Psychopaths Geddes Psychology 2016

Do you think like a psychopath? A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met a guy whom she did not know. She thought the man was amazing, so much so that she fell in love with him right there, but she never asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister. What was her motive for killing her sister?

Three books to read if you’re interested in learning more about psychopaths

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A woman meets an attractive man in a bar and, while sipping a glass of wine, he says the following: I’ve wasted a lot of my life. You can’t get back the time. I’ve tried that before, to make up the time by doing more things. But things just went faster, not better. I intend to live a much more slowed-down life, and give a lot to people that I never had myself. Put some enjoyment in their lives. I don’t mean thrills, I mean some substance into somebody else’s life. It will probably be a woman, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a woman. Maybe a woman’s kids, or maybe someone in an old folks’ home. I think…no, I don’t think…I know, it would give me a great deal of pleasure, make me feel a whole lot better about my life.

Is this individual sincere? Were the words spoken with conviction? Those words came from a 45 year old inmate with a horrendous criminal record, a man with the highest possible score on the Psychopathy Checklist and who had brutalized his wife and abandoned his children.

Pathological Lying “He lied endlessly, lazily, about everything, and it disturbed him not a whit whenever I pointed out something in his file that contradicted one of his lies. He would simply change the subject and spin off in a different direction.” Dr. Robert Hare

Eye Contact “The eye contact he made with me was so direct and intense that I wondered if I had ever really looked anybody in the eye before. That stare was unrelenting—he didn’t indulge in the brief glances away that most people use to soften the force of their gaze.” --Dr. Robert Hare, on his first encounter with a psychopath

Conscience? “Do I care about other people? That’s a tough one. But, yeah, I guess I really do… but I don’t let my feelings get in the way…I mean, I’m as warm and caring as the next guy, but let’s face it, everyone’s trying to screw you… you’ve got to look out for yourself, park your feelings. Say you need something, or someone messes with you… maybe tries to rip you off… you take care of it… do whatever needs to be done… Do I feel bad if I have to hurt someone? Yeah, sometimes. But mostly it’s like…uh…[laughs]…how did you feel last time you squashed a bug?” --a psychopath doing time for kidnapping, rape, and extortion

Dr. Hare Hare cites a case of the third wife of a forty year old high school teacher: For five years he cheated on me, kept me living in fear, and forged checks on my personal bank account. But everyone, including my doctor and lawyer and my friends, blamed me for the problem. He had them so convinced that he was a great guy and that I was going mad, I began to believe it myself. Even when he cleaned out my bank account and ran off with a seventeen-year-old student, a lot of people couldn't believe it, and some wanted to know what I had done to make him act so strangely!

Dr. Hare Psychopaths just have what it takes to defraud and bilk others: they can be fast talkers, they can be charming, they can be self-assured and at ease in social situations; they are cool under pressure, unfazed by the possibility of being found out, and totally ruthless. And even when they are exposed, they can carry on as if nothing has happened, often making their accusers the targets of accusations of being victimized by THEM. I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard lesson about life."

Language Differences in Psychopaths More dysfluencies (uhs and ums) than normal More subordinating conjunctions (because, so that)—terms showing cause and effect Focus on basic needs (eating, drinking, money, sex) as opposed to higher-level needs (family, religion, spirituality, self-esteem)

Psychopath Checklist Glibness/Superficial charm Grandiose estimation of self Need for stimulation Pathological lying Cunning and manipulative Lack of remorse or guilt Shallow affect (superficial emotions)

Checklist Cont… Callousness/lack of empathy Parasitic lifestyle Poor behavior controls Sexual promiscuity Early behavior problems Lack of realistic long-term goals Impulsivity

Irresponsibility Failure to accept responsibility for actions Many short-term marital relationships Juvenile delinquency Revocation of conditional release Criminal versatility

Lack of Remorse or Guilt Ted Bundy on his past crimes: “Whatever I’ve done in the past, you know—the emotions of omissions or commissions—doesn’t bother me. Try to touch the past! Try to deal with the past. It’s not real. It’s just a dream! “Guilt? It’s this mechanism we use to control people. It’s an illusion. It’s a kind of social control mechanism—and it’s very unhealthy. It does terrible things to our bodies. And there are much better ways to control our behavior than that rather extraordinary use of guilt.”

“The total pattern of the psychopath’s personality differentiates him from the normal criminal. His aggression is more intense, his impulsivity more pronounced, his emotional reactions more shallow. His guiltlessness, however, is the critical distinguishing trait. The normal criminal has an internalized, albeit warped, set of values. If he violates these standards he feels guilt.” --McCord and McCord. The Psychopath: An Essay on the Criminal Mind

Early Behavior Problems Most psychopaths begin to exhibit serious behavioral problems at an early age. These may include persistent lying, cheating, theft, fire setting, truancy, class disruption, substance abuse, vandalism, violence, bullying, running away, and precocious sexuality. The psychopaths’ history of such behaviors is more extensive and serious than that of most others. Early cruelty to animals is usually a sign of serious emotional or behavioral problems. Jeffrey Dahmer, for example, stunned classmates and neighbors by leaving a trail of grim clues to his preoccupations: the head of a dog impaled on a stick, frogs and cats staked to trees, and a group of animal skeletons kept as a collection.

The Columbine Shooters—One displayed psychopathic traits

Serial Killers H.H. Holmes America’s first serial killer (1890’s) Unconfirmed number of victims—somewhere between 4 and 200.

Serial Killers Jack the Ripper: Responsible for the murders of prostitutes from the Whitechapel Area of London in 1888, Jack the Ripper’s identity is yet unknown. His victims were prostitutes and they were brutally murdered and some of their internal organs were surgically removed by the killer.

Serial Killers Ed Gein: He was a famous serial killer and proved to be an inspiration for Thomas Harris for creating the famous character of Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs". Ed Gein would skin his victims, exhume corpses and then decorate his home with parts of their bodies and use the skin to make clothes and furniture items. He died on the 26th of July, 1984 in a mental institution.

Serial Killers John Wayne Gacy—businessman who entertained children as “Pogo the Clown.” Murdered 32 young men and buried them in the crawl space beneath his house. Became known as the “Killer Clown.”

Serial Killers Ted Bundy: One of the most notorious serial killers in history, he was responsible for the rape and murder of several women between 1974 and 1978. An educated and charming young man, he either raped and then killed the women or killed and then raped them. His method of killing was either by strangulation or by bludgeoning the women. He was arrested on the 16th of August, 1975, but escaped within 17 hours of his capture. He was subsequently arrested on the 15th of February, 1978. On the 24th of January, 1989, Ted Bundy was sent to the electric chair.

Some of Bundy’s Victims

Serial Killers David Berkowitz: Known as the "Son of Sam", he was responsible for killing six women and wounding several others in shootings using a .44 caliber pistol in the 1970s in New York City. He was arrested by the Police on the 10th of August, 1977 outside his apartment in New York.

Serial Killers Aileen Wuornos: An American Serial Killer, she was a prostitute and was put to death by lethal injection on the 9th of October, 1992. She was charged with killing seven men, who she claimed had attempted to rape her while she was working as a prostitute.

13 Rules for Dealing with Psychopaths in Everyday Life Accept the fact that some people literally have no conscience. In a contest between your instincts and what is implied by the role a person has taken on (educator, doctor, humanist, parent), go with your instincts. In considering new relationships, follow the three strikes rule when it comes to claims, promises, and responsibilities.

13 Rules Continued Question authority. Suspect flattery. If necessary, redefine your concept of respect. Do not join the game. The best way to protect yourself from a psychopath is to avoid him, to refuse any kind of contact or communication.

13 Rules Continued Question your tendency to pity too easily. Do not try to redeem the unredeemable. Never agree, out of pity or for any other reason, to help a sociopath conceal his or her true character. Defend your psyche. Living well is the best revenge.