Psychopath

This is so true. We all assume psychopaths are murderers, but actually the psychopaths who have been the product of abusive/neglectful upbringing turn into the rose wests. The well brought up psychopaths turn into ceo's.

In the first series of Luther, he (police investigator and psychologist) yawns to see if the apparent victim of a crime also yawns. She doesn’t, and that’s how he knows she’s actually the perp, not the victim.

Psychos exist in all the higher echelons of power, law, medicine etc. Having few emotions means you are not wavering when it comes to making decisions that could be waylaid by regular human emotions. There’s a neuro scientist who developed a brain scan to detect psychopaths. He had no idea that when he had his own brain scanned as a competitor, it would show he was a psychopath. He was pretty alarmed by this, but his wife and kids confirmed he was a pretty emotionally unavailable person. However, he had grown up in an extremely loving, nurturing and educated family, and was a very driven man in his medical field. So his qualities as a psychopath were channelled in a constructive way. (He was also the descendant of a famous American murderess). I think there’s a statistic that the highest number of psychopaths per profession has surgeons at the top of the list, followed by lawyers and politicians. If nurtured constructively, children who are psychopaths don’t have to end up being destructive adults. But I believe there is a category called “narcissistic psychopath”, and that’s where you get trouble.

Sounds like my BIL!

I read somewhere that a psychopath doesn't yawn when someone yawns in front of them. Apparently because the reason we yawn is to intake a large amount of oxygen when our breathing slows/shallows which is why it's associated with tiredness/boredom. When you see someone yawn Apparently your brain panics there's a lack of oxygen and also takes in a large amount through yawning. Because psychopaths are reported to lack empathy (not caring if you're going to suffocate) they don't have the same response. This of course could be absolute twoddle but I secretly hope it isn't so I can dramatically yaw at people and see what their response is - off to Google!

Classic Dad moment:
Me as a small child, reeling from a giant punch: "What was that for?"
Dad: "Nothing, I just felt like it."
He found this entertaining.
He did have good points, though obviously they were somewhat dwarfed for me by his sadism.

@stbrandonsboat

Yes, my dad and quite possibly my ex-husband. Several people I've worked with. You don't really notice until they do something "inhuman" or unless they get very angry in your presence.

I don't think it's true that they don't feel any emotions. They're all super-capable of anger. They won't rage unless they feel it's safe - they can, instead, plot devastating revenge and execute it over time. They feel love, though it may look to the rest of us more like ownership. They feel excitement, exhilaration, most things. But not compassion. They can't comprehend other people as being alive like they are, or don't care if they do. They can't feel empathy. They're also very, very low on fear and multiple tests have shown they don't recognise it in others - they read it as anger.

My mother was a diagnosed psychopath. I was taken into care because she was harming me. I still have nightmares about her.

Going to check the Hare score

Truly fascinating. I also got down a rabbit hole once of watching "Explore with us" YouTube videos which are police interrogations of people who are being investigated for murder(s) and all usually psychopaths, the web of lies they tell, their body language, lack of remorse, feelings of grandiose etc etc. very interesting.

I would say I know of one or two people that tick off about half of the Hare Score which may categorise them better into other "personality disorders" and/or some mental health problems like bipolar.

I’ve recently come across someone at work who is a psychopath or sociopath - not sure which but he compulsively lies and makes up stuff even when it doesn’t benefit him, his whole world was created on lies and gossip at work.
He played every card and angle, tried every different emotion, started fires everywhere to distract that he was doing this and not his job.

Its been a total head fuck, I don’t know what he’d be termed or diagnosed with, but it’s def no neurotypical.

i know of someone who might be.
it's hard to know.
at first i thought he was being funny, or striking a pose, or being ironic, or something.
but it has become clearer over time, he is as he presents.
he is highly suspicious of everyone, thinks every profession is a con, that he knows as much, could do it himself.
he never consults or seeks advice on anything.
doesn't inform others of things that affect them.
doesn't care. does what he likes. very domineering, at times intimidating, overbearing in manner.
expects to be obeyed.

never apologises. no self-reflection. no accountability.

My counsellor said my now ex husband is a psychopath. I was shocked as you have in your head what you see in films but he shows no emotion, has no feelings, shows no empathy on top of being abusive, serial cheat etc. I think if I hadn’t left, I’d be dead by now - either through the stress or at his hands. They are scary people - dead behind the eyes.