Inside the Mind of a Psychopath

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Recommended: Abnormal Psychology

When most people hear the word psychopath their mind forms a picture of a wild-eyed, rambling, lunatic who is often restrained in a straitjacket. The media has helped this belief along the way with slasher horror films and grisly CSI episodes depict these strange humans. However, the average psychopath is much harder to spot than most people believe. In fact, most of them are extremely difficult to distinguish from ordinary humans. They outwardly appear normal and many do not find it difficult to blend into common society. They can interact with others, hold successful jobs, and effectively keep themselves out of trouble. Most are not the sadistic killers many people think they are. Psychopaths are people born with problems (Bartol 105) or are heavily influenced from a young age (Hare 96-96). So, it might be shocking to hear that psychopaths are much common in our society than one might believe they are.

Psychopaths can be divided into different categories depending on their traits and characteristics. The basic definition given to psychopaths is a person who displays a group of behaviors that are seen in certain criminals. They include shallow charm, pretentious sense of self-worth, lack of behavioral control, pathological lying, need for stimulation, lack of guilt, repentance, and empathy, criminal resourcefulness, and a manipulative manner (Cassel and Bernstein 295). The Primary psychopath is described as the true psychopath. He/she is the individual that displays the behaviors that represent psychopathy (Bartol 419). There is also a secondary psychopath. They are the people that participate in antisocial behavior because of environmental causes. They pick up this behavior at developmental stages beyond infancy; they often fo...

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Patterson, Gerald R, Barbara DeBaryshe, and Elizabeth Ramsey. "A Developmental Perspective

on Antisocial Behavior." Reading on the Development of Children. Eds. M. Gauvain, &

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