Mind of a Psychopath We all live among psychopaths. They can be our neighbors, relatives, grocers, classmates, bosses or even political officials. The term psychopath is used today as a very loose term to describe someone who plots others downfall for their own enjoyment. Many people are unaware of the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath, while others are completely oblivious to what they actually are. Psychopathy is believed to affect approximately 1% of the general population, 15–25% of the male and female prison population (Hare, 1999, 2001). But what are psychopaths, and what are their developmental way of thinking? What causes a psychopath to react the way they do and why? Is there a way to detect a psychopath? What is the
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The truth is, psychopaths are not altruistic and do not really care about friendships or ties. Guggenbuhl-Craig states that, “they are very talented at appearing much humbler than the average person, but are hardly so”. Researches have stated that the amygdala (a small portion of the brain that controls emotions) is impaired in the brain of a psychopath. The amygdala is responsible for emotions like fear and the reason for sad facial expressions. The impairment of the amygdala is the very reason why they are unable to feel compassion for others or guilty for their actions. With a clear of understanding of how a psychopath thinks, are there any distinct signs of a …show more content…
But what sets them apart is a conscience. A psychopath has no conscience at all, and actually takes pleasure in others pain and sorrows. A sociopath has a conscience, but it very weak or wrong. There are two states of mind for a sociopath. The first instance is that, a sociopath knows what’s right and wrong, and may even feel guilty but it won’t stop him from doing what is wrong. The second instance, it’s not that a sociopath does not know right or wrong, its right might be wrong. Think of a conscience as a compass. A compass points a navigator in the right direction to get to their set destination. So like a compass, a sociopath’s needle on his compass would point north, but in actuality it would be pointed south. “A psychopath has no sense of morality, whereas a sociopath has a twisted one… believes his or her actions to be right bus has a definition of “right” that the average person would find horrifying” (Kirkland 325). But which of the two are the biggest threat to society? One article said, “Sociopaths are normally less emotionally stable and highly impulsive, their behavior tends to be more erratic than psychopaths. Psychopaths, on the other hand, will plan their crimes down the smallest detail, taking calculated risks to avoid detection” (Mallet, “Psychopaths versus Sociopaths). So does erratic behavior trump deceitful and careful planning? Some researchers would argue that
The truth is, psychopaths are not altruistic and do not really care about friendships or ties. Guggenbuhl-Craig states that, “they are very talented at appearing much humbler than the average person, but are hardly so”. Researches have stated that the amygdala (a small portion of the brain that controls emotions) is impaired in the brain of a psychopath. The amygdala is responsible for emotions like fear and the reason for sad facial expressions. The impairment of the amygdala is the very reason why they are unable to feel compassion for others or guilty for their actions. With a clear of understanding of how a psychopath thinks, are there any distinct signs of a …show more content…
But what sets them apart is a conscience. A psychopath has no conscience at all, and actually takes pleasure in others pain and sorrows. A sociopath has a conscience, but it very weak or wrong. There are two states of mind for a sociopath. The first instance is that, a sociopath knows what’s right and wrong, and may even feel guilty but it won’t stop him from doing what is wrong. The second instance, it’s not that a sociopath does not know right or wrong, its right might be wrong. Think of a conscience as a compass. A compass points a navigator in the right direction to get to their set destination. So like a compass, a sociopath’s needle on his compass would point north, but in actuality it would be pointed south. “A psychopath has no sense of morality, whereas a sociopath has a twisted one… believes his or her actions to be right bus has a definition of “right” that the average person would find horrifying” (Kirkland 325). But which of the two are the biggest threat to society? One article said, “Sociopaths are normally less emotionally stable and highly impulsive, their behavior tends to be more erratic than psychopaths. Psychopaths, on the other hand, will plan their crimes down the smallest detail, taking calculated risks to avoid detection” (Mallet, “Psychopaths versus Sociopaths). So does erratic behavior trump deceitful and careful planning? Some researchers would argue that