Encounters with Psychopaths and Sociopaths

[Grinning_Colossus]

We should test for it in early childhood and then involuntarily commit those who test positive to psychological institutions where they would be experimented upon in an effort to fix their brains. It would markedly improve society.

[Eddie Teach]

Are you being intentionally ironic?

[Grinning_Colossus]

It would be quite oppressive, but it actually would improve society. Sociopaths don't have any legitimate desires because they only get off on harming others. 

[Ideologue]

I don't think that's true.  They only care about gratifying themselves, and just don't care about hurting others; have low thresholds for boredom, so they tire of normal pleasures easily, so hurting others can become a preferred outlet for some.

Is there a sociopathy spectrum, like for autism or Green Lanterns?

[LaCroix]

We should test for it in early childhood and then involuntarily commit those who test positive to psychological institutions where they would be experimented upon in an effort to fix their brains. It would markedly improve society.

---

It would be quite oppressive, but it actually would improve society. Sociopaths don't have any legitimate desires because they only get off on harming others.

this plays on the incorrect assumption that all sociopaths hurt others and are evil evil people. we only hear about the bad sociopaths for a reason. who knows how many "good" sociopaths exist in the world and function normally

[Legbiter]

this plays on the incorrect assumption that all sociopaths hurt others and are evil evil people. we only hear about the bad sociopaths for a reason. who knows how many "good" sociopaths exist in the world and function normally

I'd think it comes down to impulse control, if your dials aren't maxed out in the wrong psycho direction you can be a fairly well adjusted socio/psychopath instead of being a Gacy or Kuklinski.

I'm fairly certain I went to school with one, he was something to behold, completely fearless, utterly free of the notion of tit-for-tat social graces, superficially quite charming and very easily bored. Popular with the girls although nothing ever lasted for more than a few weeks. Had a fairly flimsy personality, but it did the job, he's a well regarded surgeon today.

[Camerus]

completely fearless, utterly free of the notion of tit-for-tat social graces, superficially quite charming and very easily bored. Popular with the girls although nothing ever lasted for more than a few weeks. Had a fairly flimsy personality, but it did the job

Ed? 

[Ed Anger]

HEY NOW

[Barrister]

I'm trying to make that distinction. 

My cousin Jacob is very, very strange.  His eyes look cold, but he's almost always smirking.  He steals; iirc he was also once arrested for stealing a car but somehow got off.  Whatever knowledge I have of him seems to fit the key criteria of sociopathy; above-average intelligence, flat affect, superficial charm, cruelty and deceitfulness, inability to live within societal norms.  If he was a substance-abuser he'd be 6/6, but he's Mormon.  He also really looks like Bundy.  I mean, a lot.  Mormon Bundy. 

TBH I'm particularly interested in those with law enforcement background, BB and CdM for instance.

I don't really have much, to be honest.

99% of the people I prosecute I have empathy for - they are people who have made bad decisions, or are fighting addiction, or have impaired capacities, or are at least nice to their children/mother, or something worthwhile.

I do remember one guy I prosecuted repeatedly in the Yukon.  Never successfully.  Witnesses were scared shitless to testify against him.  Capable of extreme, gratuitous violence as a regular occurrence.  I remember one charge against his own family - his parents (and brother) were surprisingly normal.

He died of a cocaine overdose several years back.  Good riddance. 

[dps]

Isn't that the reason we're here on Languish--to have encounters with psychopaths and sociopaths?

[Neil]

But if you think about it, why would anyone ever testify?  The evildoer will only be in jail for a few months and our 'justice' system refuses to hang people convicted of a crime.  Fortunately I don't travel in those kind of circles, but I would never help the police under any circumstances.  Too dangerous.

[CountDeMoney]

Sometimes I think I have a stripe of sociopathy in me, due to lacking much sense of the value of human life, but it's more like I'm socially awkward and hateful.

Asshole does not equal sociopath.

[Siege]

HEY NOW

Hey now? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-s7ol38Ifs

[Siege]

I don't have any paths.

[Fate]

TBH I'm kind of skeptical of the category; only 2,000 years ago both my Celtic and Germanic ancestry would busily slaughter captured soldiers for the glory of Tiwaz or Taranis.  That's why I'm interested in anecdotes.

Yeah, but that was well within social norms.

Exactly. Psychiatric pathology is determined by comparison to the present population. A consistent inability to abide within the law above the age of 18 is how we define antisocial personality disorder today. 2000 years ago we'd have a whole other set of norms they'd gleefully violate.