always attempt to get what they want right then and there, that probably gives them the idea that people should give them what they want or need and to obtain it right here right now. See what I'm saying?

As to why I can understand why they posses these 2 traits, well I know if I was person who acheived EVERY last one of my goals without,I'd feel that I was just a tad bit better than the average person.

In conclusion I think it's safe to assume that psychopaths act and feel the way they do is because they constantly govern the laws of their being while the rest of us have trouble doing so.

What do you guys think?

edit to add that the point I'm trying to make, is that the average joe usually gives up in obtaining their ideals..while other people (regardless if they're psychopaths or not) who don't give up and get to obtain them...seem to usually come off as egotistical. Most people who acheive all there goals in life are somewhat egotistical.

edit again to add that I think that most people in their lives have thought about why and how people could act this way. This post is how I've always viewed these types of people and why the do the things they do.

[edit on 21-12-2008 by The Scarecrow]

[edit on 21-12-2008 by The Scarecrow]

I once had a psychopath in my life. Keep in mind that psychopath does not automatically mean killer, although I think a psycopathic mindset could make a person m ore likely to kill.

With this person it was not about acheicing goals. They simply thought that they were the center of the world, and that everyone and everything owed them success.

This person could not put it into perspective that their actions had bearing on how much they achieved. For example, when they got demoted at work--it was not for bad behavior, it was because their boss was a lesbian and could not stand to see a man in that position. When that came out as untrue, and the real reason was his own conduct, this person insisted that he was justified in their actions.

At one time this person contracted some rather painful medical problems, which I offered to help them pay for after they put up a big stink looking for help. Instead of accepting my help they became very angry with me and insisted that I was trying to make them look like an invalaid who couldnt' take care of themself. Later a friend of mine tried to get this person to go to a charity doctor, and they were insulted that the clinic would have had them pay a minimal fee--about $20. They beleived that the doctor should have treated them for free, without question or compensation of any kind.

I could go on and on. The jist of being a psycopath, though, si that the person beleives that the world owes them an easy life, and they are damned insulted when that does not come.

Every little thing with this person was spun into a conspiracy to keep them down. The strangest thing was really that after a while I realized that this person did not beleive in or have strong convictions about *anything.* THey changed even theirmost basic convictions, when it suited them.

I wouldn't really be so sure who is one or the other so easily. I've recently looked up personality disorders. I think many could fall under this in some way. Than there's the sociapaths who are now referred to as having an antisocial personality disorder? What was John Wayne Gacy?

Are these people always so obvious? I don't think so.

www.wisegeek.com...

There was a recent documentary on the types of personality traits and their brains when dealing with empathy or sympathy and the lack thereof.

Tests supposedly can be conducted to know who is more prone to these behaviors. Something like precrime I would think.

A psychopath might seem more like what some people report during abductions and treating us as lower life forms. A psychopath may also get high through this ego?

I've met a few people in my life who didn't seem right. Some of which were apparently using steroids and working out looking for a fight.

I suppose many who come on this site and others are probably being profiled by their responses.

One recent person on the news is Cayce Anthony. Apparently she has personality disorders, but what exactly was it that created these. Are psychopaths also originally spoiled kids?

reply to post by The Scarecrow


Interesting thread.

But not all psychopaths are the same.Many do not achieve anything in life and some have little or no self-worth.

Others suffer from pathological/aggressive narcissism and this is the drive behind the inflated ego and feelings of superiority.

Originally posted by DantesLost
reply to post by The Scarecrow

 

Interesting thread.

But not all psychopaths are the same.Many do not achieve anything in life and some have little or no self-worth.

Others suffer from pathological/aggressive narcissism and this is the drive behind the inflated ego and feelings of superiority.

I had a good friend who was diagnosed as a psychopath.........this in the days when there was little understanding of the diagnosis. He had an IQ off the scale and his mathematical reasoning was beyond those at Oxbridge by the age of 8.

I knew him as an insecure fear riddled teen who wanted so much to fit in the 'normal' world. He was a decent guy.

He dropped out of school, ended up in bedsits. He did have a child in amongst his chaotic life.

He died alone in Ibiza.

he was a good man, nothing like the 'diagnosis' brings to the fore.

reply to post by The Scarecrow


You kind of sound like a psychopath yourself - with mixed personalities and such.

reply to post by PolandPride


I anticipated this kind of response. But I'm not one. I feel remorse whenever I do wrong unlike psychopaths.

There are apparently many variables to psychopathic behavior and you've yet to provide any links. Here's one I found which refers to part time psychotic behavior. The government has most likely also created these personality traits in certain individuals such as with MK ultra. "The Manchurian Candidate" etc. Turned on and off with certain trigger words?

www.minddisorders.com...

reply to post by aleon1018


Well in my opening post I said I wasn't gonna go into the qualities a psychopath possesses other the ones I mentioned. Every website that explains psychopaths usually has a list of all their qualities. And again, their qualities isn't what I wanted to touch on.

A psychopath is born...a sociopath is made. Psychopathy isn't learned behavior as much as a biological flaw. Their extreme behavior (referring to the minority of them who lead to violent criminality) stimulates them as pleasurable on the same level of a funny movie would stimulate a normal individual. These individuals will not experience anything when watching the same movie; they need an extreme act to bring about the same response. Human brains seek stimulation. Most people will get this through casual conversation, listening to music, jogging, etc. The psychopath receives little to no stimulation from these things so it leads to more dangerous and riskier behaviors...in the most extreme cases, harm towards others. Depending on the extent of their psychopathy, feeling superior to others isn't even a factor as they are incapable of conceptualizing the feelings of anyone but themselves.

Separately, the sociopath possesses learned behavior for accomplishing his/her goals (repeat bank robber; drug dealer; organized crime). As one gains status through crime or other negative behavior, the sociopath will enjoy feeling superior as a learned behavior (think Scarface...Montana grows to "live the life").

All (normally functioning) humans have an internal desire for personal survival which in modern society leads to achievement and advancement. Both of these will increase the chance for an individual's extended life & chances of reproduction. Our society measures achievement and advancement in terms of material good and earnings. One shortcut to reaching these goals is at the expense of another (theft; con games; using another). You're right in regards to sociopaths, as they utilize these actions to satisfy their internal desires. You, I, anyone, can learn criminal behavior if rewarded properly. However the difference between the anti social personalities and us is that we may achieve self-fulfillment through the work required to achieve our goals. We can experience mental stimulation from the process or we may receive progressive recognition (promotions, awards, etc). The psychopath isn't "wired" to enjoy the ride, s/he needs instant gratification to fulfill a biological flaw while the sociopath skips the ride due to learned behavior. Again, anyone can be taught this behavior under the right conditions.


[edit on 12/23/2008 by thomasblackraven]

I've been thinking about the mind of a psychopath a lot here lately.

I've always thought about the mindset of the psychopath. My old roommate started me on this by researching a bunch of serial killers and psychopaths. Ever since I've always kind of wished I could look into the mind of someone who is truly a psychopath. See how they view the world, people around them, their daily actions, anything that goes through their mind.

If you have any other information or stuff on psychopaths I would really love to give it a read. My email is in my profile, just send it to that if you do. Thx

[edit on 23-12-2008 by Adam West]

This is my favorite topic, I would like to share this article I found on the subject

Twilight of the Psychopaths
by Dr. Kevin Barrett



“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.” – John Lennon, before his murder by CIA mind-control subject Mark David Chapman

When Gandhi was asked his opinion of Western civilization he said it would be a good idea. But that oft-cited quote, is misleading, assuming as it does that civilization is an unmitigated blessing.

Civilized people, we are told, live peacefully and cooperatively with their fellows, sharing the necessary labour in order to obtain the leisure to develop arts and sciences. And while that would be a good idea, it is not a good description of what has been going on in the so-called advanced cultures during the past 8,000 years.

Civilization, as we know it, is largely the creation of psychopaths. All civilizations, our own included, have been based on slavery and “warfare.” Incidentally, the latter term is a euphemism for mass murder.

The prevailing recipe for civilization is simple:

1) Use lies and brainwashing to create an army of controlled, systematic mass murderers;

2) Use that army to enslave large numbers of people (i.e. seize control of their labour power and its fruits);

3) Use that slave labour power to improve the brainwashing process (by using the economic surplus to employ scribes, priests, and PR men). Then go back to step one and repeat the process.

Psychopaths have played a disproportionate role in the development of civilization, because they are hard-wired to lie, kill, injure, and generally inflict great suffering on other humans without feeling any remorse. The inventor of civilization — the first tribal chieftain who successfully brainwashed an army of controlled mass murderers—was almost certainly a genetic psychopath. Since that momentous discovery, psychopaths have enjoyed a significant advantage over non-psychopaths in the struggle for power in civilizational hierarchies — especially military hierarchies.
Military institutions are tailor-made for psychopathic killers. The 5% or so of human males who feel no remorse about killing their fellow human beings make the best soldiers. And the 95% who are extremely reluctant to kill make terrible soldiers — unless they are brainwashed with highly sophisticated modern techniques that turn them (temporarily it is hoped) into functional psychopaths.

In On Killing, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman has re-written military history, to highlight what other histories hide: The fact that military science is less about strategy and technology, than about overcoming the instinctive human reluctance to kill members of our own species. The true “Revolution in Military Affairs” was not Donald Rumsfeld’s move to high-tech in 2001, but Brigadier Gen. S.L.A. Marshall’s discovery in the 1940s that only 15-20% of World War II soldiers along the line of fire would use their weapons: “Those (80-85%) who did not fire did not run or hide (in many cases they were willing to risk great danger to rescue comrades, get ammunition, or run messages), but they simply would not fire their weapons at the enemy, even when faced with repeated waves of banzai charges” (Grossman, p. 4).

Marshall’s discovery and subsequent research, proved that in all previous wars, a tiny minority of soldiers — the 5% who are natural-born psychopaths, and perhaps a few temporarily-insane imitators—did almost all the killing. Normal men just went through the motions and, if at all possible, refused to take the life of an enemy soldier, even if that meant giving up their own. The implication: Wars are ritualized mass murders by psychopaths.The implication, too frightening for even the likes of Marshall and Grossman to fully digest, was that the norms for soldiers’ behaviour in battle had been set by psychopaths. That meant that psychopaths were in control of the military as an institution. Worse, it meant that psychopaths were in control of society’s perception of military affairs. Evidently, psychopaths exercised an enormous amount of power in seemingly sane, normal society.

I have know three psychopath's and they were all sociopaths 2 boot.

I think to kill they need to be socio aswell...

My 2 cents.

This one of the most important topic ever, and this is one of the most accurate article I have come across - proliberty.com...

reply to post by The Bald Champion


I too have known three.
They as well were sociopaths, and one was also a pediphile.

I would like to share some truths about this one in particular.

He grew up in a sparcely inhabited island and had a brother who too was a pediphile and sociopath. He however, was not psycho and was manipulated more on the lines of a soldier in their little clik's fantasy world.
(I almost used Island over world, but....stay focused)...

When I had met them, much later, the knowledge learned of their youth was slow in coming. Soon enough however, as I was deciphering some of the peculiarities in personality, I found out, during one of the many long-winded stories told, that his (and the brother's, I am not focusing on), father had comitted suicide by shotgun in front of them.

Moreover, the man he knew as father, but whom took his own life in front of the then four year old that I now knew (now knew is present - past tense, and is used to describe the present tense of knowing him now in the past), to be in his 20's, had witnessed more than his father's self-inflicted and fatal gunshot wound, but had in fact witnessed an attempted murder-suicide due to the first two shots being fired upon his Mother, then reloaded, then a third shot.

His mother miraculously survived the near fatal attack, and had medical problems thereafter, but was a strong and decent woman when I had known her.

This was quite shocking news back then, and the demeaner now made much more sense.

A few years we had been friends and since the disclosure of his traumatic ordeal as a young four year old, I believe that his self administered therapy was to control his little brother, become a self-appointed commander and attempts at relationships, both romantic and casual, depending on the player.

Now, I later found that he had a narrow blinder-like tunnel vision when it came to his vision of sexual relationships, and to grasp any behavior beyond "missionary", seemed to cause a short circuit in brain function and whether it was fear or other, I would say he was a one woman man, and his woman would say he was a dead explative.

To prove manhood, he did father 5 children in 5 years, but those years were rather sad because he got hooked on coc aine thanks to a lost soul who's tragic industrial maming had left him broken and spiraling downward.

As this addiction began ruling his life, he became disassociated with reality and soon was divorced, mentally self-tortured, despairing, accused of molesting his own daughter, and an even more colorful story teller.

After his divorce, and prior to hearing the later proven accusation of abuse, he would drown his sorrows in alcohol, dope and empathy seeking ritualistic suicidal procrastination, using his father's demise as a demon linking genetics to his passion of talking about repeating his fathers act.

I had a way of reasoning with his utterings of self-pity and plans of departure, and got him temporarily to quite drugs and focus on goals he had had prior to his drug problem.

He met another woman, went back to work and kept up on all aspects of his former life's responsibilities and his current life. He would never get over his divorce, once, I had to stop him and disarm him as he went to take out his ex-wife and her new beau,

and not long after, after many threats of killing himself, I arrived one evening to find him in his truck, a shop-vac suction tube duct taped to the tail pipe and to the drivers wing window, engine idling.

The doors were locked, he, on his side across the bench seat in a fetal position, unresponsive.

I ripped the tube out of the wing window, reached in and unlocked the door and had the door open with my other hand whilst dragging him out and to the ground with what seemed at the time a thirsd hand, due to the speed and aggressive nature of the moment.

Thank God he was still breathing, shallow as it was.

I slapped his face a few times and within 30 seconds, (seemed like an hour), he responded, breathing becoming more normal, eyes moving behind their lids, and signs of conciousness.

His eyes were quite dialated but as focus returned to them, they were quite glassy and large.
(Later, I found out his eyes were dialated from relapsing on coke prior to this attempt - (I believed it was meant to grab attention rather than kill him since he knew I may be coming by that evening and that he didn't use a convincing method as he promised at times that his would mirror his father's.

When I saw he was coming back to his normal disfunction, I had a rare emotional outburst and with one finger in his chest, and my face within biting distance of his, I swore that if he ever did that again and failed, I would kill him, and that I had the mind to take him out right then and there.

After I calmed down, he spent the next few hours grovelling as if I had now become his savior and I was worshipped over and praised for the next week.

That is when the horrific news of his assault on his oldest daughter came to light, and I broke ties at that time, and struggled for the first time with myself over why I should not put him out of his real misery. But, I took the hard way out, and that choice may have kept me from a 25 year stretch.

In the years until that moment, I found it curious that, though I now knew he was a true POS, He had a way of making people believe him, including many policemen that had crossed paths.

He wore a revolver exposed all the time (legal, but not widely accepted), and four times (three domestic calls, and one driving infraction) he had not only managed the cops in believing his stories, not only had them praising and glorifying him as he brandishing his pistol, but he also could sell sand to an Arab, and I don't mean a bag of sand, I mean a desert storm of sand.

His tongue was the slickest thing I had ever seen and with his volitile mood swings, snake charming stories, plots as thick as molasses, and never getting arrested when a complaint was called for violence, he even talked his way out of a DUI, while driving on a gravel shoulder on a two lane road, passing cars on the one lane heading.
He was also a woman beater (not his ex though), and a chronic habitual liar, a psycho, and had learned sociopathic behavior I prefer to call "A God Complex", a pedaphile, salesman & con.

I am the youngest of 9 children. 4 boys and then 4 girls and then me.
My oldest brother was 18 when i was born.
The next oldest (sister) is 2 years older then me.
Every single one of my brothers (though incredibly intelligent) have spent more than one year in prison.
(all of my sisters have as well).

I have never been in trouble with the law once in my life and im in my mid to late 30's.

The reasons i bring this up is because i have encountered MANY psychopaths. (not all from my family, but mainly their associates)

To answer the gist of the OP: it really has alot to do with 'impulse control' or a lack therof.

"i want to do this now" without fully looking at or analyzing possible repurcussions - though thats not exactly true - some analyze before hand quite well...

there is an obvious attainment, but ask yourself this: is it a 'worthy' attainment? most people would say obviously not...

but psychopaths think all things wanted and needed are worthy, whatever that may be, at any given time, for any given reason...

in resonse to abstrucenumber1 - Wow that is a sad sad story - I think your friend was misdiagnosed, and it probably added to his injury. I have been a target and victim and scapegoat of many toxic indeviduals, and the amount of projection and blame we recieve is abominable. I am strongwilled and not afraid to be alone, so I am still alive - barely. what a waste!

[edit on 25-12-2008 by HulaAnglers]

Energy.

It's what we live on. The constant influx of energy from others through fear, hate, sympathy, intimidation and attention.

I imagine the most successful psycopaths are those who disguise their needs for energy the best but are able to fulfil them well.

The understanding of this flow between all people can prove a useful detector for nutters. Even the nutter inside each of us!

Are we not all psycopathic to a degree? Thankfully, most of us to a very small degree.

Peace.....nerb.

Honestly, you cannot understand them until you have read about their life. Manson didn't have it easy, for example. He was illegitimate; his mother was a prostitute; he was homeless for a time, et cetera.

Their "feelings of self worth and entitlement," is a product of never having either... Most, maybe not all, people who wind up being labelled "psychopaths" were never treated as if they were worth anything, and certainly not as if they were entitled to anything. If they didn't have feelings of self worth for themselves, no one else was....

I am not criticising you, but I would strongly suggest that you consider wht their lives were like before you make a blanket statement.

[edit on 17-1-2009 by SpeakerofTruth]

[edit on 17-1-2009 by SpeakerofTruth]

reply to post by The Scarecrow


Psychopaths have a LOT of freedom! They are playing on another level entirely. If you don't feel natural guilt for anything you do and you don't have any empathy for others, then you are playing by different rules. Then, it's quite easy to simply take advantage of people when they are vulnerable... sneak up on them if you will. They can play-act and be manipulative without feeling bad about it.

Of course, then there is the adrenaline pump they would get which could be intoxicating.

Then, there is the sense of control they would get over their lives, not to mention the lives of others.