Sharing Characteristics of Psychopaths

Page 3 of 4 [ 51 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next

Verdandi
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Dec 2010
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,275
Location: University of California Sunnydale (fictional location - Real location Olympia, WA)

17 Aug 2011, 12:17 pm

Ettina wrote:
I've heard it said that people who are sociable but have poor social skills can be tricked into taking the fall for their 'friends' crimes. They may not realize they're doing anything wrong, or go along with it because they're desperate for friendship and don't realize the others are just using them. This might be the case with some autistics.


People have posted here about this happening to them.

Ettina wrote:
Others may commit crimes related to obsessive interests - my guess is the arson cases that study found were autistics with an obsessive interest in fire. I heard awhile back about an aspie in legal trouble for driving a train without a license - guess what his obsession was?


There was a story about a man in Japan with this huge collection of - some kind of anime series robots? Anyway, apparently someone (his mother?) threw out the collection, and he burned the house down.



TheygoMew
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Nov 2010
Age: 46
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,102

18 Aug 2011, 12:05 am

MoonMetropolis wrote:
TheygoMew wrote:
^Redneckville.

Everything you learned about autism and aspergers probably came from the locals.

Man, there is really no limit to your sharp wit. What's next, O comic genius? A "ur mawm" joke, I'm guessing?


Well GAH LEE thur Bawb. Yew shur does haz me figureds owt.

Nuthin lyke a gewd redneckville surcaszm!



SammichEater
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Mar 2011
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,903

18 Aug 2011, 12:26 am

Ettina wrote:
Quote:
People with AS have lower arrest rates than NTs, actually. Many crimes are social activities!


According to this study, the rate is the same. Only the lower functioning group have a lower arrest rate, and that's probably due to closer supervision because of living in groups homes or whatever. Apparently we're more likely to commit arson and less likely to break traffic laws, but otherwise mostly do the same kinds of crimes. They didn't study whether autistics did them together with others or alone.

I've heard it said that people who are sociable but have poor social skills can be tricked into taking the fall for their 'friends' crimes. They may not realize they're doing anything wrong, or go along with it because they're desperate for friendship and don't realize the others are just using them. This might be the case with some autistics.

Others may commit crimes related to obsessive interests - my guess is the arson cases that study found were autistics with an obsessive interest in fire. I heard awhile back about an aspie in legal trouble for driving a train without a license - guess what his obsession was?


Hey, combustion reactions are fun to play with. :lol:


_________________
Remember, all atrocities begin in a sensible place.


Verdandi
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Dec 2010
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,275
Location: University of California Sunnydale (fictional location - Real location Olympia, WA)

18 Aug 2011, 6:48 pm

MoonMetropolis wrote:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder

Many of these symptoms certainly sound similar to aspergers syndrome. I think many of you are denying it simply because you don't want to accept the fact that aspergers and ASPD actually do have a lot of things in common.


Oh, check this out:

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/con ... 163/7/1239

This table especially shows how many people diagnosed on the autistic spectrum, with ADHD, or both fit the criteria for various personality disorders.

Zero who were just autistic and five who were autistic with ADHD fit the criteria for anti-social personality disorder. That seems pretty unlikely if there are "a lot of things in common."

Narcissistic and Histrionic have even fewer (four total fit the criteria for NPD, zero total for HPD). Rounding out the cluster Bs, nine total fit the criteria for BPD. It seems like most cluster B personality disorders are unlikely for autistic people, per this study.



MagicMeerkat
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2011
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,981
Location: Mel's Hole

18 Aug 2011, 6:52 pm

Perhaps. I can't feel empathy and have zero theory of mind. If you want to call me a psychopath be my guest.


_________________
Spell meerkat with a C, and I will bite you.


Tequila
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

18 Aug 2011, 6:56 pm

MagicMeerkat wrote:
Perhaps. I can't feel empathy and have zero theory of mind. If you want to call me a psychopath be my guest.


Yes, but do you not care when you directly cause pain and suffering to others, and you know it too? So, say if you ran over the neighbour's cat or killed a pensioner, would you not care?



orionnebula
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 2 Jun 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 51
Location: inside a moon crater

18 Aug 2011, 7:44 pm

People are quick to judge and categorize other people without knowing the reason behind their actions or behavior. it's very annoying and hurtful. i was called a psychopath last year and whenever i think about it i get really upset. im not really sure why i was called a psychopath but truth be told i've been unwell for a while and i think it's unfair for people to take one trait that they see or think they see and diagnose you when they have no idea what is going on inside your head.



Last edited by orionnebula on 18 Aug 2011, 11:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Tequila
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,897
Location: Lancashire, UK

18 Aug 2011, 8:02 pm

orionnebula: There's a massive, massive difference between choosing not to associate with people and being rather reserved (asocial) and being violently disposed to other people, with no reason, without any remorse (antisocial). If you treat deliberately harming other people or animals with glee - then you have a problem.



orionnebula
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 2 Jun 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 51
Location: inside a moon crater

18 Aug 2011, 9:03 pm

tequila[b]
that's my point im not even sure why i was called a psychopath. im not violent or anti social and i certainly dont enjoy harming other people or animals.i feel the urge to explain this more in depth but i dont think it matters.



Last edited by orionnebula on 18 Aug 2011, 11:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sparhawke
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 23 Jul 2011
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Posts: 311

18 Aug 2011, 9:56 pm

Melanie, I wouldn't bother about it if they are too stupid to know that sociopath is the term used to describe someone without empathy :p



Sora
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,906
Location: Europe

19 Aug 2011, 8:10 am

Oh I can see someone who knows nothing about autism, pds or psychopathy call autistic behaviour antisocial, destructive and vile.

When I was about 10-13 years old, my difficulties with change, my detail-orientated perception, my literal understanding of some things, my meltdowns, my dislike of physical contact, my varying access to speech, my social impairments were described by a couple of people as my "antisocial, manipulative behaviours".

And though that originated from the perception of 2 men, their outrageous interpretation of my autism and tics especially stuck with a couple of more adults. Perhaps though, these individuals agreed for the sole purpose of getting to kick and bruise a kid and get away with it.

There are few things as difficult as to refute statements similar to "I can't let go of you for the sake of protecting the other children!"

Think about it. Who knows what evil things the destructive, insane kid will do on purpose to the students on the yard after she unsuccessfully tried to bite the adult who held, shook and bruised her last time he tried to stop her from running outside after making funny sounds and cupping her ears to disrupt class and to provoke her teacher and classmates after she merely got hit on the head twice with a book by another girl.

Symptoms of autism and behaviours typically associated with it are not necessarily identified for what they are.


_________________
Autism + ADHD
______
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett


Ettina
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 13 Jan 2011
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,971

19 Aug 2011, 11:54 pm

I was acused of being a psychopath by some bullies once. We were on a school trip to the pool and they started picking on me and I lost my temper and shoved one underwater and held him there a couple seconds.

At the time I was really upset about it but in restrospect it doesn't bother me now that I know just how wrong they were.



Joe90
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 26,492
Location: UK

20 Aug 2011, 12:58 pm

Quote:
NTs can figure each other out and care about each other.


I wish!


_________________
Female


fraac
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,865

20 Aug 2011, 2:51 pm

MountainLaurel wrote:
Quote:
Psychopathy affects:
1. Psychopaths are easily able to read others' emotions. Many are extraordinarily sensitive.


In my actual experiences with sociopaths, I find the above to be untrue. The sociopaths I've dealt with are so hyperfocused on their manipulations that they neglect to read the actual reactions of those around them on a moment to moment basis. And it's not as if they have great powers of insight into others which they forget to use in the moment.

My experience is that, in their grandiocity, they are pretty damned clueless about how those around them are feeling and reacting. They seem uninterested in reading other people and have not invested much effort in developing any skill at it.

Quote:
they are not impaired in understanding emotions in other people as a cause-and-effect concept.


Yep, that's true. They understand how to use negative emotions such as envy, covetousness, jelousy and anger to cause as much distruction in the relationships around them as possible. But they do it based on stereotype rather than reading individual reactions.

My conviction in this topic is based on my experience with more sociopaths than any one person wants to deal with.


I've known psychopaths; I quite like them because they accept me. I concur with your observations. Psychopaths are very bad at reading people; they focus their efforts on controlling the reality of people around them by dominating it, not with any sensitivity to other people's mental states. I consider them mindblind and poor but persistent actors.

Comparing psychopaths, autistics, borderline personality disorderds and 'normals' is a most fascinating endeavour, and I think it will lead to profound new knowledge of humanity. Simon Baron-Cohen has linked us with psychos and borderlines as having 'zero empathy' - I think he's noticed a genuine connection but he's using the wrong word. I believe the pattern is that normals are dependent on a group hierarchy, and what Baron-Cohen sees as empathy is actually the same in-group chauvinism you find in genocides.

FWIW, talking observable traits, here's a checklist compiled by psychos. I score 11/12 - my voice isn't monotone. Some of these are like "Whoa! They do that too?"

Quote:
1. Sociopaths typically don't smalltalk about themselves as much as normal people do. They will direct the conversation back to the new acquaintance as much as they can.

2. A sociopath will reveal "personal" details about himself strategically, i.e. for the purposes of misdirection or a false sense of intimacy/trust. Revelations of actual truths are very rare and may be perceived as a small slip of the mask.

3. Sociopaths frequently hesitate before responding. It will be unclear to you whether they are bored, annoyed, lying, or all three.

4. No strong reactions to illogical hotbed political/social topics (e.g. Octomom or Catholic priest child molestation).

5. Monotone voice (I am told).

6. A tendency to take things too literally or otherwise not respond appropriately to small emotional cues.

7. Cold indifference to one or more family members.

8. Seemingly a different person when "distracted."

9. Disconnect between what the sociopath says and does, e.g. seems charitable but does not give money to homeless or vice versa.

10. Never shows signs of embarrassment. Easily wins over large crowds with confidence. "Poise" in this case = lack of nerves.

11. Does not fit stereotypes for gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, or career. Could seem foreign, bisexual, older or younger, pious, wealthy or poor, but may also just seem unplaceable.

12. Can flip flop between keeping a very low profile (the observer) to being the life of the party (the actor).



KWifler
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 11 Aug 2011
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 236
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA, Earth

20 Aug 2011, 4:54 pm

Wow, from some of the first descriptions of a psychopath, I'd love to be one instead of having AS.
No emotions!
Not caring how other people feel!
Being good at reading other peoples emotions!

Just those three alone are enough for me to want to switch right now.



fraac
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,865

20 Aug 2011, 7:15 pm

I have a theory that the reason they like to control the reality of people around them is so they have a buffer zone of people between their ego and the real world, because their faulty amygdalae mean their internal representation of the world can never match what's actually going on so they're fundamentally insane. Crazy people spend most of their energy keeping their egos out of contact with the real world so they can stay crazy, it's like a defining feature. Most use delusions or cheap comforts but psychos favour the buffer zone method.

You wouldn't want to be a psychopath. They get no peace ever. They live in hell, effectively.