11 unexpected signs that you are a psychopath

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Such people are quirky and far from cinematic clichés. But they can still be recognized by using observation.

A psychopath can seem like a completely normal, even charming person. And his behavior is not always asocial - on the contrary, he can be a respected and successful professional. Well, perhaps a little fearless - although how to achieve success without courage?

But at the same time, such traits as a reduced ability for compassion and remorse, deceit, egocentrism and superficial emotional reactions are manifested.

This set of qualities turns the psychopath into a ruthless manipulator. Therefore, it is so difficult to determine who is in front of us: a charming person who has reached career heights by hard work, or an insidious schemer who, on occasion, will deal with anyone without regret. Recent research gives us some clues.

1. Holds certain positions

According to an anonymous survey conducted by Oxford University psychologist Kevin Dutton while writing his book "", psychopaths are most often found among people in the following professions and positions:

• general manager;
• advocate;
• media representative (radio or television);
• Sales Manager;
• surgeon;
• journalist;
• police officer;
• clergyman;
• Chef;
• civil servant.

Of course, it doesn't follow that every boss or lawyer has a personality disorder. Most likely, in these positions it is simply easier for psychopaths to reveal their potential and achieve success.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that the survey covered only residents of the UK and there were questions about the purity of the study. However, Dutton's data indirectly confirms the statement of Australian psychologist Nathan Brooks. According to him, the share of psychopaths among Australian top managers is 21%. This is a lot.

And during his research, Dutton found out that psychopaths prefer the Financial Times to other newspapers. Apparently, the analytical press helps them to get out in the bosses.

2. Prefers the night

According to a 2013 study published by Australian scientists, psychopaths are more owls than larks. This conclusion was made for all representatives of the so-called dark triad. In addition to psychopaths, this includes people who are narcissistic and.

As stated in this study, representatives of the "dark triad", like many other predators, prefer the dark time of day, when others are asleep and become more defenseless.

3. Doesn't yawn

The contagiousness of yawning is associated with empathy. But psychopaths, as you know, are not prone to it - at least in most cases. Therefore, they are less likely to start yawning after someone else. An American study conducted in 2015 fully confirms this.

4. Loves bitter

A 2015 study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Appetite proved that psychopaths and sadists love bitter food. Especially gin and tonic, strong black coffee, dark chocolate, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, and - oh, horror - strong beer.

Addiction to bitter food, according to researchers from the University of Innsbruck, may be associated with Machiavellianism, narcissism, sadism, aggression and other antisocial personality traits. Scientists believe the reason is as follows.

Evolutionarily, most people do not tolerate the taste of bitterness, because in nature most of the poisonous or inedible things have a bitter taste.

But psychopaths are different from most: they can eat not very tasty food just to diversify their feelings, and they do not care, even if this food is not good for them. While sociable, pleasant and level-headed people, on the contrary, have a dislike for bitter taste.

True, Dr. Stephen Meyers, a professor of philosophy at Roosevelt University, recommends that the results of his colleagues' research be treated with caution. It's easier to identify a psychopath or sociopath by the way they treat a waiter in a restaurant, he says, rather than the food they order.

5. Takes a lot of selfies

It would seem that people who love selfies are sociable and want to share their impressions with others, while real psychopaths are shy of their appearance. But it is not always the case.

A study by psychologists Jesse Fox and Margaret Rooney at Ohio University found a link between the desire to take selfies all the time and an addiction to Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy. Participants in the study who were suspected of having a psychopathic disorder spent more time on social media than others and took more pictures of themselves.

It is fair to say that only men aged 18 to 40 participated in the experiment. So, girls, you can continue to take seductive selfies as long as you like - you are above suspicion. Though…

6. Engaged in creativity

According to research by Dr. Adrian Galang of Masaryk University, psychopathic personality traits are sometimes correlated with significant creative achievement.

According to Galang, psychopaths are not necessarily antisocial and crime-prone. There are also pro-social personalities who use their inherent courage and disregard for society's expectations to realize their creative potential.

These psychopaths are highly creative.

For example, Van Gogh became an outstanding artist despite being insane enough to cut off his ear. Picasso, who showed the traits of a psychopath, at the same time created a new direction in painting - cubism. Beethoven was prone to sadism and rather cruel to close people, but he wrote great music. So the stereotype that people of genius are partly insane is not unfounded.

7. Listens to rap

Perhaps when you say "psychopath" you imagine a sophisticated maniac listening to classical music to the accompaniment of the screams of his victim. Or a long-haired, pale devil-worshiper who prefers heavy metal.

But psychologist Pascal Wallisch of New York University analyzed the musical tastes of psychopaths and concluded that the people who score the highest on psychopathic tests like to listen to rap. Most of these subjects were attracted by the composition Blackstreet No Diggity, but they also liked Eminem's hit Lose Yourself.

But classical rock, jazz and pop music are of little interest to psychopaths - fans of My Sharona by The Knack and Titanium by Sia turned out to be the most normal and balanced people.

8. Likes to have fun

Psychopaths are bored all the time, and they are ready to get up to anything to relieve the boredom. Lunatics like Ted Bundy were killing young women just for fun. But even if a psychopath is not a killer, he still wants to do something like that - such people lack adrenaline and vivid emotions, and they are unable to enjoy simple, everyday joys.

The psychopath's nervous system is designed in such a way that he just needs to keep doing exciting, exciting things all the time in order to feel normal and maintain the desired level of his arousal.

Robert Shug neurocriminologist and clinical psychologist

Psychiatrist Eric Monasterio has found that people with psychopathic traits use extreme sports like base jumping and mountain climbing to relieve boredom.

And many of these athletes exhibit characteristics similar to those of psychopaths - the search for new sensations, contempt for danger, overconfidence and a desire to take risks. Another psychiatrist, Jan Tofler, confirms Monasterio's research.

In addition, fighting boredom can manifest itself in less extreme ways. For example, Dr. Randall Salekin argues that psychopaths are more likely than others to encourage their colleagues to go out together for drinks, fun and adventure.

9. Has many short novels

Since psychopaths are constantly bored, they quickly become bored with their relationships and rush to find new ones. A study by British psychologist Thomas Chamorro-Premuzik found that people with this disorder tend to have short affairs, charming partners with their charm and then abandoning them. Sex in this case is not an end in itself or a way to express your affection.

Through romance, the psychopath takes pleasure in dominating a partner or simply nurtures his ego with love victories.

Nonetheless, psychopaths can sometimes feel affection. Researcher Christian Keizers in the Netherlands found that such people are usually not inclined to feel compassion for others, but still the parts of the brain responsible for empathy work for them.

When a psychopath realizes that they are expected to show empathy, he uses it - not automatically, like a normal person, but by an effort of will. This explains why psychopaths, despite their coldness, can socially adapt well.

10. Maintains friendly relations with ex

If you have been dating a very strange guy (or extremely eccentric girl), have decided to break up and he (or she) offers a final “stay friends” - you should seriously consider this proposal.

Don't think that every ex who offers to stay friends has psychopathic tendencies. But all the same - psychopaths are very interested in keeping in touch with the ex for selfish purposes, such as constant access to sex or borrowed money. At the same time, they do not care at all what kind of emotional impact they have on ex-partners.

Paulette Sherman psychologist, author of Dating from the Inside

According to a study by psychologists Justin Mogilski and Lisa Welling, psychopaths are eager to stay close to their former halves, maintaining "friendships." No altruism - they see these relationships as a resource, trying to get what they need from them.

11. Still a criminal

Although it has already been said that not all psychopaths behave asocial, their share is still much higher among criminals. According to various estimates, it can be more than 7%, about 15%, or over 20%. Dr. Paul Babiak in his report [Psychopathy: An Important Forensic Concept for the 21st Century] to the FBI states that 15-20% of psychopaths have criminal tendencies. Considering that roughly 1% of The Criminal Psychopath: History, Neuroscience, Treatment, And Economics of the world's population has psychopathic personality disorder, the numbers look impressive.

Obviously, this is due to the fact that it is easier for such people to disregard moral norms, and the inability to experience remorse can make them repeat offenders.

Of course, the presence of one or two signs from the list does not yet indicate psychopathy. But if a coincidence is noticed on a large number of points and, moreover, a person exhibits character traits inherent in psychopaths, there is a reason to think. By the way, how confident are you?