Lack of Empathy V. Psychopathy

1323 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effect that parents have on children

In the book, The Stranger, Merseault is convicted of first degree murder. During the questioning Merseault is indifferent about the murder. Lawyers note that Merseault feels no remorse towards his violent action and as a result of this, the jury finds Merseault guilty; the penalty is execution. The jury believes he is a danger to society and calls him a monster. Merseault lacks empathy; he is unable to recognize and respond to other people’s feelings (Baron-Cohen). However, this is not enough to state that Merseault is a danger to society. Does Merseault lack more than just empathy? Is he a psychopath? Empathy is a skill children learn from their parents (Kutner). The way a parent shows empathy is crucial to the development of their child’s empathic skills. Infants and toddlers learn empathy by the way their parents treat them when they are sad, angry, or frightened. Children learn these basic survival skills long before they enter the world of formal education. According to findarticles.com, children are educated by identifying with and imitating their parents, which Dr. Benjamin Spock calls, incidental learning. Young children identify more closely with the parent of the same gender, absorbing important lessons about social and moral conduct (“Children Learn through Imitating Behavior of Parents”). The first six years of a child’s life is a window of opportunity when a child unquestionably accepts the virtues modeled by his or her parents (“8 Ways to Raise a Moral Child | Ask Dr. Sears”). In their first few years, children believe that their behaviors are right or wrong according to what a parent tells them. By five years old, a child begins to adopt their parent’s values, whether they are noble or not. Merseault’s childhoo... ... middle of paper ... ... another thing to be convicted to the death penalty and feel no fear. Merseault may not have been dangerous at all until that point in his life, but a jail sentence is not enough to stop a person with no conscience. “Psychopaths don't feel guilty. They don't feel sorry for what they've done. They go through life taking what they want and giving nothing back. They manipulate and deceive and convincingly lie without the slightest second thought” (Khan). Researchers say that approximately one percent of the general population are psychopaths; others say about three or four percent. The reason that the estimates vary is because not everyone has been tested, but also because psychopathy is a sliding scale. A person can be very psychopathic or only slightly, and anywhere in between. How psychopathic does someone have to be before they can be classified a psychopath (Khan)?

Show More
Related

  • The Psychopath Among Us: The Show Dexter

    1304 Words  | 3 Pages

    In sum, scholarship reveals three major ways that psychopaths can be viewed as. There are psychopathic experts that consider psychopaths to be violent, those who consider them usually non-violent and high-functioning, and others who believe they are non-violent, but do take the opportunity to take advantage of unsuspecting people in criminal ways. Psychopaths are for the most part non-violent and high-functioning, but do have a tendency to use people for their own benefits in ways that society does not consider legal or moral. However, the show Dexter perpetuates a problematic cultural myth that all psychopaths are relentless violent criminals. In reality, there are much more non-violent and high-functioning psychopaths that exist in our global society than most would assume after viewing Dexter.

    Read More

  • The Psychopathy Checklist Revised

    1384 Words  | 3 Pages

    The PCL-R is a tool that enables a distinct group of psychologically abnormal offenders to be measured using a three point rating scale for twenty-two consistent behavioural characteristics. These characteristics have been underlying themes in an ongoing debate between psychiatrists on the definition and existence of psychopaths in discourse. While the literature takes no determinative stance, the psychopath has nonetheless become a distinct group in the binding legislation of the 1913 mental health Act. The PCL-R goes a step further than the act does to identify this group by not only suggesting that the “psychopath” is a statistically relevant group of criminals but Hare takes an objective approach that eliminates any likelihood of mental health practitioners and legal professionals to use this concept as a waste bucket for socially deviant crimes in the future.

    Read More

  • Psychopath and Mental Illnesses

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    The term “psychopath” is often associated with “sociopath” and “antisocial personality disorder”. Due to the confusion over the definitions of these terms, psychologists have had a hard time finding common ground on diagnosing and treating these illnesses. The consensus for a psychopath is that it is someone who is antisocial, lacks empathy, and engages in bold conduct (Cullen, 241).

    Read More

  • The Reflection Of Empathy, By Stephen Dunn

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    Empathy is imperative to teach kids from a young age in order to help them recognize mental states, such as thoughts and emotions, in themselves and others. Vital lessons, such as walking in another’s shoes or looking at a situation in their perspective, apprehends the significance of the feelings of another. Our point of view must continuously be altered, recognizing the emotions and background of the individual. We must not focus all of our attention on our self-interest. In the excerpt, Empathy, written by Stephen Dunn, we analyze the process of determining the sentiment of someone.

    Read More

  • Martha Stout's The Sociopath Next Door: Socialized Psychoopaths

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Gacy are all well-known names of the most ruthless criminals America has seen. We like to think that these people are rare, genetic mutations with unfortunate situations that lead them to where they are, or at least that’s what we hope. In reality, one in twenty-five people are capable of doing the most heinous, unthinkable, despicable actions to fellow humans without a pinch of guilt. How, you might ask? They lack the “7th sense”, consciousness, according to Dr. Martha Stout, author of “The Sociopath Next Door”. Clinical Psychologist, Stout, has spent the past 25 years at Harvard University studying these socialized psychopaths. With their undeniable charm, impulsivity, cunning manipulation,

    Read More

  • Sociopath Vs Psychopath

    365 Words  | 1 Pages

    The opposition asserts that the worst of violent crimes are committed by sociopaths (Levy 1308). Violent crimes are unfortunate, and happen more often than many feel comfortable with. This is not to say that they are no longer important, but to simply blame a category of people with violence seems unreasonable to say the least. People of the sociopathic model may very well hurt people based on anger or hate. In studies conducted comparing a sociopath and a psychopath the sociopath showed an ability of learning over time from their crimes, psychopaths could not learn and continued to make mistakes even if shown why it was wrong (Fox, Kvaran, and Fontaine 5). For example, if a psychopath kills several innocent people, we know that they are not

    Read More

  • The Mind of a Serial Killer

    2299 Words  | 5 Pages

    The public is disgusted by the bloody deeds that serial killers have committed, but they will forever intrigue us. The fascination stems from the fact that in most cases the killers are so similar to the common person. On the outside they seem as normal as the next. Fortunately for humanity, the next person is not capable of such ghastly deeds. These serial killers are often psychopathic or sociopathic persons who were abused as children. Others may be trying to fulfill their own sadistic fantasies that were brought on by their childhood experiences. The most recent reason identified is a link to a genetic predisposition to violence. The inherent goodness of humans can sometimes go awry and lead to a person who is as evil as a serial killer. No matter how one analyzes the killers, they are not normal in any sense. Edmund Kemper when asked what he thought when he saw a pretty woman walking down the street replied, “One side of me says, 'I'd like to talk to her, date her.' The other side of me says, 'I wonder how her head would look on a stick?'” (Ming Ho).

    Read More

  • Montresor A Sociopath

    1499 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a sociopath as someone who behaves in a dangerous or violent way towards other people and does not feel guilty about such behavior. Sociopaths lack a conscience that allows people to decipher between right and wrong. In A Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe, the narrator, Montresor, is believed to be a sociopath by many. He kills his friend, Fortunado, after he literally adds insult to a thousand of injuries. Though what the insult was and the previous injuries were never revealed to the reader, it could be assumed that Montresor probably overreacted to the Fortunado’s insult. But in order to answer this question the evaluation upon his motivation, strategy, and Montresor’s feeling and emotion towards

    Read More

  • Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    From a young age, many children today are taught the value of empathy and how to be empathetic toward others. According to Oxford Dictionary, empathy is, “The ability to understand and share the feelings of another” (Empathy). Empathy is a characteristic and a developed skill. It can be used by many people of varying ages, and it is beneficial in assessing situations and determining the needs of others. Empathy is a trait that has existed in some since the beginning of the world. It has also appeared as a common theme or motif in many works of writing across many genres of literature. Empathy is a theme that is highlighted through many works of literature.

    Read More

  • Psychopathy: The Unperturbed Serial Killer

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    The latest figure shocking members of the public, is that psychopaths make up 1% of today’s population (Brewer, 2012). The unproved statistic has had many initially light-heartedly questioning who have they chosen to surround themselves with. But then, on a more serious note, what exactly is a psychopath? Surely one in a hundred people couldn’t have the capacity to go on a serial killing spree - and is there anything we can do to ensure our own safety?

    Read More

  • Nature Vs Nurture

    1702 Words  | 4 Pages

    Some argue that they shouldn’t due to their lack of emotions and empathy. Others argue that they should for the reason that there are set laws regarding how people should behave in a society, such as not killing. Once again, the purpose of this paper is not to determine which opinion is the correct opinion, but perhaps to shed a light on the perspective of a psychopath. A suitable example of how people can have such different perspectives from each other is found when regarding ethics or morals. Morals tend to be determined by culture, although they can differ slightly among the individuals. “Some philosophers have argued that psychopaths’ deficits in empathy cause them to have difficulties with the acquisition of moral concepts, and that these difficulties, in turn, entail that they lack moral responsibility for their actions” (Levy, 351). As of current, there is no way to verify that psychopaths don’t understand ethics or morals, they just might understand them in a different manner from the majority of the culture. Psychopaths most likely follow ethics that happen to be considered obscene to the majority of society, such as types of ethical hedonism. The general idea behind hedonism is the idea that pleasure should be sought after. Dana Kay Nelkin said, “When we think about psychopaths’ actions, and the pleasure they sometimes take

    Read More

  • What Makes a Psychopath?

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to research, psychopathic behavior can take many forms not all of which are violent. Ultimately psychiatrists say that there are pieces of a brain’s emotional machinery missing. As a result making psychopaths lack empathy, guilt or the ability to simply sow remorse (180rule.com). In an interview with James Fallon, a neuroscientist and neuroanatomist, states that there isn’t an acceptable definition of the word, psychopaths and that some psychologists do not even recognize it as a syndrome (Flatow). The closest way to identify a psychopath is through the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised, commonly known as the PCL-R (Hare). This test is used to determine if an individual has a mid- psychopathic disturbance, moderate psychopathic disturbance or if they are psychopathic (Brinkley). The test is scored on a 3 point scale (0, 1, and 2) with the highest score being a 40 which denotes a prototypical psychopath (Hare). When an individual scores a 30 or above it will qualify the individu...

    Read More

  • Essay On Criminal Psychopathy

    1579 Words  | 4 Pages

    A psychopath is someone who is unable to live harmoniously in society due to their profound lack of compassion, empathy, conscience, and remorse (Hare, 1993). Many psychopathic symptoms have been proposed to result from cognitive and emotional processing impairments. The concept of a psychopath is often of a ruthless and dangerous criminal, an image commonly depicted in the media and film. Though psychopaths do make up an estimated 40% of dangerous offenders in Canada, it is the non-violent manipulators and cheaters, like white-collar criminals and unethical business people, who can have the most impact on the general population (Bonta & Motiuk; 1996, Hare, 1993). Therefore, understanding the cognitive bases and development of psychopathy can allow exploration into possible interventions and treatments, as well as identifying measures for use in diagnosing psychopathy in childhood and adolescence. Additionally, the deciphering of abnormal processes can give insight into normal functioning, thus helping to expand current knowledge. This paper reviews conclusions that processing of

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Superpowers

    1475 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Everyday Heros, Ferrigno explains that empathy is the supernatural ability to fully interpret and replicate the emotions, moods, and temperaments of others. I knew that when my thirteen year old son, Dylan, started middle school that I was going to be in for it. The difference between parenting an elementary school child and a middle school child is night and day. My son

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Empathy And Emotions

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    Empathy is when I am able to feel or share feelings with another person. In order to do this, to truly do this I would have to had live through exactly they did or had some telepathic emotional connection to them. Only, our minds aren’t designed this way, we can’t truly ever feel real empathy. I can’t even begin to imagine know what it would take to really feel empathy and the emotions it would give me. Empathy doesn’t really doesn’t really exist; there is no way to actually feel what another person is going through, the closest we can come to empathy is visualizing another person’s perspective, in other words, I don’t agree with Wallace that empathy is the most important thing to learn in college, how to care is.

    Read More

More about Lack of Empathy V. Psychopathy

Open Document