If you were a psychopath...

[S.A.M.]

An extract I found interesting as a subject of discussion:
http://www.cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath.htm

Imagine - if you can - not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken.

And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools.

Now add to this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people that your psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Since everyone simply assumes that conscience is universal among human beings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearly effortless.

You are not held back from any of your desires by guilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for your cold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, so completely outside of their personal experience, that they seldom even guess at your condition.

In other words, you are completely free of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just as you please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible to the world.

You can do anything at all, and still your strange advantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences will most likely remain undiscovered.

How will you live your life?

[Sauna]

Imagine - if you can - not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members.

To achieve this consider the conduct of Humans at large with regard to the general environment and fellow species on the verge of extinction or ruthlessly exploited for meat or for sport, whose lives and well being are assumed to subservient to the greed of mankind.

I tend to prefer the company of a hard bitten psycopath because of the clarity and originality of their thought.

The rest is all hypocrisy.

[Baron Max]

...the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences ....

I have to disagree with that ideal. As evidence that most don't have such magnificent consciences, I submit that we have laws and rules by the gazillion, and we're adding more and more all the time.

Just imagine, if you can, that all rules, laws and law enforcement were to just disappear overnight. Scary fuckin' thought, ain't it? So ...where's this marvelous thing called "conscience"? Ha! The laws are our conscience, and nothing else. Don't over-play that silly concept of conscience.

How will you live your life?

Nothing would change in my life as it is now. Previously, before I was retired? Probably not much differently either. But it was and isn't due to that foolish, silly, idealistic bullshit thing called "conscience".

Baron Max

[John99]

Sam, you described a sociopath NOT a psychopath. Big difference.

[SheDevil]

An extract I found interesting as a subject of discussion:
http://www.cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath.htm

Imagine - if you can - not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken.


[/B]

you mean

Imagine what it is to be a child?

[SheDevil]

How will you live your life?

I believe the answer is here

..........not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken.

And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools.

Now add to this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people that your psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Since everyone simply assumes that conscience is universal among human beings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearly effortless.

You are not held back from any of your desires by guilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for your cold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, so completely outside of their personal experience, that they seldom even guess at your condition.

In other words, you are completely free of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just as you please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible to the world.

You can do anything at all, and still your strange advantage over the majority of people, who are kept in line by their consciences will most likely remain undiscovered.

[/B]

[Bowser]

A psycopath would need an object of desire to obtain any satisfaction. I would assume that they are desire-driven people. A moral person might see the futility in such. Conscience is probably recognition of alternative possibilities beyond immediate and longterm satisfaction.

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki...ality_disorder

I suppose that I might be more driven by the attraction of money and power. Manipulation of others might be a high priority.

[John99]

yeah whatever.

[S.A.M.]

you mean

Imagine what it is to be a child?

I wondered if anyone would get it.

[Baron Max]

I wondered if anyone would get it.

I don't suppose you have any proof or evidence that that's what you were actually thinking when you posted that crap, do you? Or did you just see that other post, then make a quick recovery?

Baron Max

[S.A.M.]

I don't suppose you have any proof or evidence that that's what you were actually thinking when you posted that crap, do you? Or did you just see that other post, then make a quick recovery?

Baron Max

It reminded of the id theory of Freud and how psychopaths never progress to ego and superego.

[Sauna]

Can a person like this be taught in adult hood how to 'feel' for self and others?

This was horribly confused from the start because, as was pointed out before, a psycopath and a sociopath are not defined in the same terms.

I am curious then to know from whence would arrive the notion of children who fail to feel for others, what experience of children gave rise to that, or what lack of it.

I am reminded of a 6 year old nephew who is extremely demanding, expecting constant attention, difficult to control in terms of intelectual conscience, and with a very short attention span, while anything but unsynmpathetic to the feelings of people present, rather the opposite in fact, remarkably compassionate.

[SheDevil]

This was horribly confused from the start because, as was pointed out before, a psycopath and a sociopath are not defined in the same terms.

I am curious then to know from whence would arrive the notion of children who fail to feel for others, what experience of children gave rise to that, or what lack of it.

I am reminded of a 6 year old nephew who is extremely demanding, expecting constant attention, difficult to control in terms of intelectual conscience, and with a very short attention span, while anything but unsynmpathetic to the feelings of people present, rather the opposite in fact, remarkably compassionate.

Sounds like a normal boy to me. Normal boys are like dogs, they have high energy and need to be 'run'.

Take boy for run in the morning , he'll be calm all day.

of course a game of footie in the park perhaps preferable.

[Ragnarok]

you mean

Imagine what it is to be a child?

ahhh,
that is ectxactly what that is. we are but blueprints as children, and our life teaches us morals and developes our concious. Good call Shedevil

[SheDevil]

It is easy to be a psychopath

Simply lose your inhibitions with regard to social interactions, lose your insecurities and your inferiority complex. All of this will allow you to acquire a lack of interest in what other people think.....about you. A lack of interest in what other people feel......about you.

When their reaction to you is of no interest, your disinterest in them will attract their interest in you. When you grace them finally with a smile, it will be a great achievement for them that they managed finally to induce this. They will like rats ringing a bell for one crumb after a 1000 rings, keep ringing awaiting that second crumb. Your lack of response to them encourages them to try harder and feel more rewarded when they succeed.

You have them, but they do not have you.

Then you may begin

Psychopath

Is a psychopath inferior to a non-psychopath given their lack of 'inferiority complexes'?

No

So why do we fear them?

Because they are more powerful, more effective and they simply do not care what you think about what they do.

You want people to care what you think.

Psychopaths do not post on forums.

They do not care enough.

You are safe

Aren’t you?

I don't care what you think.......I lie

I am here after all

In truth there is no such thing as a psychopath only people with varying degrees of conscience, no different to people with varying degrees of musical ability.

A label for an extremely talented individual, talented in regard to remaining immune to the pressures of being a social creature.

And there we have it

Humans are largely social creatures, psychopaths are not. Psychopaths are merely immune to the inadequacies, the neediness, and the manipulation. They are immune to the bullshit that humans engage in and they thus are more animalistic in their dealings with other humans. Humans are a means to an end. A cat is a solitary creature but it acknowledges how useful humans can be in satisfying their needs. They tolerate us, as do alleged 'psychopaths'.

[EndLightEnd]

Ive always considered myself more distant than most when it comes to these kinds of things, sometimes I feel as if Im halfway there in those is it me or them moments.

[heliocentric]

In truth there is no such thing as a psychopath only people with varying degrees of conscience, no different to people with varying degrees of musical ability.
.

Very good point, i completely agree, although 'psychopaths' are still social animals, they need validation/support the same as any other type of person. So id have to disagree with the latter part of your post.

[James R]

I don't think many psychopaths/sociopaths ever lose their inferiority complexes. Those who commit violent crimes, in particular, do so out of an unquenchable psychological need to exercise some power over something or somebody, born of the belief that in fact the perpetrator has no real power or influence in the world.

[SheDevil]

I don't think many psychopaths/sociopaths ever lose their inferiority complexes. Those who commit violent crimes, in particular, do so out of an unquenchable psychological need to exercise some power over something or somebody, born of the belief that in fact the perpetrator has no real power or influence in the world.

Have you read anything about the psyche of a psychopath or are you just making it up as you go along?

Have you ever known a psychopath?

Not all psychopaths become murderers, they are not all violent. Just as not all NON psychopaths are gentle and peace loving law abiding citizens! Or would you have us believe they are?

Soldiers have to adopt a psychopath mentality during war, they have to switch off their emotional response else they could not perform their duty, which involves killing men, women and children, with bombs, poisoness gases, guns, etc. The conscience may kick in later but not at that time. Maybe never.

This is why many soldiers do other diabolical acts not part of the job description, such as rape. Their emotional response is 'switched off'.

Very depressed individuals sometimes reach this state of feeling 'nothing'. At times like this they may commit violent suicide, such as throwing themselves under a train, because the thought does not instill fear or horror anymore. They do not 'feel' anything. At that moment they too possess a psychopath mentality. they could kill another as easily as they kill themselves. Women abused who suddenly snap may plan and execute a murder of their spouse (not a defence reaction but planned) because they have also reached that point. Their emotional response is off.

We can elect to switch it off. Many criminals (violent too) see their crimes as a job. So they do not feel bad about what they do. It is a job. Like experimenting on animals is a job for some and torturing prisoners is a job for some.

Mosa of us are capable of diabolical acts, we are just awaiting permission. When permission is granted, we turn off our emotional response and do our job. Psychopaths merely do not require permission.

You James wish to view psychopaths as inferior because you are afraid of them. A natural response.

[SheDevil]

Very good point, i completely agree, although 'psychopaths' are still social animals, they need validation/support the same as any other type of person. So id have to disagree with the latter part of your post.

Who said they 'need' validation and support, other than as a means to an end for what they want?