have you ever known a psychopath?

"Yep., sounds all too familiar. He used to work at jobs for 2 weeks tops. Pretended to know how to weld, install home security systems (scary, I know!), among other things. Then I guess he decided it was easier to con people out of money instead of working. Always seems to be able to con his way out of it too, con his lawyer, con the judge. Its so ridiculous.... and I cant really understand how he does it. "

its crazy how they can con people you wouldn't think would fall for their lies.....

edit because i messed up the quote...

Originally posted by MorpheusUSA

Traits
Hare Psychopathy Checklist
Factor 1
Aggressive narcissism

Glibness/superficial charm
Grandiose sense of self-worth
Pathological lying
Cunning/manipulative
Lack of remorse or guilt
Emotionally shallow
Callous/lack of empathy
Failure to accept responsibility for own actions

I have lived with a psychopath for many years now, in a Buddhist meditation center. Things are better than they were at the beginning but I can tell you that the whole long journey has been no picnic. The above characteristics are amazingly close to the individual I am talking about, at least when I first met that person.

I could go on in chapter and verse talking about incidents involving this person or the general behavior of this person, but I don't think it would really serve a purpose. The most striking thing about a person like this is their absolute self-centeredness. They are unable to empathize and thus to sympathize with others.

This person, twenty-five years later, is beginning to be considerate of others. To be fair, this person has been more and more considerate of others for some time now, but the onset of empathy was slow and almost imperceptible, like the onset of a thaw.

Ice thaws for a long time before cracks appear.

Telling this person's story in detail would take a long post, but this person was able to begin to change only because they were willing to place themselves under the authority of a very great meditation master.

Even so, progress is slow and back slippage is frequent. I never forget what I am living with.

I knew psychopath ... but they had a severely traumatic past, involving witnessing family murdered, being kidnapped at gunpoint, etc. They turned out to be extremely narcissitic with a desire for others to suffer indirectly on account of them, as a need. It was extremely hard to see at first, believe it or not.

reply to post by needlenight


I am only on Page 4, and am somewhat familiar with disorders.

I would like if you would look at Schizoid PD and see what you think, as I feel that you are too caring to be a sociopath/psychopath (which many people consider one and the same, both of which are narcissists)

The psychopath in my life would in NO WAY have made a post such as yours!

Ketchup to ya!
CS70

reply to post by ipsedixit


very interesting for a psychopath to be living in a buddhist center!! and even more interesting that he's beginning to change. or at least seeming to change. thank you for your post.

these have all been such interesting stories. i truly appreciate all of the responses.

reply to post by pasiphae


I've been told I am half-one because of my inability to feel compassion for some people while at the same time heart-wrenching compassion for others. Mostly because I am a very manipulative person, but not for my own gain, but rather, for the benefit of the person I am manipulating.

I suppose out of cowardice of speaking directly I sort of learned on my own how to be a good psychopath. Or maybe this whole thing is more in lines of a sociopath.


Let me ask you something. If you can tell a person's character within 80%-90% accuracy after being with them for a few moments, and over the course of time learn all that person's strength and weaknesses, then manipulate that person's life so that they fall on their weaknesses in such a way that their strengths overshadow them and they conquer their weaknesses, is that being a psychopath? A sociopath? And is it good or bad?.....For the 10%-20% you fail at analysis and accidentally destroy their lives, if you feel awful for months for doing it, are you a good person?

Originally posted by pasiphae
reply to post by ipsedixit

 

very interesting for a psychopath to be living in a buddhist center!! and even more interesting that he's beginning to change. or at least seeming to change. . . .

Buddhists believe that all sentient beings are, in their very essence, stainless Buddhas.

The religious life is a catch all for the dregs of humanity. People shouldn't be shocked when a priest goes wrong or when a nun is a crackpot.

They should expect that kind of thing as the norm and be more surprised, with an increase in faith, when one of these malfactors evolves into a saint.

I am schizophrenic and have been so since I was young. I don't know if this classifies me as a psychopath or not. I do go between several distinct personalities from happy go luck me to rip your face off me. I never know day to day or hour to hour who will pop out. I have been hospitalised with this problem several times (psycho hospitals), not nice places. Don't know if this answers your original question on Have you known a psychopath, but I may be one at times but I don't know what happens when I switch from personality to personality.

BTW- I am in happy go lucky type mode now.

My job has something to do with housing people that are psychopaths or sociopaths. One, of the many, things I've noticed is that they, the psychopath/sociopath, have an undying need to act criminally most living situations. I can state for empirical fact these people have zero impulse control and live by the same sword that put them into state custody in every facet of their misery riddled life. They lie to lie, even when the truth is expressly in their favor and they have no reason to lie they will almost always make the lower decision and ultimately put themselves into that coveted place of being the center of attention. The narcissism they have even being in the place they're in for the crime they committed has no effect on their over-sized ego and they place themselves at the top of the human food chain in their mind, yet, they are the lowest form of murderer, child raper, and/or violent nature scum from all walks of life.

The conclusion I have come to is that most of the humans that are incarcerated are just non-violent drug offenders that are being dicked over by ridiculous laws, even worse being housed with these #ing animals that should be placed on an island infested with rats filled with fleas that carry black death. It's the most rewarding job I've ever had seeing the knife point of the criminal system and building a true political understanding of the unintended consequences that our laws have made that will ultimately bite us in the ass very hard in years to come as we start taking political prisoners due to the new MDAA that POTUS so happily signed into law.

Originally posted by SeventhSin
. . . They lie to lie, even when the truth is expressly in their favor and they have no reason to lie they will almost always make the lower decision and ultimately put themselves into that coveted place of being the center of attention. . . .

This is right on. The person I live with used to go out of their way to be underfoot, to obstruct, to foul up, to sabotage, simply in order to maintain a position uppermost on people's minds. This person would sabotage anything to do this, no matter what the stakes.

It got to the point where I became convinced that the person wanted to be physically beaten, a beating they would have spun into high lunacy with a smirky smile.

This person became and to some extent still is a major navigational hazard here.

Let's not forget the victims of sociopaths/psychopaths. It is not uncommon for them to take on the attributes of their abusers. It happened to me. In such grief and despair I became the enemy. With time and help I pulled myself out of it but now I know anyone is susceptible to this. That is how most sociopaths that were not "born that way" are made.

Originally posted by dfsjr51
I am schizophrenic and have been so since I was young. I don't know if this classifies me as a psychopath or not. I do go between several distinct personalities from happy go luck me to rip your face off me. I never know day to day or hour to hour who will pop out. I have been hospitalised with this problem several times (psycho hospitals), not nice places. Don't know if this answers your original question on Have you known a psychopath, but I may be one at times but I don't know what happens when I switch from personality to personality.

BTW- I am in happy go lucky type mode now.

thank you for responding.... you are not a psychopath. schizophrenia is entirely different. just because are in "rip your face off" mode at times doesn't make you a psychopath.

glad you are in happy go lucky mode now

i do find schizophrenia to be a very interesting disorder. i've always found the psychological disorders that i have NO personal relation to very interesting. not sure what that says about me LOL! my biggest issue has only ever been anxiety and some depression.

reply to post by pasiphae


Yeah I work with one who has a god complex.

Originally posted by ipsedixit

Originally posted by SeventhSin
. . . They lie to lie, even when the truth is expressly in their favor and they have no reason to lie they will almost always make the lower decision and ultimately put themselves into that coveted place of being the center of attention. . . .

This is right on. The person I live with used to go out of their way to be underfoot, to obstruct, to foul up, to sabotage, simply in order to maintain a position uppermost on people's minds. This person would sabotage anything to do this, no matter what the stakes.

It got to the point where I became convinced that the person wanted to be physically beaten, a beating they would have spun into high lunacy with a smirky smile.

This person became and to some extent still is a major navigational hazard here.

along that line... the person i knew liked to "taunt". he would drop hints and clues and sit back and see if i'd catch on. i think he found it very amusing. i called them my red flags. i took note of each thing in my head because it perplexed me. looking back on it i get chills knowing what i know now.

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
I was constantly surrounded by people that gave me the willies, like when they stare at you, instead of seeing a person theyre seeing a juicy red steak.

******************************************************************************


Scary, but that's a good way to put it ... after all, they are predators.

edit on 11-1-2012 by Jana12 because: (no reason given)

reply to post by Jana12


yes, like a predator but..... unlike an animal they are not seeking out prey for food to physically sustain them. they seek out prey for "pleasure" to mentally sustain them.

Originally posted by pasiphae
reply to post by Jana12

 

yes, like a predator but..... unlike an animal they are not seeking out prey for food to physically sustain them. they seek out prey for "pleasure" to mentally sustain them.

Eeeeekkkkkkkkkssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

reply to post by Jana12


my sentiments exactly... and how i feel every time i think about it. if you've seen it, you know it. it's bone chilling.

reply to post by The GUT


Same here I've work with a few low level / mid level sociopaths in my time .

hmm.. this was the first headline that caught my attention.. how disturbing you even care about psychopathic stories :S a waste of space in your brain no ? lol .. i think so
It also bothers me that this topic was on front page lol, why people are judging others with mental minds and sharing about them over the internet ?

I think deep down we are all psychopaths, look at the world around us that we ALL created together.. you going to blame that on the 'psychos' too ? Each an every one of us have bad thoughts, habits and events in our past. Is anyone judging us for the damage we have once caused ?

The negative energy alone surrounding this thread is bad enough .. silly topic and i hope Ats can truly awaken and bring more positive energy to the minds of the members on this site.

~Love is and art