Psychopath

Yes, there is a genetic component. There is a particular gene - MAOA that can correlate with psychopathic behaviour, although it isn’t a ‘psychopath gene’. There isn’t believed to be one gene, rather it’s more a case that generic variants that are be passed down.

The article above about James Fallon is worth a read - he has the MAOA gene, and there is a family history of crime there. How it is expressed though can depend on nurture, essentially genetics load the gun, and environment pulls the trigger.

There is a hypothesis that psychopathy is an evolutionary adaption, and an advantage:
https://www.psypost.org/2022/03/meta-analysis-suggests-psychopathy-may-be-an-adaptation-rather-than-a-mental-disorder-62723

I have one in my life right now. I have been advised to pursue action against him. But I fear him.

The Hare list seems very specific to me with a very narrow list of questions.

If you are not a parent, have never been married (which is probably age dependent) and you have never ''caught'' by the justice system you probably will score lower but might still be a psychopath!

The cleverest can pass undetected too and won't have an existing medical/criminal record of sociopathy/psychopathy.

I am certain there's a strong genetic component, yes. In my experience people high in sociopathic traits who hurt someone just feel annoyed about that person's reaction, rather than sorry. DARVO (deny, attack, reverse victim and offender) is a strongly psychopathic trait, imo.

Yes.

I had a male friend for 5 years who turned out to be a sociopath.

He was charming, cultured, generous, had a high-powered job with one of the UK most recognisable company. Called himself a feminist and also always had beautiful and smart women on his arms.

Turns out he abused all of them behind close doors, constantly gaslighted them to the point of driving them mad/to self-harm making them doubt their own reality and cheated with other people, sometimes in front of his latest girlfriend just to hurt her.

Zero remorse and always blamed everyone else. He turned out to be a compulsive liar too.

I made the mistake of briefly dating him and that is when I finally learned the truth as he turned abusive almost immediately.

Thankfully his recklessness with drugs and alcohol finally caused the mask to slip and he got in trouble at work because of his increasingly angry behaviour, his latest girlfriend left him and our circle of friends also dumped him once I told them what he was doing to women behind closed door.

This was one of my best friends for 5 years... I was so angry that I had let someone like that in my life.

It really shook me and I had counselling to deal with the abuse and I also reflected on the fact that my parents also exhibited some of these traits when I was a child and that I probably fell for him because somehow his behaviour was familiar. It took a counsellor to finally help me see the light after all these years...

Also wondering about people who score very highly on some areas of the Hare checklist but not at all on others.

For example, the most unpleasant person I know is a police officer. She doesn’t tick any of the delinquency/crime parts of the list and she also prides herself on being 100% honest (one of those “just telling the truth” people who basically use honesty as an excuse to hurt people. However, her honesty also extends to absolute trustworthiness in relationships - she would never ever cheat on somebody, for example. That is disgusting to her - although she can’t see that, say, coercive control is just as much of a relationship crime). However, absolutely zero empathy, grandiose perception of herself, very entitled, rude, superficially charming, no remorse or guilt ever. Is she a psychopath? Or is she just a massive arsehole?

When I was a TA I worked with a child who I was convinced was a psychopath. They were cold and vindictive and I just didn't like being around them. Very, very clever but there was a dangerous air about them. Convinced I will read about them in the news one day, and not in a good way.

I worked with 100s of kids, some challenging behaviour and I liked them all. Just not this one, and I wasn't alone.

This is so interesting and suggests that it’s a spectrum with some people affected to a lesser degree like yourself and others more fully affected.

Empathy is a funny one. When I react to awful news for somebody or a sad situation and say/think about how sad I feel for the affected person, I often catch myself and wonder “do I really feel that way or do I just know that I am expected to feel that way?” I usually come to the conclusion that it’s genuine but I do think about it. However, when my cat died a few months ago, although I was very upset about how much I would miss her, in the moment, my tears were all for her, not me - the agony I felt for how unwell she must be feeling and how confused she must feel because she didn’t understand it was off the scale. I’ve cried endless tears since she went about how much I miss her, but when it became obvious that she was very unwell, they were all for her, not me. I’d like to hope that that is conclusive proof of…well, something.

This is the most interesting thread I have read in a long time, thank you to those being so honest about themselves.

Does psychopathy run in families does anyone know?

When you have knowingly hurt someone and don’t feel remorse or guilt, what do you feel? Nothing?

Do you have a sense of love for your children own children? Or do you think it’s not possible to know.

My father said he didn’t really have feelings about anything very much, just anger, frustration, humour and some degree of pleasure from certain things.

The Hare test has to be conducted by someone with expertise in psychopathy, that’s been specifically trained in applying the checklist, and it takes multiple sessions with a person in order to do the necessary deep dive into their entire lives. It really isn’t something that can be done quickly.

Another one of the issues with it is that it’s based on observing not just criminals, but criminal men. Psychopathy presents differently in women.

So true about the tories.

@Namechange50008 I definitely felt/feel differently to other people.

My mother used to be horrified by my lack of emotional response to things that upset her/most people. For example, starving children in Africa on the news in the 80s. The coverage was designed to create an emotional response and my mother found it so upsetting. I just ... didn't.

I'm incredibly good at compartmentalizing things. I rarely feel guilt. There are times when I know I should feel guilty about something (because society says so) but I just don't.

I was raped as a teenager and it had much less impact on me than I suppose it should have. I simply disassociated myself from the event, analysed it and moved on. It sounds incredibly callous but it's just how I'm wired.

At my mum's funeral my brother had written a lovely, moving poem about my mum but felt he couldn't read it at the service. The entire family immediately said "Medusa will do it". And I did. Without a tear or shake to my voice.

I do however have an incredibly strong sense of justice and fairness and believe everyone should be treated with the same level of respect.

Loving this!

Omg!

I didn’t reference anything as “fact”. Just described how the yawning trope has been used on a particular show.

Sounds wonderful! There should be an evil laugh emoji for situations like this

OH, come and sit with me @Medusaismyhero and we can pretend to care how each of us feels 😉

It seems i'm moderately psychopathic!
(Hare test)

I feel an 'AMA thread' is in order 😂

I scored 23 🙈 To be fair, I suspect I have a lot of sociopathic traits so no huge surprise...

I looked after someone for some time, who I can imagine being diagnosed a psychopath. Initially I just thought they were a bit set in their ways, misogynistic and very much self centred, until the day I saw the way they treated one of their adult Daughters.
The level of rage and vitriol he directed at her when she was unable to complete some small task for him was astounding.

Thank you @whumpthereitis you've put it better into words than i managed above. This is exactly me - I understand empathy but don't feel it. Doesn't make me evil!

I definitely feel emotions when they are big, but not day to day. Someone up thread said they see themselves as more robust and I think that's right. Not because I've done more to be robust but because I just don't get distracted on a day to day by feelings.

The main emotions I feel are frustration, despair and joy. Never annoyance or sadness or happiness - always the extremes.

My DSis thinks my ExH was one. He certainly was vile.