A Beginner’s Guide to Encountering Psychopaths
They are closer than you think
On a daily basis, we walk past dozens of nameless people. Although we may be too enveloped in our own busy lives to interact with every person we come across, each individual has their own experiences and thoughts. It can be scary to imagine that we are unaware of every person’s intentions and have little control over their impact on our lives. For better or worse, our future is in the hands of strangers. This may be why some individuals find the fact that 7.4 million people in our world are psychopaths alarming.
It is simply human nature that we fear things that are different. Evolutionary psychologists propose that in the past this mechanism may have helped us to survive. The concept that same is good and different is bad prevented us from approaching cuddly bears. However, in our current society where we encounter little danger, this mindset can only promote prejudice and discrimination. As a result, those who lack the basic empathy and impulse control that plays a significant role in others’ lives are viewed as dangerous.
In the media, they are portrayed as violent murderers who hurt people and animals with little thought. From the Silence of the Lambs to Gone Girl, the rage of psychopaths is exaggerated and their mental condition is romanticised. The effect of which only serves to increase the fear of psychopathy in the average person. What many people fail to realize is that psychopaths are not necessarily violent or dangerous. They often spend years practicing and honing their techniques to appear normal. As a result, it may be very difficult to spot psychopaths in common settings. Estimates indicate that 1 in 100 people possess psychopathic tendencies, and even higher concentrations may be present in prisons and community settings.
Other common traits include superficial charm, an inflated sense of self-worth, lack of remorse, criminal versatility and poor control over behavior. Estimates reveal that about 20 percent of inmates have psychopathic tendencies and that psychopaths are responsible for more than 50 percent of violent crime. Further research also suggests that 93% of psychopaths are in the criminal justice system. Does this mean that we should lock up psychopaths before they have the chance to attack?
Psychopathy is an umbrella term used to describe both psychopathy and sociopathy. The two are used interchangeably however there is a distinct difference. Sociopathy which is also known as an antisocial personality disorder is considered less severe. Those with true psychopathy have no understanding of right or wrong. Furthermore, sociopaths are more likely to integrate into society, whereas psychopaths are more likely to commit crimes. To put it into perspective, all sociopaths are psychopaths, however, not all psychopaths are sociopaths. Having shallow emotions and little remorse are common symptoms of psychopathy, however, psychopaths can still experience emotions such as happiness and anger. These emotions may be present in some psychopaths, however, they often are to a much lower extent than in the average person.
There is no cure for psychopathy. No medication, therapy or external force can force a person to care about others. Numerous studies have shown that psychopathic behavior cannot be improved through psychoanalysis, group therapy, surgery, drug therapy or even the highly controversial electroconvulsive therapy. Furthermore, one study in 1991 found that those psychopaths who were involuntarily put in group therapy had a higher violent recidivism rate than those who had no therapy. The treatments provided them with the opportunity to refine their behavior and hide their violent tendencies. It is important to remember that the study group was relatively small which means that the data may not apply to the general population. More information in regard to the treatment of adults with psychopathy may arrive with advancements in technology and time.
However, there is a budding hope for children and teens with psychopathic tendencies. By definition, psychopathy can only be diagnosed in those 18 or older however those with antisocial behavior as children have shown some improvement with treatment. In 2001, decompression treatment was used on 30 children with characteristic psychopathic behaviors. In the study, 10 children received decompression treatment, 10 received group therapy, and 10 received no treatment. The criminal activity of each child was followed over a period of time and released. About seventy percent of the children with no treatment, twenty percent of the children in group therapy and ten percent of the children decompression therapy were rearrested. This indicates that there is a significant decrease in criminal activity and aggression in juvenile psychopaths who undergo decompression and group therapy.
The ineffectiveness in treating psychopaths may be due to the fact that they have fundamentally different brains than us. Three regions of the brain are significantly different in psychopaths. These regions include the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and paralimbic structures.
The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure in the brain that is located within the brain’s medial temporal lobe. The structure forms part of the limbic system and plays a key role in the processing of emotions. Recent studies have shown that those with psychopathy have less activation in the amygdala when viewing images that are violent and contain fearful faces. This indicates that these images affect a psychopathic brain less than an average brain. Furthermore, less activation in the amygdala correlates with a higher level of psychopathy.
The prefrontal cortex is vital in monitoring behavior, estimating consequences and incorporating emotional learning in future experiences. Deficiency in this area of the brain is common in psychopaths and suggests that psychopaths are unable to take emotions into consideration when making decisions and have trouble understanding the emotional consequences of their actions. In 2012 Dr. Kent Kiehl, a leading expert in psychology, found that those with psychopathy have reduced grey matter in the paralimbic system of the brain. This was an important discovery due to the fact that the grey matter includes regions crucial in muscle control, sensory perception, decision making, and self-control. The orbitofrontal cortex specifically, located in the prefrontal cortex, shows reduced thickness and volume. A higher deficiency is seen in those with greater psychopathy. When psychopaths are cooperative, less activation in this area is found, however when psychopaths observe an opponent being hurt, this area activates more observed in a normal brain.
Advancements in research have shown that impairments in the brains of those with psychopathy goes farther than the limbic system. This may suggest further comprehensive cognitive deficiencies. Regions in the limbic system contribute to episodic memory which could explain why psychopaths often view themselves differently than others. These deficits show that psychopathy has a biological basis and serves to prove the lack of control psychopaths have over their emotional reactivity.
Contrary to belief and despite cognitive impairments, psychopaths can be very successful in life. The superficial charm and manipulation tactics that are often mastered by psychopaths can be quite useful in our society. Many people are surprised to find that the top ten jobs for psychopaths respectively are CEO, lawyer, salesperson, surgeon, journalist, police officer, clergy person, chef, and civil servant.
Approaching a psychopath is not necessarily the best idea, however it is important to remember that we encounter them more frequently than we imagine. No one wishes to be isolated from society or be labeled different. In fact, psychology shows us that we crave to be a part of a group and require social connections to function. It would be cruel to marginalize psychopaths over their differences. Psychopathy is a severe mental illness and we should treat it as such. Unlike psychopaths, we have the ability to empathize and make ethical decisions and the world demands that we do. Similar to the way we are unable to control our fear in dangerous situations, psychopaths are unable to control their lack of fear. It is neither our responsibility to dictate what emotions one should feel nor our place to dictate the extent to which people should feel. The old adage to treat everyone the way you want to be treated applies to kindergarteners and psychopaths alike.
Tracy, N. (2019). Psychopathy: Definition, Symptoms, Signs and Causes | HealthyPlace. [online] Healthyplace.com.Available at:https://www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/psychopath/psychopathy-definition-symptoms-signs-and-causes [Accessed 19 Mar. 2019].
Modlab.yale.edu. (2019). Can Psychopaths Be Cured? | Mechanisms of Disinhibition (MoD) Laboratory. [online] Available at: https://modlab.yale.edu/news/can-psychopaths-be-cured [Accessed 25 Mar. 2019].
Tracy, N. (2019). What Is a Psychopath? Do You Really Want to Know? | HealthyPlace. [online] Healthyplace.com. Available at: https://www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/psychopath/what-is-a-psychopath-do-you-really-want-to-know [Accessed 25 Mar. 2019].
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/rehab-psychopaths
https://www.foxnews.com/science/how-to-spot-a-psychopath-look-for-speech-patterns-scientists-say
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/rehab-psychopaths
https://www.thisisinsider.com/why-psychopaths-and-sociopaths-are-different-2018-11
https://patch.com/connecticut/newcanaan/elizabeth-betsy-legard
