What is a psychopath?
Psychopath is a word that is so over used that it has lost it's true meaning. We toss the word around so casually that it has lost it's effectiveness. If I say, "she is such a psycho!" No one would stop and actually consider the clinical meaning. It's as good as saying, "she's crazy," and what does that really mean?
Psychopaths have no feelings. If you show a psychopath a photograph of a dead person and a slice of bread it would conjure up the same emotion - none. A psychopath does experience joy - at manipulating others. They get a thrill by being able to feel as if they have 'conned' another person. Power and control over others is what they strive for. Lying is not a problem. Some psychopaths will even admit they are great liars!
Psycopaths have been found to have lower emotional needs and intelligence. They can't empathize with human emotions. This transfers in their relationships with others and their job function. Psycopaths often have a history of having issues in the work place and can't hold a job down without problems for a long period of time.
Psychopaths do not usually get degrees in college. They lie about them.
It is estimated that approximately an average of 1% of the population are psychopaths. Many psychopaths are not criminals or murderers. They may be social predators with a goal.
Psychopaths are very lucid - they do not lose touch with reality or hallucinate. They do appear to be quite sane beneath their expensive clothing and sparkly jewelry, so decadent. Psycopaths work to convince you they are indeed sane - just like you. Except they aren't.
Are you special?
Some estimates approximate every 1 in 100 people are psychopaths.
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Notable Psychopaths
- Theodore Robert Bundy (Ted)
- John Wayne Gacy
- Jeffrey Dahmer
- Aileen Wuornos
- Dennis Rader (BTK)
John Wayne Gacy
Rubbing elbows with the big wigs!
Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY SA 3.0)
LInguistics & the Psychopath
Recent research has shown that psychopaths often use a linguistic pattern. It is in that unconscious part of our brains that we can not control as easily. Researchers studied criminals and found that they would describe their crimes in past tense. That indicates psychological detachment. They speak in the past tense more than in the present tense.
Cornell University researchers studied prisoners that were divided into two groups. Murderers that were certified psycopaths and non-psycopathic killers. They discussed their crimes and what was going on during the murder. The psycopaths tended to talk more about what they ate and drank on the day of the murder. They talked about food a lot. Non-psychopathic murderers tended to talk about family, religion and spirituality.
They use more words that are called "dysfluencies," such as "uhs," or "ummm's". These words are fillers that interrupt the flow of speech. They may indicate the person is having to concentrate on what they are saying. They have to think more - they have a story to make up as they go along.
Psychopaths use cause and effect words more frequently. Words such as "since"...."so"..."because". This may indicate they are trying to equate logic into a crime. Most psycopathic criminals see their crimes as something they were forced to do. If someone was going to expose them - well they had to silence them, didn't they?
Psychopaths, interesting and ironically, use less emotive words, such as "love" and "hate."
Psychopaths are notably charming and suave. They know how to size up their companions and give them what they need verbally. Attention, adoration - they manipulate and eat their victims emotionally. Could their bewitching language - so cunning and charming - be their ultimate down fall?
Scientists hope so.
Programs are being developed to scan Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist and other social media sites to scan the text for potential psychopaths. Crawling for psychos.
- Inside Cornell: Analyzing the words of psychopaths
Using computerized text analysis, Cornell professor of communication Jeff Hancock and colleagues at the University of British Columbia found that psychopathic criminals tend to make identifiable word choices when talking about their crimes. Hancock a
Just A Little Crazy?
Careful what you tweet!
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TweetPsyche
TweetPsyche is a new program available if you are interested in having your twitter account analyzed. By simply typing in @realhousewifesl(only use your own twitter account name) you can have a free personality analysis based on the language you use in your tweets.
This isn't fool proof though. For instance, I ran my own TweetPsyche report and it indicates that I tweet more about S-E-X, Money and Leisure. Since I am a writer - I assume that means I am right on track! Sex sells and money is in the pot under the rainbow. When you find it - you spend it on vacations!
Would I want a prospective employer to run my report and analyze my personality based on the tweet messages I send out that are vulgar and outrageous? I didn't know I was trying out for a career? Will that make me change what I tweet out? No, but psycopaths probably will.
Soon, every potential employer will be able to analyze your behavior prior to hiring you. Just pop in your twitter and Facebook name and they will know exactly what kind of person you are based on those little unconcious words that tell your real story. Good luck with that!
Keep It Real!
Quotes of a Psycopath
"I have several children that I am turning into killers. Wait until they grow up."~David Berkowitz (Son of Sam)
Are you a psycho?
- In the mind of the psychopath
Ice cold, hard and emotionless. Such is the psychopath – we think. Until we get a glimpse behind the mask. Researchers have for decades been almost unanimous in their accord with the popular perception that psychopaths are made in a certain
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