Thread: Am I psychopath?

I enjoy torturing my partners. I change boyfriends a lot. At first, I try hard to make them fall for me and after that I just bored and then I make them think that they'll be nothing without me. Often until they will do everything for me, being crazy for me and sacrifice themselves. I even challenge one of my exes to slash their own hand with razor and I'm just happy when he did this for me. I try to take some stupid quizzes on internet and all of them say that I am psychopath. All the tests are completely easy to guess. Before I never thought I was a psycho but after took these tests I start think maybe I am. But I feel totally healthy. I feel nothing wrong with me. My only weakness is I am not good with emotion and empathy. I just have very little empathy and mostly when I feel some emotion, it just about me. For example when someone try to touch my privacy, I feel anger.When I was child, I go to psychologist once, and what I can tell is I can easily manipulate the psychologist and act like harmless child. I was a total bully at school. Everyone was afraid of me when I was child, even my own mother has no idea how to control me. She knows she can't. But when I grow up, I try to control this behavior and yeah, now I just use this manipulation to control guys. To make them fall over me and after that I just getting bored (mostly after 3-6 months), and I will dump them soon after I take everything they have. But even after breakup, they still look for me and fall hard for me.
And I really enjoy when I can make people so angry or emotional about something and that's because of me. I enjoy conflict with others, just to see their madness, how they loose their total control about themselves and start to act stupid because being angry. I cannot cry watching stupid drama or whatever that makes other cry. I often wonder why people start crying over stupid cinemas, I just can't understand why? I never fall in love and I don't want to.
for me, fall in love is just wasting time. Why should you be in love when I can get everything I want from guys even torturing their heart and physic without single piece of love?
I can have double personality. Back in school, I was really sweet student in front of teacher, very brilliant and smart, easy to act in stage (as an artist with different roles), but in front of my friends, I was the most evil friend they will ever have. I make fake personalities in job interviews based on interviewers.
I can somehow 'read people' minds. And I use that to behave according this impressions. And mostly I can manipulate many psychologists in job interviews. I did it just for fun. I can understand people emotion and read it and learn it and use it for my own advantages. But, I never feel their emotion. If this is not normal, what kind of psychologist should I see based on my experiences, I manipulate them easily?

I also got some almost sexual abuses back in past (the latest happened two weeks ago), but I face it very calm, I even play the emotion and passion of my sexual abusers until at the end they're giving up without even get any kind of sex activities with me. And I have no traumatic effect due to that experiences. And some people who knew this told me freak since I'm just okay with that.

If you are not feeling any distress about your behavior then it is too early to seek therapy. Are you ever honest? You would need to be rigorously honest with a therapist. I will not attempt long distance diagnosis. When you are hurting, then seek a cure.

I would seek therapy. I am not a mental health professional, but what i have read about people with antisocial tendencies is that a person responds better when treated at an earlier age. So getting treatment sooner is better than later. Also, I am not putting a diagnosis or a label on you.

Why get treatment? There are many reasons. Social skills help people succeed in life. Prison populations have high incidences of people with antisocial behaviors, and you don't want to end up there. Avoiding future abuse etc. Also, you might learn something.

Good luck.

Well, if nothing else it sounds like you have considerable insight about your actions and feelings, or lack there of, so that's a bonus. And what you describe does sound like everything I've read about sociopathic behavior.

I'm not sure what argument I could make to convince you that this may not be a healthy way to live. But I'm guessing you are also fairly attractive. You might consider that eventually over time, you may need other genuiine qualities, like empathy, intimacy, shared interests, etc to maintain connections with other human beings.

No one here is going to diagnose you over an internet forum (nor should you take the diagnosis of anyone who does). If you feel your mental state or your actions are causing harm to others, you should seek professional help.

Here are a few tests that you can take to see if you might be one.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...zHvNidqaQJxmug

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...hi1bleiG5eRo7A

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...Uf3jnmxuK8bR9A

Originally Posted by Sealeaf

If you are not feeling any distress about your behavior then it is too early to seek therapy. Are you ever honest? You would need to be rigorously honest with a therapist. I will not attempt long distance diagnosis. When you are hurting, then seek a cure.

i honest when i think i can't lie or it gives me advantage. I feel healthy physically. But I don't know if it's considered as not healthy inside

Originally Posted by dedo

I would seek therapy. I am not a mental health professional, but what i have read about people with antisocial tendencies is that a person responds better when treated at an earlier age. So getting treatment sooner is better than later. Also, I am not putting a diagnosis or a label on you.

Why get treatment? There are many reasons. Social skills help people succeed in life. Prison populations have high incidences of people with antisocial behaviors, and you don't want to end up there. Avoiding future abuse etc. Also, you might learn something.

Good luck.

I don't want end up like that. What kind of psychiatrist should I see?

Originally Posted by DianeG

Well, if nothing else it sounds like you have considerable insight about your actions and feelings, or lack there of, so that's a bonus. And what you describe does sound like everything I've read about sociopathic behavior.

I'm not sure what argument I could make to convince you that this may not be a healthy way to live. But I'm guessing you are also fairly attractive. You might consider that eventually over time, you may need other genuiine qualities, like empathy, intimacy, shared interests, etc to maintain connections with other human beings.

Is sociopath equal to psychopath? I have no background in these fields tho

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

No one here is going to diagnose you over an internet forum (nor should you take the diagnosis of anyone who does). If you feel your mental state or your actions are causing harm to others, you should seek professional help.

I just want to know little bit after reading those some signs and symptoms of psycho. Before I thought that psycho=serial killer. And I never kill people. Not plan to do it either

Originally Posted by cosmictraveler

Here are a few tests that you can take to see if you might be one.

I already took all the tests above and all of them say, I have very high tendencies of psychopathy. That's why I ended up here. Somehow now I feel suspicious about myself which I never did before (because I was thinking I'm okay all over the time). But it's very true that I need continues excitement because I get bored very easy ( I like boat sailing, go to jungle, desert etc) . Also I'm not reliable at all because I change my plan all the time (never plan something, just pop up on my head). And I can be described as "Parasitic girl". I make the guys work for me-for free. They do everything. I make them do that while I sit doing nothing and tell them to do this and that. When other guys I see more "prosperous" and nothing left from the "old guys", I will easily move to my new target and do exactly the same things. Stuff like that

I can only say two things to this.

1. You must be incredibly hot if so many guys fall for you and stay with you after being treated like that.

2. I can only echo what people have said above, seek professional help. If you really want to be helped, be honest with a therapist instead of reading them and trying to fool them.

Is there a chance I could introduce you to my last boss?
You two seem made for each other.

A most interesting account.

I agree with an earlier post : Don't seek therapy unless you feel you need it.

You would seem to have some rare skills that you enjoy using. I would say embrace those characteristics as they are you. Follow them to see where they will lead. But avoid anti-social behaviour.

Avoid breaking the law, as I am sure that being locked up in a small cell with people you don't like for several years would not be an enjoyable experience.

Also be aware that inciting others to commit crime is itself a crime.

One trouble with manipulating people is that you never really get to understand them and how they see the world, so no wonder you get bored with relationships after a few months.

As a shot-in-the-dark suggestion: have you considered working with sociopaths/psychopaths who are unable to control their anti-social behaviour. It is those people who need help.

Originally Posted by natureikarta

Is sociopath equal to psychopath? I have no background in these fields tho

Wikipedia says "Psychopathy (/saɪˈkɒpəθi/) (or sociopathy /ˈsoʊsiəˌpæθi/) is traditionally defined as a personality disorder characterized by enduring antisocial behavior, diminished empathy and remorse, and disinhibited or bold behavior"

It may be a question of degree. In general I have heard psychopath used to describe a person with these traits who actually physically harms or kills people, where as sociopaths are manipulative and uncaring, and might con or scam people, but stop short of violent behavior, but you could check the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), for a more exact definition.

It might be pointless to seek help if you can't resist the temptation or challenge of conning your therapist, and you may have to try to work this out on your own.

In most people, empathy is a an automatic reaction to witnessing pain or distress in others. It happens without any effort - in fact, it's difficult for them to block or stop it from happening. In one study I read, if you show normal people pictures or film clips of sad or tragic events or people in phyisical pain, they feel bad, wince, and a certain area of the brain lights up on a brain scan. This did not happen with a group of test subjects who were diagnosed as sociopaths. But some of them could feel empathy (as indicated on the brain scan, not just what they told the researcher) if they were specifically asked to think about what those people were feeling, and to imagine what it would feel like to be in that same situation.

So if you are at all motivated to change your behavior, it may not be impossible, just something that will require a lot more conscious, deliberate effort than it does for other people. What is a reflexive automatic response that happens almost subconsciously for most people, may not be for you, but also not unachievable, either.

Here is a story you might be interested in: A neuroscientist was studying sociopaths and comparing their brain scans to normal people. He was short of normal test subjects so he used some of the scans of coworkers, friends, and relatives. In the supposedly normal group he found a scan that looked like the scan of sociopath, and was shocked to later discover it was his own. In an interview he said that he did have a few murderers in his family history, and he admitted that he could be calculating, manipulative, and uncaring at times, but felt that since he had come from a very loving and moral family background, this may have saved him from developing into a full blown sociopath. When they asked him if he wished he had never found this out about his brain, he said, actually, it made him try harder to be more empathetic, and also to be loving father to his children in case any of them inherited this genetic susceptibility.

Life as a Nonviolent Psychopath - The Atlantic

You may have no desire to change if you truly enjoy manipulating and deceiving people and whatever goods and services you can con out of them. I suspect you'll find, though, that people won't tolerate it for very long, and the past does have a way of catching up with a person. And you may have to lower your standards considerably if whatever drawing card you possess is lost. There is that chance, too, that you might tangle with the wrong person who will seek revenge or simply snap one day.

As someone else mentioned, perhaps you could find some positive use for your personality traits. There may be jobs in which reading people, predicting their behavior, without being too swayed by sympathy, might be needed, like parole officer.

Originally Posted by natureikarta

Originally Posted by Sealeaf

If you are not feeling any distress about your behavior then it is too early to seek therapy. Are you ever honest? You would need to be rigorously honest with a therapist. I will not attempt long distance diagnosis. When you are hurting, then seek a cure.

i honest when i think i can't lie or it gives me advantage. I feel healthy physically. But I don't know if it's considered as not healthy inside

Originally Posted by dedo

I would seek therapy. I am not a mental health professional, but what i have read about people with antisocial tendencies is that a person responds better when treated at an earlier age. So getting treatment sooner is better than later. Also, I am not putting a diagnosis or a label on you.

Why get treatment? There are many reasons. Social skills help people succeed in life. Prison populations have high incidences of people with antisocial behaviors, and you don't want to end up there. Avoiding future abuse etc. Also, you might learn something.

Good luck.

I don't want end up like that. What kind of psychiatrist should I see?

Originally Posted by DianeG

Well, if nothing else it sounds like you have considerable insight about your actions and feelings, or lack there of, so that's a bonus. And what you describe does sound like everything I've read about sociopathic behavior.

I'm not sure what argument I could make to convince you that this may not be a healthy way to live. But I'm guessing you are also fairly attractive. You might consider that eventually over time, you may need other genuiine qualities, like empathy, intimacy, shared interests, etc to maintain connections with other human beings.

Is sociopath equal to psychopath? I have no background in these fields tho

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

No one here is going to diagnose you over an internet forum (nor should you take the diagnosis of anyone who does). If you feel your mental state or your actions are causing harm to others, you should seek professional help.

I just want to know little bit after reading those some signs and symptoms of psycho. Before I thought that psycho=serial killer. And I never kill people. Not plan to do it either

Originally Posted by cosmictraveler

Here are a few tests that you can take to see if you might be one.

I already took all the tests above and all of them say, I have very high tendencies of psychopathy. That's why I ended up here. Somehow now I feel suspicious about myself which I never did before (because I was thinking I'm okay all over the time). But it's very true that I need continues excitement because I get bored very easy ( I like boat sailing, go to jungle, desert etc) . Also I'm not reliable at all because I change my plan all the time (never plan something, just pop up on my head). And I can be described as "Parasitic girl". I make the guys work for me-for free. They do everything. I make them do that while I sit doing nothing and tell them to do this and that. When other guys I see more "prosperous" and nothing left from the "old guys", I will easily move to my new target and do exactly the same things. Stuff like that

Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about how to find a good therapist. There are articles about this subject that will pop up on search engines. Getting therapy is nothing to be ashamed of and even movie stars brag about it and tell about how it helped them.

What I know suggests that you should look more for a therapist in the fields of social work or psychology rather than psychiatry. Psychiatrists mainly give medications to people with thought disorders, and disorders that respond to medications like depression, bipolar, etc.

It does not sound like you have any of those things.

The psychologists / social workers are the one who do more of the therapy that involves talking to someone and improving interpersonal skills.

I would also not be too quick to put a label on yourself.

You may just lack empathy because of a past history of being mistreated.

Nevertheless, people who find a good therapist overcome these things and lead much happier and more satisfying lives.

I recently read an article about the person chosen to run the U.S. Veteran's health department and he talks about how improving his own skills in the empathy department helped him succeed professionally.

How A World-Class Heart Surgeon Found The One Leadership Trait Many Businesses Are Missing | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

People can get better at empathy and some professional schools are modifying their curriculum to teach people about empathy.

I am trying to do better in this area myself.

The only other thing I do when navigating the unknown is to pray for guidance since as a Christian I believe in guidance is available for those who seek it.

Good luck.

You have serious control issues and sound like an asshole. As a guy who suffered from the mental abuse of a horrible woman who cheated constantly, I look forward to the day you try your bullshit on some man that figures out what you're doing and beats you beyond the realm of recognition.
good day

Originally Posted by grmpysmrf

You have serious control issues and sound like an asshole. As a guy who suffered from the mental abuse of a horrible woman who cheated constantly, I look forward to the day you try your bullshit on some man that figures out what you're doing and beats you beyond the realm of recognition.
good day

The irony is people like that almost never pick on someone who could actually hurt them back.

I would gladly accept your torture... 3.

The description in the OP does, in fact, sound exactly like a psychopath. Just a comment here. Most psychopaths are quite happy with what they are and do not seek help to change. In fact, most psychopaths think their abuse of other people, their manipulation of other people's emotions, and their exploitation of other people is smart. They think that 'normal' people who show caring instead of ruthless exploitation, are being stupid.

Stupid psychopaths usually end in prison. Smart psychopaths may end up financially well off and in positions of power. However, stupid or smart, psychopaths are a negative factor, and society would be better off if we lined them all up and shot them. To be a psychopath is also to be abnormal. Human evolution has been towards creating individuals who fit well into a social group. Psychopaths do not, and are thus freaks.

Originally Posted by skeptic

The description in the OP does, in fact, sound exactly like a psychopath. Just a comment here. Most psychopaths are quite happy with what they are and do not seek help to change. In fact, most psychopaths think their abuse of other people, their manipulation of other people's emotions, and their exploitation of other people is smart. They think that 'normal' people who show caring instead of ruthless exploitation, are being stupid.

Stupid psychopaths usually end in prison. Smart psychopaths may end up financially well off and in positions of power. However, stupid or smart, psychopaths are a negative factor, and society would be better off if we lined them all up and shot them. To be a psychopath is also to be abnormal. Human evolution has been towards creating individuals who fit well into a social group. Psychopaths do not, and are thus freaks.

Have you considered getting some professional help yourself?

Originally Posted by A_Seagull

Have you considered getting some professional help yourself?

Do you object to my strong language? I could tone it down, but it might lose some of its meaning. Psychopaths are a destructive social force, and I see no point pussy-footing around that fact.

Originally Posted by grmpysmrf

You have serious control issues and sound like an asshole. As a guy who suffered from the mental abuse of a horrible woman who cheated constantly, I look forward to the day you try your bullshit on some man that figures out what you're doing and beats you beyond the realm of recognition.
good day

Good lord, man. I, too, spent 5 years with a woman who used me, lied to me, and eventually cheated on me. She nearly broke me as I still find it hard to trust my wife (who is the most wonderful woman I have ever met and has never done anything to hurt me). That having been said, I do not want my ex to be beaten or physically harmed. It is her burden to have to live with herself after what she did.

Now, the OP seems to recognize her bad behavior and that seems like a positive. Maybe she can work to correct it, but at the very least she can inform people she is with that she behaves in such a way. Dispel any illusions before they create a problem.

I recently read an an informative article on psychopaths. It's a personality disorder but that's ok as long as you don't hurt yourself or anyone else. If you feel good about hurting others then you need help for your own benefit.

The point of the article is that in certain professions, psychopaths excel. Most successful surgeons are pyschopaths and that makes sense. If you're having open heart surgery and something goes wrong, do you want a nervous surgeon or one with nerves of steel and no emotion. What about an airline pilot?

It's easy to generalize but with any physical or mental disorder there are different types or degrees.

Maybe you can turn your liability into an asset.

Here's a link to the article:

CNN: Does being a psychopath make you more successful?


Does being a psychopath make you more successful? - CNN.com

The article I linked above is not the one I was referring to. The article I read a few months ago talked about surgeons and I can't find it but here is another one on the subject:


Bad bosses: The Psycho-path to Success?

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/19/bu...ychopath-boss/

Originally Posted by natureikarta

I can somehow 'read people' minds. And I use that to behave according this impressions. And mostly I can manipulate many psychologists in job interviews. I did it just for fun. I can understand people emotion and read it and learn it and use it for my own advantages. But, I never feel their emotion. If this is not normal, what kind of psychologist should I see based on my experiences, I manipulate them easily?

.

The problem is you will begin to experience loneliness. If people are too easy for you to manipulate, then you can make them say or do whatever you want, sure. But everything they do is then just an echo of your own voice coming back for you to hear it. You might as well remove that last unnecessary step of making them speak. It's easier to just go somewhere to be alone if you want to hear only your own voice talking back to you.

It might be a good idea for you to seek out another psychopath. Someone who is your equal in cunning and deviance, and who will try to manipulate you back sometimes.

Originally Posted by natureikarta

[

Originally Posted by dedo

I would seek therapy. I am not a mental health professional, but what i have read about people with antisocial tendencies is that a person responds better when treated at an earlier age. So getting treatment sooner is better than later. Also, I am not putting a diagnosis or a label on you.

Why get treatment? There are many reasons. Social skills help people succeed in life. Prison populations have high incidences of people with antisocial behaviors, and you don't want to end up there. Avoiding future abuse etc. Also, you might learn something.

Good luck.

I don't want end up like that. What kind of psychiatrist should I see?

I'm pretty sure psychopathy is incurable. All you can do is adapt to your condition. You can't fix it.

But torturing random people is kind of a waste of time. You should make a more meaningful use of your abilities. Make it less of a curse and more of a gift.

You could become a police officer. I know it sounds funny, but police officers often score the same as criminals on psychology examinations. A psychopath who has the skill and finesse to avoid breaking the law themselves, can be a very effective police officer, and you'll get your enjoyment of watching people suffer.

Imagine how you would feel watching a thug who is facing 20 or more years in prison. He might cry when the judge tells him about it (he'd certainly cry if you taunted him a little.)

Originally Posted by A_Seagull

Originally Posted by skeptic

The description in the OP does, in fact, sound exactly like a psychopath. Just a comment here. Most psychopaths are quite happy with what they are and do not seek help to change. In fact, most psychopaths think their abuse of other people, their manipulation of other people's emotions, and their exploitation of other people is smart. They think that 'normal' people who show caring instead of ruthless exploitation, are being stupid.

Stupid psychopaths usually end in prison. Smart psychopaths may end up financially well off and in positions of power. However, stupid or smart, psychopaths are a negative factor, and society would be better off if we lined them all up and shot them. To be a psychopath is also to be abnormal. Human evolution has been towards creating individuals who fit well into a social group. Psychopaths do not, and are thus freaks.

Have you considered getting some professional help yourself?

The fact he wants to line them all up and kill them indicates he's probably a psychopath himself.

I see no problem with that, though. Psychopathy can be an advantage. Clearing your mind of emotion makes it easier to use logic effectively. Not having emotion in the first place means you get to have that benefit available to you all the time.

Those successful psychopaths out there are not all monsters. Some of them actually do really good things. The smart ones are able to organize others into successful business ventures. The really smart ones find other people to handle the empathy stuff for them, so they can apply their unmitigated logic to finding a good business strategy, or stuff like that.

It's usually not that bad working for a smart psychopath. If you're a mid level manager and you need to fire someone, you can simply refer them to your psychopath boss, who will fire them without hesitation. Much of the politics is simple like that. It comes closer to a pure meritocracy. The psycho truly only cares about his/her money.

Or sometimes it is about his/her legacy. How they want to be remembered. If they've chosen a good legacy, then you will never have to feel ashamed to have contributed to it.

Clarence

Just to clarify a point. Sadism is not a characteristic of psychopathy. Saying a psychopath enjoys torturing others is like saying a schizophrenic must be claustrophobic. The two conditions are unrelated. Of course, a psychopath might be sadistic also, but it is a separate syndrome.

Instead, psychopaths are characterised by a total lack of conscience or empathy. They feel nothing for others, and have no qualms about harming them, but do not get joy from such harm, either. They carry out harm when it benefits themselves, and tey will harm others without restraint, but only to benefit themselves - not for sadistic pleasure.

to the OP. Yeah hoe, your screwed up. If I had to guess I would say sociopath with a hint of narcissism mixed in.

Seek professional help before you end up dead or in prison.

Honestly, I smell a troll but assuming the OP isnt, go see a psychiatrist. If your poor there are free mental health places in most cities, find one local.

edit: Also sadism is nothing like what the OP is describing. Hell I am a sadist & the crap the OP enjoys is simply psychotic.

Originally Posted by skeptic

Clarence

Just to clarify a point. Sadism is not a characteristic of psychopathy. Saying a psychopath enjoys torturing others is like saying a schizophrenic must be claustrophobic. The two conditions are unrelated. Of course, a psychopath might be sadistic also, but it is a separate syndrome.

Instead, psychopaths are characterised by a total lack of conscience or empathy. They feel nothing for others, and have no qualms about harming them, but do not get joy from such harm, either. They carry out harm when it benefits themselves, and tey will harm others without restraint, but only to benefit themselves - not for sadistic pleasure.

Thanks. I fell into the trap I was complaining about, i.e. observe one psychopath and assume all other psychopaths are the same.

Originally Posted by GoldenRatio

Honestly, I smell a troll...........

My first thought but the original post does not seem contrived.

It seems to me that those forum members who are suggesting violent acts against psychopaths as a "solution" have more severe psychopathic tendencies than the OP.

The OP suggested that she manipulates people in non-violent ways, whereas some people on this forum are exhorting violence including domestic violence, and mass killing. That is disturbing.

Some people in groups, who may otherwise be "law abiding citizens", may have a tendency to act violently or to support violence in ways that resemble the worst violent psychopaths.

This may be a far greater concern to society than nonviolent psychopaths.

Also in contrast to other posters, I am not singling out any forum member (including the OP) as having a particular diagnosis or label.

What I am saying is that there may be a tendency in people to:

1. Identify with a group.
2. Find a scapegoat.
3. Justify, exhort, or participate in violence against the scapegoat.

This tendency could be something that grows and contributes to war / genocide.

It may also be something that is reversible.

dedo
Do not confuse loose words with real intentions. I posted the statement that the world would be better off if all psychopaths were rounded up and shot. What I meant was not that we should do that, but that psychopaths were a destructive social force, and we would be better off without them.

People often say things they would never actually do.

It is the non violent psychopaths who could very well be the most dangerous. The hallmark of psychopathy is a total lack of human empathy and hence lack the basis for a great deal of human moral behavior. Think of someone manipulative who has risen in the political or financial sector to a position of power, a position where they could be the fulcrum for a great deal of death and destruction. Someone who just simply doesn't care about the consequences for others from political or financial decisions. Such as releasing an unsafe product for profit, or escalating an unnecessary war for personal reasons. General population for psychopaths is about 1%, 4%-5% for corporate execs. It might very well save many lives if psychopaths were eliminated from the human populace. I suspect that the death toll from corporate and political psychopathy far exceeds the combined body counts of all psychopathic serial killers for any time period. Known psychopaths don't necessarily need to be killed, they could go live out their lives on "happy retirement island".

Your boyfriends are some suckers.

First of all its nature not nurture.. Something is wrong..but its fixable, and you should be looking to fix it. Also I hope you know, that you deserve to live a healthy normal life, "stable" life. Therefore, your priority should be to seek help with professionals.

Originally Posted by skeptic

Clarence

Just to clarify a point. Sadism is not a characteristic of psychopathy. Saying a psychopath enjoys torturing others is like saying a schizophrenic must be claustrophobic. The two conditions are unrelated. Of course, a psychopath might be sadistic also, but it is a separate syndrome.

Instead, psychopaths are characterised by a total lack of conscience or empathy. They feel nothing for others, and have no qualms about harming them, but do not get joy from such harm, either. They carry out harm when it benefits themselves, and tey will harm others without restraint, but only to benefit themselves - not for sadistic pleasure.

It's not directly related, but the boredom issue, combined with total lack of conscience, makes sadism a likely choice of pass time.

Originally Posted by GiantEvil

It is the non violent psychopaths who could very well be the most dangerous. The hallmark of psychopathy is a total lack of human empathy and hence lack the basis for a great deal of human moral behavior. Think of someone manipulative who has risen in the political or financial sector to a position of power, a position where they could be theac fulcrum for a great deal of death and destruction. Someone who just simply doesn't care about the consequences for others from political or financial decisions. Such as releasing an unsafe product for profit, or escalating an unnecessary war for personal reasons. General population for psychopaths is about 1%, 4%-5% for corporate execs. It might very well save many lives if psychopaths were eliminated from the human populace. I suspect that the death toll from corporate and political psychopathy far exceeds the combined body counts of all psychopathic serial killers for any time period. Known psychopaths don't necessarily need to be killed, they could go live out their lives on "happy retirement island".

I guess the outcome depends on the psycho. Dumb psychopaths end up in prison pretty quickly. Smarter psychopaths are able to work their way into the corporate world's hierarchy and become "too big to fail".

But I think you're underestimating the ability of non-psychopaths to do evil. I don't think the invasion of Iraq, and prewar propaganda was perpetrated entirely by psychopaths. Even the Nazi movement in Germany couldn't have been entirely attributed to that. (Because that would mean the German population of the time had a very disproportionate number of psychopaths living among them.)

A psychopath has the advantage that they're able to be honest with them self about their own intentions. The lack of moral stigma against doing bad things prevents them from playing double and triple self deception games, trying to resolve cognitive dissonance over choices they face. A psycho SS officer in the Nazi regime might, for example, admit to them self that the reason they're killing Jews is not because they are Jewish, or because "Jews are bad", but really it is just because they enjoy killing and the current political situation allows them to target Jews.

Originally Posted by natureikarta

I enjoy torturing my partners. I change boyfriends a lot. At first, I try hard to make them fall for me and after that I just bored and then I make them think that they'll be nothing without me. Often until they will do everything for me, being crazy for me and sacrifice themselves. I even challenge one of my exes to slash their own hand with razor and I'm just happy when he did this for me. I try to take some stupid quizzes on internet and all of them say that I am psychopath. All the tests are completely easy to guess. Before I never thought I was a psycho but after took these tests I start think maybe I am. But I feel totally healthy. I feel nothing wrong with me. My only weakness is I am not good with emotion and empathy. I just have very little empathy and mostly when I feel some emotion, it just about me. For example when someone try to touch my privacy, I feel anger.When I was child, I go to psychologist once, and what I can tell is I can easily manipulate the psychologist and act like harmless child. I was a total bully at school. Everyone was afraid of me when I was child, even my own mother has no idea how to control me. She knows she can't. But when I grow up, I try to control this behavior and yeah, now I just use this manipulation to control guys. To make them fall over me and after that I just getting bored (mostly after 3-6 months), and I will dump them soon after I take everything they have. But even after breakup, they still look for me and fall hard for me.
And I really enjoy when I can make people so angry or emotional about something and that's because of me. I enjoy conflict with others, just to see their madness, how they loose their total control about themselves and start to act stupid because being angry. I cannot cry watching stupid drama or whatever that makes other cry. I often wonder why people start crying over stupid cinemas, I just can't understand why? I never fall in love and I don't want to.
for me, fall in love is just wasting time. Why should you be in love when I can get everything I want from guys even torturing their heart and physic without single piece of love?
I can have double personality. Back in school, I was really sweet student in front of teacher, very brilliant and smart, easy to act in stage (as an artist with different roles), but in front of my friends, I was the most evil friend they will ever have. I make fake personalities in job interviews based on interviewers.
I can somehow 'read people' minds. And I use that to behave according this impressions. And mostly I can manipulate many psychologists in job interviews. I did it just for fun. I can understand people emotion and read it and learn it and use it for my own advantages. But, I never feel their emotion. If this is not normal, what kind of psychologist should I see based on my experiences, I manipulate them easily?

I also got some almost sexual abuses back in past (the latest happened two weeks ago), but I face it very calm, I even play the emotion and passion of my sexual abusers until at the end they're giving up without even get any kind of sex activities with me. And I have no traumatic effect due to that experiences. And some people who knew this told me freak since I'm just okay with that.

Perhaps you only imagine you can read people' minds. You think you can manipulate many psychologists in job interviews. Maybe they see your type coming! You suppose you can understand people's emotions and read them and learn to use them for your own advantage, but every one does that to some extent. You may be fooling no one but yourself. Yes, those internet tests are stupid and easy to guess the 'right' answers to. So are psychological tests at job interviews. They have choices like, "I think it's all right to steal from work." (duh...) and then 88 question choices later, It's not wrong to remove company property if you work there." - Like that's going to fool any one into thinking it's some other question.

You only have a double personality? Most people have countless aspects of personality. Most dogs and carts do. So that's nothing to worry about.

Originally Posted by grmpysmrf

You have serious control issues and sound like an asshole. As a guy who suffered from the mental abuse of a horrible woman who cheated constantly, I look forward to the day you try your bullshit on some man that figures out what you're doing and beats you beyond the realm of recognition.
good day

Advocating violence is not going to solve anything. And I think advocating domestic abuse especially is pretty nasty and frankly, it makes you no different to her or those like her.

Originally Posted by natureikarta

I enjoy torturing my partners. I change boyfriends a lot. At first, I try hard to make them fall for me and after that I just bored and then I make them think that they'll be nothing without me. Often until they will do everything for me, being crazy for me and sacrifice themselves. I even challenge one of my exes to slash their own hand with razor and I'm just happy when he did this for me. I try to take some stupid quizzes on internet and all of them say that I am psychopath. All the tests are completely easy to guess. Before I never thought I was a psycho but after took these tests I start think maybe I am. But I feel totally healthy. I feel nothing wrong with me. My only weakness is I am not good with emotion and empathy. I just have very little empathy and mostly when I feel some emotion, it just about me. For example when someone try to touch my privacy, I feel anger.When I was child, I go to psychologist once, and what I can tell is I can easily manipulate the psychologist and act like harmless child. I was a total bully at school. Everyone was afraid of me when I was child, even my own mother has no idea how to control me. She knows she can't. But when I grow up, I try to control this behavior and yeah, now I just use this manipulation to control guys. To make them fall over me and after that I just getting bored (mostly after 3-6 months), and I will dump them soon after I take everything they have. But even after breakup, they still look for me and fall hard for me.
And I really enjoy when I can make people so angry or emotional about something and that's because of me. I enjoy conflict with others, just to see their madness, how they loose their total control about themselves and start to act stupid because being angry. I cannot cry watching stupid drama or whatever that makes other cry. I often wonder why people start crying over stupid cinemas, I just can't understand why? I never fall in love and I don't want to.
for me, fall in love is just wasting time. Why should you be in love when I can get everything I want from guys even torturing their heart and physic without single piece of love?
I can have double personality. Back in school, I was really sweet student in front of teacher, very brilliant and smart, easy to act in stage (as an artist with different roles), but in front of my friends, I was the most evil friend they will ever have. I make fake personalities in job interviews based on interviewers.
I can somehow 'read people' minds. And I use that to behave according this impressions. And mostly I can manipulate many psychologists in job interviews. I did it just for fun. I can understand people emotion and read it and learn it and use it for my own advantages. But, I never feel their emotion. If this is not normal, what kind of psychologist should I see based on my experiences, I manipulate them easily?

I also got some almost sexual abuses back in past (the latest happened two weeks ago), but I face it very calm, I even play the emotion and passion of my sexual abusers until at the end they're giving up without even get any kind of sex activities with me. And I have no traumatic effect due to that experiences. And some people who knew this told me freak since I'm just okay with that.

How very textbook of you.

It fits too perfectly into the psychopath role you are trying to convey.

In other words, I don't believe you. You are citing textbook examples. If you are concerned about whether you are or not, then a trip to your doctor and asking for a referral to a specialist would review you would be more in order.

Originally Posted by Tranquille

How very textbook of you.

It fits too perfectly into the psychopath role you are trying to convey.

In other words, I don't believe you. You are citing textbook examples. If you are concerned about whether you are or not, then a trip to your doctor and asking for a referral to a specialist would review you would be more in order.

Agreed, its very textbook.

Originally Posted by skeptic

dedo
Do not confuse loose words with real intentions. I posted the statement that the world would be better off if all psychopaths were rounded up and shot. What I meant was not that we should do that, but that psychopaths were a destructive social force, and we would be better off without them.

People often say things they would never actually do.

Of course you would not do it. However, it is interesting that your suggestion came shortly after another poster exhorted "domestic violence".

There may be a lot of different factors going on with regard to causes of lack of empathy.

First, in regard to your hypothetical "solution" (shooting psychopaths), those that would carry out such an act would of course by murdering psychopaths themselves, and need to be "shot" as well. The cycle would continue until everyone is dead, or until someone refused to participate in the "solution".

Also, there are several types of people who can display a lack of empathy. Functioning professionals have been shown to improve in empathy with training. Normal people can become violent killers if exposed to the right environment. Violence can be trained, and military training teaches this. Many people even with personality disorders associated with lacking empathy are nonviolent. Some people have brain abnormalities that contribute to sociopath personality. Lack of empathy is a prominent characteristic of narcissists as well as sociopaths. The origins of personality disorders, and even group violence is poorly understood.

Thus, there are numerous potential causes of a lack of empathy including personal pet peeves etc.

Most people likely have feelings similar to what you expressed about different perceived threats.

For example, terrorist groups likely generate such feelings among members of the groups they target.

So we don't really know which etiology applies to the OP.

My concern is whether there is some etiology in a population that would make a normal law abiding citizen such as me or you to start down that road.

Also, even evil may have a purpose.

Personally, I think that the purpose of evil is so that the rest of us can recognize tendencies in ourselves and work to overcome them so we don't end up like demented killers.

Let me reiterate a point.

Being a psychopath is not about being violent. Most psychopaths are not violent. Not that they have a problem with violence, but they do not carry out actions unless those actions are to their own selfish benefit.

Nor is there much point trying to tell psychopaths to get help. Psychopaths generally are very happy with what they are, and do not want to change. Why should they? They are predators, and gain selfish benefit through exploiting others. Since they have no empathy or conscience, there is no downside to their way of doing things. At least not from their point of view.

Originally Posted by grmpysmrf

You . . . sound like an asshole.

Exactly. Not a person to waste any time on.

The greatest error on this thread is to make far reaching conclusions with limited information including:

1. "There is no point in seeking treatment." Wrong. There is no point in seeking treatment for what? There is insufficient information to diagnose anyone posting here with anything. Personality disorders are diagnosed with structured interviews that look at several areas. You cannot draw a conclusion on limited information. Even normal people can score positive in some areas. My understanding is that true psychopaths are much less common than people with antisocial personality disorder (APD) which can be managed by experts familiar with this.

However, the thread does open the door to some philosophical implications such as is it more beneficial to make decisions based on principles / values vs the perceived possibility of personal gain?

It is easy for any of us to fall into the trap of the latter category. However, the more we can purposefully work to stay in the first path, the more likely we will lead a fulfilling life.

This is one approach to treatment of APD, In that the therapist guides the patient to see how following a socially acceptable path is actually in the patient's best interest regardless whether the patient "feels" anything.

Of course, if God exists, then it is infinitely a better idea to follow a principled path.

Not all principles are religious, and self help books can be a great source for principles to follow.

I wish I had spent more time reading these sorts of books when I was younger.

Dedo

I did not say 'there is no point seeking treatment'. I said that "there is no point telling a psychopath to seek treatment". Do you understand how those statements are quite different?

The reason for what I said is simply that the typical psychopath sees no reason to change. After all, they are in the privileged position of being able to do whatever they want, unconstrained by conscience or empathy.

Originally Posted by natureikarta

I enjoy torturing my partners.

Is my partners a euphemism for forum members?

Originally Posted by skeptic

Dedo

I did not say 'there is no point seeking treatment'. I said that "there is no point telling a psychopath to seek treatment". Do you understand how those statements are quite different?

The reason for what I said is simply that the typical psychopath sees no reason to change. After all, they are in the privileged position of being able to do whatever they want, unconstrained by conscience or empathy.

Sorry for not responding sooner, we have been traveling abroad.

My main issue with your posts is the conclusive nature where there is not enough information, or expertise here (even if there was enough information) to draw such conclusions.

There is not enough information here to determine if the OP has a personality disorder that is much more common than being a "psychopath" or is just an abused person who is on the road to becoming an abuser.

Also, there is a lot that is not known about this class of disorders even among experts.

In any case, having the self awareness to recognize a need for treatment is a positive sign.

The correct answer is that this forum is not the place to make medical diagnosis; however, the behavior that has been described is alarming, and merits treatment by someone with the appropriate expertise.

Dedo

If you read up on the syndrome, you will discover that what I said is correct. Mostly, psychopaths do not want to change. They already feel superior, and they feel that their exploitive approach to other humans is the smart one.

Originally Posted by skeptic

Dedo

If you read up on the syndrome, you will discover that what I said is correct. Mostly, psychopaths do not want to change. They already feel superior, and they feel that their exploitive approach to other humans is the smart one.

Skeptic:

It is obvious from your posts that although you have a great deal of knowledge, you don't make diagnosis for living.

Your initial post indicated that the OP was most likely a psychopath and that assertion is wrong. Your subsequent posts implied that seeking treatment was pointless. That assertion is also wrong.

First, you cannot make this sort of diagnosis from a forum post.

Second, most people who lack empathy are not true psychopaths. Rather, the vast majority of these people are going to fall into other categories including victims of abuse, people with personality disorders, or just people who lack empathy. Many if not most of these people can respond to treatment / counseling.

In general, people who do make diagnosis for a living, try not to draw firm conclusions without enough information. That is why the term "differential diagnosis" is used to create a list of possibilities. Also, they refer people with issues outside of their training to experts with that training.

The mental health field is especially ambiguous compared to other health care fields. Thus it is important to find someone who has experience with the issues a person has.

Dedo

You are putting words in my mouth.

I did not say treatment was pointless. I said that psychopaths do not normally want treatment. Quite a different statement. Nor did I say all people without empathy are psychopaths. I said that psychopathy is mostly characterised by a lack of empathy and conscience, which is not the same thing.

I write to point out that the OP posted twice and hasn't returned. So why should we all even bother with this thread anymore? Let's move on, shall we?

Originally Posted by natureikarta

I even challenge one of my exes to slash their own hand with razor and I'm just happy when he did this for me.

Probably either we had here an extreme disclosure or one more troll fake Madonna in drag eliciting a response. "Nations go to war over women like her, it is a form of appreciation." -- Sheena Easton, Strut. Even if real, Ikarta probably is long gone from this forum, still poaching victims, until, as Madonna had happen to her, get raped at knife point by one that knows her and reads her like a book and wants to put out the effort in gaining her trust as one more 'victim'. If real and still reading, I suggest the Tucker Max book _I am an Asshole_ > he turned his life around, finally and now admits the root causes of it, via therapy apparently.

For anyone who thinks they are one (and so far I have avoided closely dealing with such extreme people in the inner circle) or wants to avoid them, watch the documentary
home / FisheadMovie

Ikarta, if real, could turn her life around and become, say, a policewoman as mentioned. Sounds like THe Girl With a Dragon Tattoo novel. Speaking of movies, Fishead mentions:

In preparation for her role as a psychopath Kidman referred to Dr Robert Hare, the renowned expert who provided some tips. He told her to get in character by imagining witnessing a car accident involving a young child. She would attend the scene purely as a curious observer, and be irritated if some blood splashed on her shoe. She would also note the reaction of the mother and then go home to practice her facial expressions in the mirror - the idea being to encourage Kidman to take on the characteristics of an emotionless killer - something she achieved with panache in this thriller.

Once I met a Scottish family in Glasgow whose daughter was off in the deep end, an admitted bully in school, who said she wants to into the military. It figured. The point is we pick our own poisons. Cheating and abusing people is ultimately a pretty empty pursuit. Often enough young people get turned around by some incident and use the mass of knowledge on how to manipulate people for better purposes. Steve Jobs could be sort of an example. Businessmen, generals, etc. are apparently _NOT_ more likely to be true psychopaths, but _are_ far more likely to be in the extreme variation if they are.


Again, watch Fishead. Here is the entire documentary. The best quote is at the end, about like this. "Who knows, with all the advantages, you might want to become one... We all have elements of a psychopath, but ... it is your responsibility to step across the aisle and say 'this is wrong'.

I Am Fishead - Documentary Film (2011) - YouTube