Another reason we can't all get along

Antisocial personality disorder: psychopaths and sociopaths.  Individuals with personality disorder live in our city too.

Medical Daily/Ali Venosa, 11/11/15. "Psychopath definition may be different than you thought: 7 facts about psychopaths."

I lie and create chaos
because I breath, loser.

"Psychopaths are everywhere. No really, they’re all over the place — on TV, in our favorite movies, in the office, or next to you on the subway. As many as 5 percent of people may possess psychopathic tendencies ...  .... ...  The hallmarks of what’s typically seen as a psychopath include a lack of empathy and feeling for others, selfishness, lack of guilt, and a superficial charm that manifests exclusively to manipulate others. Psychopathy is dimensional in nature. Psychopathy, contrary to popular belief, does not occur in a binary way. It’s tempting to see psychopathy as black and white, but research has suggested that the condition occurs on a spectrum, not unlike autism. Therefore it’s possible to have minor psychopathic tendencies, or even more moderate or severe characteristics. ... 

 .... Psychopaths and sociopaths aren't the same. ....  According to Dr. L. Michael Tompkins, a psychologist at the Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center, the difference lies in having a conscience. A psychopath simply doesn’t have one, he told WebMD. They will steal from you without feeling a twinge of guilt — though they may pretend to if they’re caught, so they aren’t “found out.” A sociopath, on the other hand, will understand that taking your money is wrong and may feel remorse, but it won’t be enough to stop their deviant behavior. A psychopath has less regard for others than a sociopath. Another difference between the two lies in the psychopath’s incredible ability to blend in. They can come off as charming, intelligent, and may even mimic emotions they really don’t feel.  “They’re skilled actors whose sole mission is to manipulate people for personal gain,” Tompkins said. Sociopaths are more likely to come off as “hot-headed,” and may act more impulsively, demonstrating to others their lack of normal empathy.

Psychopaths aren't always violent.  ... The most important characteristics of a psychopath revolve not around violence, but around lack of empathy, selfishness, and manipulation. True, some psychopaths may use these traits to commit crimes, but others rely on their manipulative nature and ability to charm for other things. Many psychopaths actually find great success in the business world thanks to their ruthless nature — a disproportionate number of CEOs are actually psychopaths. Some other popular career paths for psychopaths include law, media, and being salespeople.  .... ... But they are overrepresented in prison.  Not all psychopaths are violent, but many violent people might be psychopaths. ....   Some studies suggest between 50 and 80 percent of prisoners meet criteria for antisocial personality disorder, and 15 percent of prisoners can be expected to be psychopathic." ....  Read more.

Related reference and articles.  Healthy Place/America's Mental Health Channel /Natasha Tracy, "Psychopath vs. Sociopath: what's the difference?"    Note photographs. President Donald Trump from OOYUZ bata/TMZ, "The 'thugs' played right into my hands."  No time for that from Author C.A. Sanders,"Sociopathy and power."

Posted by Kathy Meeh