Psychopaths (...and Happiness)

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
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Was listening to this show on CoasttoCoast radio show, it was interesting discussion about psychopaths and a little bit of talk regarding happiness. Has anyone here ever known a true psychopath? A psychopath called into the show and said he had numerous relationships, but felt nothing for the persons involved. He said he happily tortured animals when he was young. He said he has no problem lying, manipulating people, etc., he had no feelings of conscience or embarrassment. Also, things that determine our happiness.

Author Douglas E. Richards has a master's degree in genetic engineering and was Director of Biotechnology Licensing at Bristol-Myers Squibb. He discussed the latest scientific findings about the nature of psychopaths, as well as studies about happiness, and personality. During his research, Richards was stunned to find out that 1% of the population are considered psychopathic, and such people can be found in many walks of life. A psychopath exhibits a range of specific behaviors and traits-- they are absolutely without conscience or empathy, they're ruthless and cold-blooded, and do not fully experience emotions, he detailed.

Yet, conversely, psychopaths can be incredibly charming, and often are brilliant liars and manipulators. "If they're caught in a lie, it doesn't faze them at all," because they don't have any shame, embarrassment, or self-consciousness, and will just create a bigger lie, he explained. "They can even fool people who study them for a living," are cool as a cucumber under pressure, never take blame for anything, and have the ability to zero in on people's weaknesses, he added. Psychopaths are chillingly sane, while psychotics are out of touch with reality, Richards continued. Brain studies have shown that psychopaths have fewer connections between the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for feelings like empathy and guilt.

Regarding the science of happiness, Richards reported the surprising finding that life circumstances (including financial) only play a small role (10%) in a person's well being, and that genetic predispositions of personality have a much larger effect (50%). The remaining 40% is under a person's control-- behaviors and actions which can influence happiness. Rather than material possessions and wealth, happiness seems to come from effort and challenge, being fully engaged in an activity, and feeling better about oneself from growing and learning, he said.
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Another caller to the show said that he came across a high school classmate that needed a place to stay in his adult life. He allowed him to stay at his place until he got on his feet. Turns out that the guy was a psychopath. He teamed up with another guy to do many destructive things to the caller. He poisoned his dog, he made duplicates of the house keys, etc.
 

Who is to say? Very interesting info and it's probably true that all of us suffer from it to a small degree.

I'm very familiar with bi-polar, ADHD, Asbergers, (sp?) and other serious brain dysfunctions, but can't say I've ever known a full blown psychopath. Casey Anthony, Jodi Arius, Scott Petersen, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and the extraordinarily large number of others we've followed on the news are the only full blown psychopaths I have any knowledge of.
 
I think we've probably all met some, they come in various degrees, they're not all serial killers.
Just the office *itch who stirs up trouble merely to watch others fight would qualify. Bank managers and media magnates are suspect. People who abandon animals and babies, without actual cruelty, but also without remorse qualify. They're probably not all even dangerous, just uncaring.
Sometimes when I get overly 'pragmatic' with the world, or write off someone I can't be bothered putting up with any more I wonder if that's a form of it. But then I cried once at a Lassie movie so I must be okay right?
 
Just thinking about Casey Anthony makes my blood boil. Di, I cry for sad movies, happy movies, doesn't matter. The ad for the animal Humane Society, gets me every time. :eek:
 
Seabreeze, when that Human Society ad with the song from City of Angels comes on, I have to leave the room. What an effective ad that is.....

I agree about Casey Anthony; I still can't believe she got off, and I wonder what is with our jury system anymore. At any rate, yes, I think we've all known a psycopath at one time or another. I've met a couple people who are so incredibly cold they are scary. Seems like its something with their eyes; a deadness, almost.
 
Anne said:
Seabreeze, when that Human Society ad with the song from City of Angels comes on, I have to leave the room. What an effective ad that is.....

I agree about Casey Anthony; I still can't believe she got off, and I wonder what is with our jury system anymore. At any rate, yes, I think we've all known a psycopath at one time or another. I've met a couple people who are so incredibly cold they are scary. Seems like its something with their eyes; a deadness, almost.
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Oh my gosh, I can't get that song from City of Angels muted fast enough. It breaks my heart!

I think the entire country is still numb & in shock over the gross injustice of Anthony's "not guilty" verdict. At the mention of her name I either mute or switch it, just as I do with the Humane Society song. I loathe hearing the mention of her name....and O.J's equally as much. Now, talk about a true psychopath!!!!!
 
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Did you hear about O.J. being busted for stealing oatmeal cookies from the commissary? He's doing 30 years for armed robbery and the guards bust him for concealing a dozen oatmeal cookies in his prison jumpsuit. They said he had a silly grin on his face as the guard pulled one cookie at a time from his clothes. :playful:

I'm a true fanboy of the fictional Dr. Hannibal Lecter, "Hannibal the Cannibal" from The Silence of The Lambs. He actually made his first appearance in an earlier Robert Harris novel, Red Dragon, and continued through the story arc. He was a true psychopath but also brilliant, and it wasn't until last summer that Harris revealed his inspiration for the Lecter character was based on the real-life adventures of a certain Dr. Alfredo Balli Trevino, whom he had met while doing research as a journalist.

Dr. Trevino had killed his gay lover, chopped him up and buried him in his backyard, but in my further research I just don't see the brilliance that the fictional Lecter portrayed. I understand though that true psychopaths are often quite intelligent - they just don't apply that intelligence in socially-acceptable ways.

And I think that 1% stat probably includes all the various individual sub-groupings such as borderline, narcissistic, antisocial and sadistic. Very few "perfect" psychopaths - those exhibiting all 4 traits - exist except in the realm of fiction.
 
HA! Interesting story on OJ, but there is nothing anyone could tell me about that (insert your choice of words here) that would surprise me. To me he's one of the most disgusting human beings on earth, not only for what he's done, but for his attitude with regard to it, and the life he's lived since the murders....despicable personified. And probably one of the most narcissistic human beings on the face of the earth. No matter what happens to him going forward, I will continue to smile and say..."finally and thank goodness," as it can't possibly be anything good and it can never be bad enough. Can't imagine anyone else thrown in the slammer for probably the rest of their life for stealing their own possessions, but thank God he's finally where he belongs!

Re Lecter...Sir Anthony Hopkins brought him to life with a passion and intensity I wasn't ready for. Gawd, I'm still not over that first movie and wish I hadn't watched it....tho it took me 3 years after release and in the middle of the day with all the lights on. I had no interest in seeing any more of them. From what you're saying, Phil, Dr Trevino isn't in the league of the fictional character.
 
SeaBreeze said:
They did mention the eyes too, same thing...cold as ice.
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That's exactly how Jody Arius was described repeatedly during her trial by all her victim's friends....constant references to her cold/blank/void eyes. I've never seen that before in anyone, but it was enough for a doz or so people to recognize it in her. Chilling, huh?
 
Katybug said:
... Re Lecter...Sir Anthony Hopkins brought him to life with a passion and intensity I wasn't ready for. Gawd, I'm still not over that first movie and wish I hadn't watched it....tho it took me 3 years after release and in the middle of the day with all the lights on. I had no interest in seeing any more of them.
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And perhaps indicative of my odd nature I mourned that there were no more in the series and I seriously considered writing my own fan-fiction chapters.

From what you're saying, Phil, Dr Trevino isn't in the league of the fictional character.
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He doesn't seem to be - thankfully.

I suppose it's a case of artistic license - Harris and Hopkins made Lecter far more evil and far more emotionless. His killings weren't for the sake of passion like Dr. Trevino's - they were cold and (to him) logical and often based only upon someone being rude to him.

If I ate everyone that had been rude to me I'd weigh 400 pounds. :rolleyes:
 
Does anyone remember the Australian woman who drowned her kids in the bath in Canada but got out early and was deported back to us?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...ted-to-australia/story-e6frg6n6-1226630700314
According to an interview it wasn't her fault either, typical psychopathic reaction.
But last week, as she helped her elderly mother tend the garden of their home in Gosford on the Central Coast, Ms McConnell, 34, claimed she was also a victim.
"There have been a lot of things written about me being a bad mother," she said.
"I wasn't a bad mother, I was actually a very loving mother. But you never hear about that.
"At the moment I'm just trying to get over what has happened. It's been as upsetting for me as much as everyone else involved. I think about them every single day."
Asked if she would like more children in the future, Ms McConnell said: "I wouldn't say no."

...snip....The newlyweds moved to Alberta and they had had two sons. But a trial heard how the McConnell's marriage had broken down in 2009 and Mr McConnell moved out of the family home, filing for divorce. A judge then ordered Ms McConnell could not take her sons back to Australia.

After pleading guilty to manslaughter, the court found she was suffering psychological issues and there was reasonable doubt she had the specific intent to kill Connor and Jayden. After the murders the court heard she tried to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. With credits for time served, she spent only 10 months in the psychiatric ward of Alberta Hospital before being released.
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Her body was found at the bottom of a cliff fairly recently.
Never heard any more than that, nobody seems to care much if she jumped or was pushed.
Pity she didn't jump off that bridge in Canada before she got around to drowning the boys.
 
I'd read Red Dragon and 'Lambs well before they turned into movies and Hopkins was fairly close to how I'd envisioned Lector. But Fiennes as Dollarhyde in Red Dragon didn't cut it for me, nothing like I'd imagined that character. Norton was great in it though.

I went one weekday afternoon to see the Red Dragon movie and on entering found the whole cinema empty except for one lone man sitting in the middle near the back wearing a checked flannel shirt and who looked like he'd just woken up in a dumpster.
I sat as far as possible away but it wasn't the greatest type of movie to watch knowing that bloke was behind me.
 
Speaking of psychopaths and while reminding myself about Red Dragon, I noticed this:

MV5BMTk5NzE0MDQyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzk4Mjk3OA@@._V1_SY317_CR2,0,214,317_.jpg

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208092/?ref_=tt_rec_tti

Probably not appreciated by the American audience but I bought the DVD.
 
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