Am I a Psychopath?

Sadie frequently asks herself this question ...

And so should YOU!

According to experts in the field of neuroscience, 1-4% of the population can be qualified as psychopaths. Chances are, you know a few--and, since you're visiting this blog, there's a good chance you are one!

What, exactly, is a psychopath? 

The term came into use in the early 1800s and was applied to mental patients who appeared outwardly normal, but lacked empathy and seemed to posses no sense of right and wrong. 

In the 1930s, the term was changed to sociopath to reflect the negative impact these people can have on society. These days, the term sociopath has lost favor--though is sometimes applied to a psychopath scoring lower on the continuum. 

               

Here are 5 signs that indicate you're a psychopath:

1. You don't get what the big deal is about feelings. Emotions are for wimps, and you don't have them.

2. Blood and guts do not repulse you--in fact, you find them fascinating.





3. If it weren't for other people, you would have no problems.

4. The only difference between truth or lies is a matter of opinion.



5. No question about it: most people are imbeciles.

Still unsure if you're a psychopath? 

Take this test 

Psychopath vs Sociopath vs Normal

Brain scans reveal your true nature

A Brain Scan Reveals Psychopathy

The terms psychopath and sociopath are often used interchangeably, sometimes with great debate. According to Dr. Robert Schug, the host of Aftermath Radio, there is no difference, and the correct term for this anti-social personality disorder is psychopath.

In common usuage, sociopath is often used to describe a person with anti-social traits, and psychopath is used to describe a person whose anti-social personality disorder leads to violence. 

Anti-social personality disorder is often determined by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (HPC-R), a list of twenty personality traits. A value of 0 is assigned if the trait is not applicable, 1 if it is somewhat applicable, 2 if it fully applies. (Read more about Hare and his research on his website Without Conscience.)

The list:

glib and superficial charm

grandiosity

need for stimulation

pathological lying

cunning and manipulating,

lack of remorse

callousness

poor behavioral controls

impulsiveness

irresponsibility

denial

parasitic lifestyle

sexual promiscuity

early behavior problems

lack of realistic long-term goals

failure to accept responsibility for own actions

many short-term marital relationships

juvenile delinquency

revocation of conditional release

criminal versatility

Recent studies of brain scans have shown that psychopaths don't register reactions to emotional stimuli in the frontal and temporal lobes--areas of the brain associated with empathy and self-control. They tend to register emotional reactions cognitively--as a thought rather than a feeling. 

Though all psychopaths share common traits, most aren't violent.

Scientist, James Fallon, was surprised to discover that his brain scan revealed him to be a borderline psychopath. Read more here. And you can listen to a podcast interview with James Fallon on OpEdNews.com.

Normal Brain Scan vs Pychopath