24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:03 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b623$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:2tb1f3l2etlu18cjg7o7v0jckltcm3p6mp@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> You will just lie to anyone who will listen, you only had one girlie
>> Sportster, and a junker three wheeler, what a LIAR!
>> You wouldn't know what a Harley day was if it grabbed your *****.
>> And if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.

Message-ID: <46f0b623$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:03 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b623$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:2tb1f3l2etlu18cjg7o7v0jckltcm3p6mp@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> You will just lie to anyone who will listen, you only had one girlie
>> Sportster, and a junker three wheeler, what a LIAR!
>> You wouldn't know what a Harley day was if it grabbed your *****.
>> And if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.

Message-ID: <46f0b623$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:03 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b623$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:2tb1f3l2etlu18cjg7o7v0jckltcm3p6mp@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> You will just lie to anyone who will listen, you only had one girlie
>> Sportster, and a junker three wheeler, what a LIAR!
>> You wouldn't know what a Harley day was if it grabbed your *****.
>> And if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand.

Message-ID: <46f0b623$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:20 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b633$0$16264$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:tuc1f3hrmri6dmbdq8o2uovv6bveh4qsl0@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
>>
>>
>> Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is practically synonymous with
>> criminal behavior, but as with all distributions of a disease or
>> whatever in a population, it is probable that the majority of people
>> with this particular affliction are law-abiding. Aging,
>> overinvolvements, and/or relationships might hold sway over the
>> control (or lack of control) in these kind of people, and although
>> approaching the study of offenders from a relationship & personality
>> disorders point of view may or may not be productive, Dr. Drew is
>> probably an adequate source of information on such matters. Dr.
>> Drew's theory (and one with wide ramifications since he pretty much
>> defines an antisocial tendency as thinking about one's self first) is
>> that women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline
>> personality disorders, tend to be attracted to and hook up with men
>> who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder (see
>> Lecture on BPD & OCD) and that such match-ups may or may not be
>> dysfunctional. On the other hand, the field of criminology tends to
>> treat APD as so synonymous, in fact, with criminal behavior that
>> practically all convicted criminals (65-75%) have it, with
>> criminologists often referring to it as a "wastebasket" category.
>> Antisocials come is all shapes and sizes, and psychologists consider
>> the juvenile version of it to be a juvenile conduct disorder. The main
>> characteristic of it is a complete and utter disregard for the rights
>> of others and the rules of society. They seldom show anxiety and don't
>> feel guilt. Although many people would hope that there's an effective
>> treatment, there's really no effective treatment for them other than
>> locking them up in a secure facility with such rigid rules that they
>> cannot talk their way out. A full list of APD traits would include:
>>
>>
>>
>> "List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits"
>>
>> Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others;
>> Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning;
>> Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible;
>> Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible.
>>
>> whereas the DSM-IV "clinical" features of Antisocial Personality
>> Disorder (with a person having at least three of these
>> characteristics) are:
>>
>>
>> "Clinical Symptoms for an Antisocial Personality Disorder
>> Diagnosis"
>>
>> 1. Failure to conform to social norms;
>> 2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness;
>> 3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead;
>> 4. Irritability, aggressiveness;
>> 5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
>> 6. Consistent irresponsibility;
>> 7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from
>> another person.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the
>> person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes
>> like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize
>> or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective.
>> Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires -
>> selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody
>> else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used
>> in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are
>> doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The
>> term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists
>> alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due
>> primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an
>> inherent feature of temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly
>> distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a
>> psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However,
>> this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least
>> four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and
>> dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of
>> conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or be loved;
>> aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and dyssocials by an
>> ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those rules are the wrong
>> rules. As Stout (2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following
>> to be defined as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits
>> include:
>>
>> "List of Common Sociopathic Traits"
>>
>> Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect;
>> Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to
>> resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the
>> opposite ---; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate.
>>
>>
>> Psychopathy is a concept subject to much debate, but is usually
>> defined as a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral
>> characteristics including egocentricity; impulsivity;
>> irresponsibility; shallow emotions; lack of empathy, guilt, or
>> remorse; pathological lying; manipulativeness; and the persistent
>> violation of social norms and expectations (Cleckley 1976; Hare 1993).
>> The crimes of psychopaths are usually stone-cold, remorseless killings
>> for no apparent reason. They cold-bloodedly take what they want and do
>> as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret. In many
>> ways, they are natural-born intraspecies predators who satisfy their
>> lust for power and control by charm, manipulation, intimidation, and
>> violence. While almost all societies would regard them as criminals
>> (the exception being frontier or warlike societies where they might
>> become heroes, patriots, or leaders), it's important to distinguish
>> their behavior from criminal behavior. As a common axiom goes in
>> psychology, MOST PSYCHOPATHS ARE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES BUT NOT ALL
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES ARE PSYCHOPATHS. This is because APD is
>> defined mainly by behaviors (Factor 2 antisocial behaviors) and
>> doesn't tap the affective/interpersonal dimensions (Factor 1 core
>> psychopathic features, narcissism) of psychopathy. Further, criminals
>> and APDs tend to "age out" of crime; psychopaths do not, and are at
>> high risk of recidivism. Psychopaths love to intellectualize in
>> treatment with their half-baked understanding of rules. Like the Star
>> Trek character, Spock, their reasoning cannot handle any mix of
>> cognition and emotion. They are calculating predators who, when
>> trapped, will attempt escape, create a nuisance and danger to staff,
>> be a disruptive influence on other patients or inmates, and fake
>> symptoms to get transferred, bouncing back and forth between
>> institutions. The common features of psychopathic traits (the PCL-R
>> items) are:
>>
>>
>> "List of Common Psychopathic Traits"
>>
>> Glib and superficial charm; Grandiose sense of self-worth; Need for
>> stimulation; Pathological lying; Conning and manipulativeness; Lack of
>> remorse or guilt; Shallow affect; Callousness and lack of empathy;
>> Parasitic lifestyle; Poor behavioral controls; Promiscuous sexual
>> behavior; Early behavior problems; Lack of realistic, long-term goals;
>> Impulsivity; Irresponsibility; Failure to accept responsibility for
>> own actions; Many short-term marital relationships; Juvenile
>> delinquency; Revocation of conditional release; Criminal versatility.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER"
>>
>>
>> The diagnosis of APD has long been controversial. The criteria for
>> it seem to change with each and every new edition of the Diagnostic
>> and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I 1968; DSM-II 1976;
>> DSM-III 1980; DSM-III-R 1987; DSM-IV 1994). The diagnosis was
>> substantially changed with DSM-III when the APA decided to distinguish
>> between child and adult characteristics, and essentially substituted
>> behavioral criteria (like truancy or law violations) for personality
>> criteria (like callousness and selfishness). In the DSM-III-R (R for
>> Revised), the focus was on violence and a list of violent acts
>> (fighting, cruelty to others, cruelty to animals). The current DSM-IV
>> approach essentially says that anything which is not sociopathy,
>> psychopathy or dyssocial personality disorder is antisocial
>> personality disorder, but there is considerable overlap. The
>> diagnostic possibilities are endless; there are at least 3 million
>> possible variations of symptoms on at least 62 different measurable
>> items.
>>
>> Ongoing research is quite prolific into the factor or principal
>> components analysis of APD characteristics. Most forensic experts
>> believe there are 3-4 factors (groupings of symptoms). One factor
>> involves symptoms that cluster around what might be called a Lack of
>> Planning (promiscuous, irresponsible, impulsive traits and behavior).
>> Another factor clusters around the notion of Disregard for Others. A
>> third factor is clearly related to Adult Criminality. A fourth factor
>> is clearly related to Juvenile Delinquency. Impulsivity appears to be
>> a prototypical (core) feature, but it can take many forms. Definitions
>> of impulsivity are numerous -- a tendency to act without reflection;
>> dysfunctional information processing; a tendency for risk taking;
>> sensation seeking; and an inability to sustain attention. Rating
>> scales are easily available to measure these.
>>
>> The incidence of APD is twice as high for inner-city residents
>> than in small towns or rural areas, and five times higher in males
>> than in females. It affects people in all social classes, but if
>> someone with APD is born into a family of wealth and privilege, they
>> will usually manage to eek out a successful business or political
>> career. Poorer people with APD tend to wind up in state prison
>> systems. Since African-Americans are seven times more likely to be
>> represented in state prison systems, it's tempting to speculate the
>> incidence of APD among African-Americans is high. However, there are
>> most likely other causes of crime among African-Americans (like
>> unemployment and racism). The fact is that most of the current prison
>> population, white or black, shares the APD diagnosis. All it takes is
>> a juvenile record, an adult offense career, aggressivity, impulsivity,
>> a checkered work history, and/or lack of demonstrable repentance.
>> These can be easily found in almost any prison inmate's dossier.
>>
>> One of the things closely related to APD is the comorbidity of
>> alcoholism and narcotic addiction. Some of the criteria for a
>> substance abuse disorder are very similar: theft, hazardous behavior,
>> failure to fulfill role functions in home, school, and work. A strong
>> correlation exists between substance abuse and factor 2 (antisocial
>> behaviors) of the psychopathy construct. APDs with a drug addiction
>> have some serious substance abuse problems -- the kind that lead to
>> death by overdose or accident within five years. Are APD and narcotic
>> addiction part of the same disorder, does one lead to the other, or
>> are they are spuriously linked together? From what little research
>> there is, it appears that most of the time, APD precedes narcotic
>> addiction, although some of the time, addiction leads to APD
>> behaviors. People with such comorbid characteristics also usually have
>> undiagnosed other Axis I and Axis II disorders.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOPATH"
>>
>>
>> From the wild Irish slums of the 19th Century Eastern seaboard to
>> the riot-torn anomic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, our society has
>> always produced sociopaths who are quite often the products of
>> illegitimacy, broken homes, and a lack of any bonding with male or
>> societal authority. Some 70% of sociopaths come from fatherless homes.
>> Father absence produces many consequences similar to the symptoms of
>> sociopathy -- early, precocious sexuality; antagonistic, deprecating
>> attitude toward the opposite ---; lack of interest in bonding with a
>> durable, stable mate; aggressive acting-out; excessive boasting; and
>> risk-taking behavior. Some 30% of children today are born
>> out-of-wedlock, and another 30% live in divorced homes. These
>> conditions - a problem of unsocialization - produce sociopathy.
>> Furthermore, sociopaths tend to reproduce themselves, that is, they
>> produce more than own their share of illegitimate offspring
>> themselves.
>>
>> So what is a sociopath? You won't find criteria in the DSM IV or
>> official psychiatric nomenclature, but the construct refers to the
>> largest subgroup of APDs. Most are males, but an increasing number are
>> female. They have otherwise normal temperaments (as opposed to
>> psychopaths who have abnormal temperaments). Some are aggressive,
>> fearless sensation seekers, and others are Machiavellian manipulators.
>> A Machiavellian is a personality type who is a cross between an
>> antisocial personality and a narcissist, and someone who also has an
>> extremely high sense of entitlement. The one thing that all
>> sociopaths have in common is that they are "too much" to handle for
>> their parents or anyone else. It's common to refer to them as
>> unsocialized, but the dyssocial sociopath does socialize to the mores
>> and values of a dyssocial outgroup, like a gang. Let's explore the
>> four (4) subtypes of sociopaths:
>>
>> COMMON SOCIOPATHS are the largest subtype and have a weak or
>> unelaborated conscience. They are not ashamed by the same things as
>> you or I would be ashamed of. They are like feral children grown up,
>> taking pleasures and gratifying impulses at every opportunity or
>> temptation. They especially enjoy and take pride in bending or
>> breaking the rules. As teenagers, they are often runaways. As adults,
>> they are often geographically mobile, living in shelters, or taking
>> advantage of welfare systems. They are experienced shoplifters. They
>> have quite active --- lives. They are usually of average intelligence,
>> but don't do well in school and never seem to break out of low-paying
>> dead-end jobs. Nevertheless, they seem genuinely happy with their
>> lives, unburdened by any sense of negative self-worth or the fact that
>> they have not been a functional, contributing member of society.
>>
>> ALIENATED SOCIOPATHS have never developed the ability to love,
>> empathize, or affiliate in real life with another person. They will
>> show more emotion toward their pet or a personal artifact than toward
>> a person. Or, they may hate animals and live out their emotional life
>> by watching TV (identification with soap opera characters is a common
>> pattern). Dating and marriage relationships will be very barren and
>> empty. They won't get along with the neighbors. They live in a shell.
>> They have a cold, callous attitude toward human suffering or any
>> social problem in the society they live in. They just don't care
>> because it's outside their range of empathy. Most will believe they
>> are justified in this because they feel they were cheated in some way
>> themselves by society, and a few will be more than happy to rant and
>> rave about it to anyone who listens. They are chronic complainers, and
>> underneath it all, they would like to see nothing better than all of
>> society destroyed.
>>
>> AGGRESSIVE SOCIOPATHS derive strong, yet nonperverse gratification
>> from harming others. They like to hurt, frighten, tyrannize, bully,
>> and manipulate. They do it for a sense of power and control, and will
>> often only drop subtle hints about what they are up to. They polish
>> their aggressive, domineering manner in such a way to disguise any
>> intimidation others might feel. They seek out positions of power, such
>> as parent, teacher, bureaucrat, supervisor, or police officer. Their
>> style is one of passive aggression as they systematically go about
>> sabotaging the ideas of others to get their ideas in place. In their
>> spare time, they like to hunt or occasionally do sadistic things like
>> find stray dogs and cut them up. They are usually effective at getting
>> their way, and are especially vindictive if resisted or crossed. They
>> don't follow the social norm of reciprocity like others do.
>>
>> DYSSOCIAL SOCIOPATHS identify and hold an allegiance with a
>> dyssocial, outcast, or predatory subculture. Any subculture will do,
>> as long as it runs counter to established authority. They are capable
>> of intense loyalty, and even a feeling of guilt and shame, within such
>> limited circles. They seem to continually fall upon bad luck and bad
>> companions, however. While they will constantly complain that none of
>> this is their fault, behind it all is a kind of self-defeating
>> mechanism in the poor choices they made themselves.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHOPATH"
>>
>>
>> Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or
>> development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who
>> represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and
>> untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and
>> emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age
>> 50 or so, then tapers off. Their emotionlessness reflects a detached,
>> fearless, and possibly dissociated state, revealing a lower autonomic
>> nervous system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what
>> motivates them - control and dominance possibly - since their life
>> history will usually show no bonds with others nor much rhyme to their
>> reason (other than the planning of violence). They tend to operate
>> with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of entitlement, an insatiable
>> appetite, and a tendency toward sadism. Fearlessness is probably the
>> prototypical (core) characteristic (the low-fear hypothesis). It's
>> helpful to think of them as high-speed vehicles with ineffective
>> brakes. Certain organic (brain) disorders and hormonal imbalances
>> mimic the state of mind of a psychopath.
>>
>> There are four (4) different subtypes of psychopaths. The oldest
>> distinction was made by Cleckley back in 1941 between primary and
>> secondary. However, we'll explore the other two subtypes first:
>>
>> DISTEMPERED PSYCHOPATHS are the kind that seem to fly into a rage
>> or frenzy more easily and more often than other subtypes. Their frenzy
>> will resemble an epileptic fit. They are also usually men with
>> incredibly strong --- drives, capable of astonishing feats of sexual
>> energy, and seemingly obsessed by sexual urges during a large part of
>> their waking lives. Powerful cravings also seem to characterize them,
>> as in drug addiction, kleptomania, pedophilia, any illicit or illegal
>> indulgence. They like the endorphin "high" or "rush" off of excitement
>> and risk-taking. The serial-rapist-murderer known as the Boston
>> Strangler was such a psychopath.
>>
>> CHARISMATIC PSYCHOPATHS are charming, attractive liars. They are
>> usually gifted at some talent or another, and they use it to their
>> advantage in manipulating others. They are usually fast-talkers, and
>> possess an almost demonic ability to persuade others out of everything
>> they own, even their lives. Leaders of religious sects or cults, for
>> example, might be psychopaths if they lead their followers to their
>> deaths. This subtype often comes to believe in their own fictions.
>> They are irresistible.
>>
>> PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS do not respond to punishment, apprehension,
>> stress, or disapproval. They seem to be able to inhibit their
>> antisocial impulses most of the time, not because of conscience, but
>> because it suits their purpose at the time. Words do not seem to have
>> the same meaning for them as they do for us. In fact, it's unclear if
>> they even grasp the meaning of their own words, a condition that
>> Cleckley called "semantic aphasia." They don't follow any life plan,
>> and it seems as if they are incapable of experiencing any genuine
>> emotion.
>>
>> SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHS are risk-takers, but are also more likely to
>> be stress-reactive, worriers, and guilt-prone. They expose themselves
>> to more stress than the average person, but they are as vulnerable to
>> stress as the average person. They are daring, adventurous,
>> unconventional people who began playing by their own rules early in
>> life. They are strongly driven by a desire to escape or avoid pain,
>> but are unable to resist temptation. As their anxiety increases toward
>> some forbidden object, so does their attraction to it. They live their
>> lives by the lure of temptation.
>>
>> Hare's PCL-R 20-item checklist is based on Cleckley's 16-item
>> checklist, and the following is a discussion of the concepts in the
>> PCL-R:
>>
>> 1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging,
>> charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the
>> least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath
>> never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social
>> conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.
>>
>> 2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities
>> and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart.
>> Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human
>> beings.
>>
>> 3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need
>> for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and
>> doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low
>> self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they
>> get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of
>> time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or
>> routine.
>>
>> 4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form,
>> they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme
>> form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous,
>> manipulative, and dishonest.
>>
>> 5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to
>> cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from
>> Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness
>> is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and
>> suffering of one's victims.
>>
>> 6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the
>> losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned,
>> dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic. This item is usually
>> demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.
>>
>> 7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of
>> feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open
>> gregariousness.
>>
>> 8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people
>> in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
>>
>> 9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and
>> exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of
>> motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete
>> responsibilities.
>>
>> 10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability,
>> annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;
>> inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
>>
>> 11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial
>> relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual
>> partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a
>> history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or
>> taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.
>>
>> 12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviors prior to age 13,
>> including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual
>> activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away
>> from home.
>>
>> 13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent
>> failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic
>> existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
>>
>> 14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated
>> and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation,
>> frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering
>> the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and
>> reckless.
>>
>> 15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfill or honor
>> obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on
>> loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing
>> to honor contractual agreements.
>>
>> 16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to
>> accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low
>> conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic
>> manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate
>> others through this denial.
>>
>> 17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS -- a lack of commitment to a
>> long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and
>> unreliable commitments in life, including marital.
>>
>> 18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behavior problems between the ages of
>> 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of
>> antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous,
>> ruthless tough-mindedness.
>>
>> 19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or
>> other conditional release due to technical violations, such as
>> carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.
>>
>> 20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses,
>> regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them;
>> taking great pride at getting away with crimes.
>>
Message-ID: <46f0b633$0$16264$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:20 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b633$0$16264$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:tuc1f3hrmri6dmbdq8o2uovv6bveh4qsl0@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
>>
>>
>> Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is practically synonymous with
>> criminal behavior, but as with all distributions of a disease or
>> whatever in a population, it is probable that the majority of people
>> with this particular affliction are law-abiding. Aging,
>> overinvolvements, and/or relationships might hold sway over the
>> control (or lack of control) in these kind of people, and although
>> approaching the study of offenders from a relationship & personality
>> disorders point of view may or may not be productive, Dr. Drew is
>> probably an adequate source of information on such matters. Dr.
>> Drew's theory (and one with wide ramifications since he pretty much
>> defines an antisocial tendency as thinking about one's self first) is
>> that women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline
>> personality disorders, tend to be attracted to and hook up with men
>> who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder (see
>> Lecture on BPD & OCD) and that such match-ups may or may not be
>> dysfunctional. On the other hand, the field of criminology tends to
>> treat APD as so synonymous, in fact, with criminal behavior that
>> practically all convicted criminals (65-75%) have it, with
>> criminologists often referring to it as a "wastebasket" category.
>> Antisocials come is all shapes and sizes, and psychologists consider
>> the juvenile version of it to be a juvenile conduct disorder. The main
>> characteristic of it is a complete and utter disregard for the rights
>> of others and the rules of society. They seldom show anxiety and don't
>> feel guilt. Although many people would hope that there's an effective
>> treatment, there's really no effective treatment for them other than
>> locking them up in a secure facility with such rigid rules that they
>> cannot talk their way out. A full list of APD traits would include:
>>
>>
>>
>> "List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits"
>>
>> Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others;
>> Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning;
>> Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible;
>> Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible.
>>
>> whereas the DSM-IV "clinical" features of Antisocial Personality
>> Disorder (with a person having at least three of these
>> characteristics) are:
>>
>>
>> "Clinical Symptoms for an Antisocial Personality Disorder
>> Diagnosis"
>>
>> 1. Failure to conform to social norms;
>> 2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness;
>> 3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead;
>> 4. Irritability, aggressiveness;
>> 5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
>> 6. Consistent irresponsibility;
>> 7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from
>> another person.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the
>> person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes
>> like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize
>> or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective.
>> Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires -
>> selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody
>> else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used
>> in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are
>> doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The
>> term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists
>> alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due
>> primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an
>> inherent feature of temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly
>> distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a
>> psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However,
>> this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least
>> four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and
>> dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of
>> conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or be loved;
>> aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and dyssocials by an
>> ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those rules are the wrong
>> rules. As Stout (2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following
>> to be defined as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits
>> include:
>>
>> "List of Common Sociopathic Traits"
>>
>> Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect;
>> Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to
>> resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the
>> opposite ---; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate.
>>
>>
>> Psychopathy is a concept subject to much debate, but is usually
>> defined as a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral
>> characteristics including egocentricity; impulsivity;
>> irresponsibility; shallow emotions; lack of empathy, guilt, or
>> remorse; pathological lying; manipulativeness; and the persistent
>> violation of social norms and expectations (Cleckley 1976; Hare 1993).
>> The crimes of psychopaths are usually stone-cold, remorseless killings
>> for no apparent reason. They cold-bloodedly take what they want and do
>> as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret. In many
>> ways, they are natural-born intraspecies predators who satisfy their
>> lust for power and control by charm, manipulation, intimidation, and
>> violence. While almost all societies would regard them as criminals
>> (the exception being frontier or warlike societies where they might
>> become heroes, patriots, or leaders), it's important to distinguish
>> their behavior from criminal behavior. As a common axiom goes in
>> psychology, MOST PSYCHOPATHS ARE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES BUT NOT ALL
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES ARE PSYCHOPATHS. This is because APD is
>> defined mainly by behaviors (Factor 2 antisocial behaviors) and
>> doesn't tap the affective/interpersonal dimensions (Factor 1 core
>> psychopathic features, narcissism) of psychopathy. Further, criminals
>> and APDs tend to "age out" of crime; psychopaths do not, and are at
>> high risk of recidivism. Psychopaths love to intellectualize in
>> treatment with their half-baked understanding of rules. Like the Star
>> Trek character, Spock, their reasoning cannot handle any mix of
>> cognition and emotion. They are calculating predators who, when
>> trapped, will attempt escape, create a nuisance and danger to staff,
>> be a disruptive influence on other patients or inmates, and fake
>> symptoms to get transferred, bouncing back and forth between
>> institutions. The common features of psychopathic traits (the PCL-R
>> items) are:
>>
>>
>> "List of Common Psychopathic Traits"
>>
>> Glib and superficial charm; Grandiose sense of self-worth; Need for
>> stimulation; Pathological lying; Conning and manipulativeness; Lack of
>> remorse or guilt; Shallow affect; Callousness and lack of empathy;
>> Parasitic lifestyle; Poor behavioral controls; Promiscuous sexual
>> behavior; Early behavior problems; Lack of realistic, long-term goals;
>> Impulsivity; Irresponsibility; Failure to accept responsibility for
>> own actions; Many short-term marital relationships; Juvenile
>> delinquency; Revocation of conditional release; Criminal versatility.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER"
>>
>>
>> The diagnosis of APD has long been controversial. The criteria for
>> it seem to change with each and every new edition of the Diagnostic
>> and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I 1968; DSM-II 1976;
>> DSM-III 1980; DSM-III-R 1987; DSM-IV 1994). The diagnosis was
>> substantially changed with DSM-III when the APA decided to distinguish
>> between child and adult characteristics, and essentially substituted
>> behavioral criteria (like truancy or law violations) for personality
>> criteria (like callousness and selfishness). In the DSM-III-R (R for
>> Revised), the focus was on violence and a list of violent acts
>> (fighting, cruelty to others, cruelty to animals). The current DSM-IV
>> approach essentially says that anything which is not sociopathy,
>> psychopathy or dyssocial personality disorder is antisocial
>> personality disorder, but there is considerable overlap. The
>> diagnostic possibilities are endless; there are at least 3 million
>> possible variations of symptoms on at least 62 different measurable
>> items.
>>
>> Ongoing research is quite prolific into the factor or principal
>> components analysis of APD characteristics. Most forensic experts
>> believe there are 3-4 factors (groupings of symptoms). One factor
>> involves symptoms that cluster around what might be called a Lack of
>> Planning (promiscuous, irresponsible, impulsive traits and behavior).
>> Another factor clusters around the notion of Disregard for Others. A
>> third factor is clearly related to Adult Criminality. A fourth factor
>> is clearly related to Juvenile Delinquency. Impulsivity appears to be
>> a prototypical (core) feature, but it can take many forms. Definitions
>> of impulsivity are numerous -- a tendency to act without reflection;
>> dysfunctional information processing; a tendency for risk taking;
>> sensation seeking; and an inability to sustain attention. Rating
>> scales are easily available to measure these.
>>
>> The incidence of APD is twice as high for inner-city residents
>> than in small towns or rural areas, and five times higher in males
>> than in females. It affects people in all social classes, but if
>> someone with APD is born into a family of wealth and privilege, they
>> will usually manage to eek out a successful business or political
>> career. Poorer people with APD tend to wind up in state prison
>> systems. Since African-Americans are seven times more likely to be
>> represented in state prison systems, it's tempting to speculate the
>> incidence of APD among African-Americans is high. However, there are
>> most likely other causes of crime among African-Americans (like
>> unemployment and racism). The fact is that most of the current prison
>> population, white or black, shares the APD diagnosis. All it takes is
>> a juvenile record, an adult offense career, aggressivity, impulsivity,
>> a checkered work history, and/or lack of demonstrable repentance.
>> These can be easily found in almost any prison inmate's dossier.
>>
>> One of the things closely related to APD is the comorbidity of
>> alcoholism and narcotic addiction. Some of the criteria for a
>> substance abuse disorder are very similar: theft, hazardous behavior,
>> failure to fulfill role functions in home, school, and work. A strong
>> correlation exists between substance abuse and factor 2 (antisocial
>> behaviors) of the psychopathy construct. APDs with a drug addiction
>> have some serious substance abuse problems -- the kind that lead to
>> death by overdose or accident within five years. Are APD and narcotic
>> addiction part of the same disorder, does one lead to the other, or
>> are they are spuriously linked together? From what little research
>> there is, it appears that most of the time, APD precedes narcotic
>> addiction, although some of the time, addiction leads to APD
>> behaviors. People with such comorbid characteristics also usually have
>> undiagnosed other Axis I and Axis II disorders.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOPATH"
>>
>>
>> From the wild Irish slums of the 19th Century Eastern seaboard to
>> the riot-torn anomic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, our society has
>> always produced sociopaths who are quite often the products of
>> illegitimacy, broken homes, and a lack of any bonding with male or
>> societal authority. Some 70% of sociopaths come from fatherless homes.
>> Father absence produces many consequences similar to the symptoms of
>> sociopathy -- early, precocious sexuality; antagonistic, deprecating
>> attitude toward the opposite ---; lack of interest in bonding with a
>> durable, stable mate; aggressive acting-out; excessive boasting; and
>> risk-taking behavior. Some 30% of children today are born
>> out-of-wedlock, and another 30% live in divorced homes. These
>> conditions - a problem of unsocialization - produce sociopathy.
>> Furthermore, sociopaths tend to reproduce themselves, that is, they
>> produce more than own their share of illegitimate offspring
>> themselves.
>>
>> So what is a sociopath? You won't find criteria in the DSM IV or
>> official psychiatric nomenclature, but the construct refers to the
>> largest subgroup of APDs. Most are males, but an increasing number are
>> female. They have otherwise normal temperaments (as opposed to
>> psychopaths who have abnormal temperaments). Some are aggressive,
>> fearless sensation seekers, and others are Machiavellian manipulators.
>> A Machiavellian is a personality type who is a cross between an
>> antisocial personality and a narcissist, and someone who also has an
>> extremely high sense of entitlement. The one thing that all
>> sociopaths have in common is that they are "too much" to handle for
>> their parents or anyone else. It's common to refer to them as
>> unsocialized, but the dyssocial sociopath does socialize to the mores
>> and values of a dyssocial outgroup, like a gang. Let's explore the
>> four (4) subtypes of sociopaths:
>>
>> COMMON SOCIOPATHS are the largest subtype and have a weak or
>> unelaborated conscience. They are not ashamed by the same things as
>> you or I would be ashamed of. They are like feral children grown up,
>> taking pleasures and gratifying impulses at every opportunity or
>> temptation. They especially enjoy and take pride in bending or
>> breaking the rules. As teenagers, they are often runaways. As adults,
>> they are often geographically mobile, living in shelters, or taking
>> advantage of welfare systems. They are experienced shoplifters. They
>> have quite active --- lives. They are usually of average intelligence,
>> but don't do well in school and never seem to break out of low-paying
>> dead-end jobs. Nevertheless, they seem genuinely happy with their
>> lives, unburdened by any sense of negative self-worth or the fact that
>> they have not been a functional, contributing member of society.
>>
>> ALIENATED SOCIOPATHS have never developed the ability to love,
>> empathize, or affiliate in real life with another person. They will
>> show more emotion toward their pet or a personal artifact than toward
>> a person. Or, they may hate animals and live out their emotional life
>> by watching TV (identification with soap opera characters is a common
>> pattern). Dating and marriage relationships will be very barren and
>> empty. They won't get along with the neighbors. They live in a shell.
>> They have a cold, callous attitude toward human suffering or any
>> social problem in the society they live in. They just don't care
>> because it's outside their range of empathy. Most will believe they
>> are justified in this because they feel they were cheated in some way
>> themselves by society, and a few will be more than happy to rant and
>> rave about it to anyone who listens. They are chronic complainers, and
>> underneath it all, they would like to see nothing better than all of
>> society destroyed.
>>
>> AGGRESSIVE SOCIOPATHS derive strong, yet nonperverse gratification
>> from harming others. They like to hurt, frighten, tyrannize, bully,
>> and manipulate. They do it for a sense of power and control, and will
>> often only drop subtle hints about what they are up to. They polish
>> their aggressive, domineering manner in such a way to disguise any
>> intimidation others might feel. They seek out positions of power, such
>> as parent, teacher, bureaucrat, supervisor, or police officer. Their
>> style is one of passive aggression as they systematically go about
>> sabotaging the ideas of others to get their ideas in place. In their
>> spare time, they like to hunt or occasionally do sadistic things like
>> find stray dogs and cut them up. They are usually effective at getting
>> their way, and are especially vindictive if resisted or crossed. They
>> don't follow the social norm of reciprocity like others do.
>>
>> DYSSOCIAL SOCIOPATHS identify and hold an allegiance with a
>> dyssocial, outcast, or predatory subculture. Any subculture will do,
>> as long as it runs counter to established authority. They are capable
>> of intense loyalty, and even a feeling of guilt and shame, within such
>> limited circles. They seem to continually fall upon bad luck and bad
>> companions, however. While they will constantly complain that none of
>> this is their fault, behind it all is a kind of self-defeating
>> mechanism in the poor choices they made themselves.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHOPATH"
>>
>>
>> Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or
>> development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who
>> represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and
>> untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and
>> emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age
>> 50 or so, then tapers off. Their emotionlessness reflects a detached,
>> fearless, and possibly dissociated state, revealing a lower autonomic
>> nervous system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what
>> motivates them - control and dominance possibly - since their life
>> history will usually show no bonds with others nor much rhyme to their
>> reason (other than the planning of violence). They tend to operate
>> with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of entitlement, an insatiable
>> appetite, and a tendency toward sadism. Fearlessness is probably the
>> prototypical (core) characteristic (the low-fear hypothesis). It's
>> helpful to think of them as high-speed vehicles with ineffective
>> brakes. Certain organic (brain) disorders and hormonal imbalances
>> mimic the state of mind of a psychopath.
>>
>> There are four (4) different subtypes of psychopaths. The oldest
>> distinction was made by Cleckley back in 1941 between primary and
>> secondary. However, we'll explore the other two subtypes first:
>>
>> DISTEMPERED PSYCHOPATHS are the kind that seem to fly into a rage
>> or frenzy more easily and more often than other subtypes. Their frenzy
>> will resemble an epileptic fit. They are also usually men with
>> incredibly strong --- drives, capable of astonishing feats of sexual
>> energy, and seemingly obsessed by sexual urges during a large part of
>> their waking lives. Powerful cravings also seem to characterize them,
>> as in drug addiction, kleptomania, pedophilia, any illicit or illegal
>> indulgence. They like the endorphin "high" or "rush" off of excitement
>> and risk-taking. The serial-rapist-murderer known as the Boston
>> Strangler was such a psychopath.
>>
>> CHARISMATIC PSYCHOPATHS are charming, attractive liars. They are
>> usually gifted at some talent or another, and they use it to their
>> advantage in manipulating others. They are usually fast-talkers, and
>> possess an almost demonic ability to persuade others out of everything
>> they own, even their lives. Leaders of religious sects or cults, for
>> example, might be psychopaths if they lead their followers to their
>> deaths. This subtype often comes to believe in their own fictions.
>> They are irresistible.
>>
>> PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS do not respond to punishment, apprehension,
>> stress, or disapproval. They seem to be able to inhibit their
>> antisocial impulses most of the time, not because of conscience, but
>> because it suits their purpose at the time. Words do not seem to have
>> the same meaning for them as they do for us. In fact, it's unclear if
>> they even grasp the meaning of their own words, a condition that
>> Cleckley called "semantic aphasia." They don't follow any life plan,
>> and it seems as if they are incapable of experiencing any genuine
>> emotion.
>>
>> SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHS are risk-takers, but are also more likely to
>> be stress-reactive, worriers, and guilt-prone. They expose themselves
>> to more stress than the average person, but they are as vulnerable to
>> stress as the average person. They are daring, adventurous,
>> unconventional people who began playing by their own rules early in
>> life. They are strongly driven by a desire to escape or avoid pain,
>> but are unable to resist temptation. As their anxiety increases toward
>> some forbidden object, so does their attraction to it. They live their
>> lives by the lure of temptation.
>>
>> Hare's PCL-R 20-item checklist is based on Cleckley's 16-item
>> checklist, and the following is a discussion of the concepts in the
>> PCL-R:
>>
>> 1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging,
>> charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the
>> least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath
>> never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social
>> conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.
>>
>> 2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities
>> and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart.
>> Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human
>> beings.
>>
>> 3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need
>> for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and
>> doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low
>> self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they
>> get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of
>> time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or
>> routine.
>>
>> 4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form,
>> they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme
>> form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous,
>> manipulative, and dishonest.
>>
>> 5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to
>> cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from
>> Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness
>> is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and
>> suffering of one's victims.
>>
>> 6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the
>> losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned,
>> dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic. This item is usually
>> demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.
>>
>> 7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of
>> feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open
>> gregariousness.
>>
>> 8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people
>> in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
>>
>> 9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and
>> exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of
>> motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete
>> responsibilities.
>>
>> 10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability,
>> annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;
>> inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
>>
>> 11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial
>> relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual
>> partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a
>> history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or
>> taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.
>>
>> 12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviors prior to age 13,
>> including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual
>> activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away
>> from home.
>>
>> 13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent
>> failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic
>> existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
>>
>> 14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated
>> and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation,
>> frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering
>> the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and
>> reckless.
>>
>> 15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfill or honor
>> obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on
>> loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing
>> to honor contractual agreements.
>>
>> 16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to
>> accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low
>> conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic
>> manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate
>> others through this denial.
>>
>> 17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS -- a lack of commitment to a
>> long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and
>> unreliable commitments in life, including marital.
>>
>> 18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behavior problems between the ages of
>> 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of
>> antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous,
>> ruthless tough-mindedness.
>>
>> 19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or
>> other conditional release due to technical violations, such as
>> carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.
>>
>> 20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses,
>> regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them;
>> taking great pride at getting away with crimes.
>>
Message-ID: <46f0b633$0$16264$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:20 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b633$0$16264$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:tuc1f3hrmri6dmbdq8o2uovv6bveh4qsl0@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
>>
>>
>> Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is practically synonymous with
>> criminal behavior, but as with all distributions of a disease or
>> whatever in a population, it is probable that the majority of people
>> with this particular affliction are law-abiding. Aging,
>> overinvolvements, and/or relationships might hold sway over the
>> control (or lack of control) in these kind of people, and although
>> approaching the study of offenders from a relationship & personality
>> disorders point of view may or may not be productive, Dr. Drew is
>> probably an adequate source of information on such matters. Dr.
>> Drew's theory (and one with wide ramifications since he pretty much
>> defines an antisocial tendency as thinking about one's self first) is
>> that women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline
>> personality disorders, tend to be attracted to and hook up with men
>> who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder (see
>> Lecture on BPD & OCD) and that such match-ups may or may not be
>> dysfunctional. On the other hand, the field of criminology tends to
>> treat APD as so synonymous, in fact, with criminal behavior that
>> practically all convicted criminals (65-75%) have it, with
>> criminologists often referring to it as a "wastebasket" category.
>> Antisocials come is all shapes and sizes, and psychologists consider
>> the juvenile version of it to be a juvenile conduct disorder. The main
>> characteristic of it is a complete and utter disregard for the rights
>> of others and the rules of society. They seldom show anxiety and don't
>> feel guilt. Although many people would hope that there's an effective
>> treatment, there's really no effective treatment for them other than
>> locking them up in a secure facility with such rigid rules that they
>> cannot talk their way out. A full list of APD traits would include:
>>
>>
>>
>> "List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits"
>>
>> Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others;
>> Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning;
>> Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible;
>> Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible.
>>
>> whereas the DSM-IV "clinical" features of Antisocial Personality
>> Disorder (with a person having at least three of these
>> characteristics) are:
>>
>>
>> "Clinical Symptoms for an Antisocial Personality Disorder
>> Diagnosis"
>>
>> 1. Failure to conform to social norms;
>> 2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness;
>> 3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead;
>> 4. Irritability, aggressiveness;
>> 5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
>> 6. Consistent irresponsibility;
>> 7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from
>> another person.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the
>> person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes
>> like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize
>> or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective.
>> Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires -
>> selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody
>> else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used
>> in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are
>> doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The
>> term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists
>> alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due
>> primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an
>> inherent feature of temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly
>> distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a
>> psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However,
>> this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least
>> four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and
>> dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of
>> conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or be loved;
>> aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and dyssocials by an
>> ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those rules are the wrong
>> rules. As Stout (2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following
>> to be defined as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits
>> include:
>>
>> "List of Common Sociopathic Traits"
>>
>> Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect;
>> Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to
>> resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the
>> opposite ---; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate.
>>
>>
>> Psychopathy is a concept subject to much debate, but is usually
>> defined as a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral
>> characteristics including egocentricity; impulsivity;
>> irresponsibility; shallow emotions; lack of empathy, guilt, or
>> remorse; pathological lying; manipulativeness; and the persistent
>> violation of social norms and expectations (Cleckley 1976; Hare 1993).
>> The crimes of psychopaths are usually stone-cold, remorseless killings
>> for no apparent reason. They cold-bloodedly take what they want and do
>> as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret. In many
>> ways, they are natural-born intraspecies predators who satisfy their
>> lust for power and control by charm, manipulation, intimidation, and
>> violence. While almost all societies would regard them as criminals
>> (the exception being frontier or warlike societies where they might
>> become heroes, patriots, or leaders), it's important to distinguish
>> their behavior from criminal behavior. As a common axiom goes in
>> psychology, MOST PSYCHOPATHS ARE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES BUT NOT ALL
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES ARE PSYCHOPATHS. This is because APD is
>> defined mainly by behaviors (Factor 2 antisocial behaviors) and
>> doesn't tap the affective/interpersonal dimensions (Factor 1 core
>> psychopathic features, narcissism) of psychopathy. Further, criminals
>> and APDs tend to "age out" of crime; psychopaths do not, and are at
>> high risk of recidivism. Psychopaths love to intellectualize in
>> treatment with their half-baked understanding of rules. Like the Star
>> Trek character, Spock, their reasoning cannot handle any mix of
>> cognition and emotion. They are calculating predators who, when
>> trapped, will attempt escape, create a nuisance and danger to staff,
>> be a disruptive influence on other patients or inmates, and fake
>> symptoms to get transferred, bouncing back and forth between
>> institutions. The common features of psychopathic traits (the PCL-R
>> items) are:
>>
>>
>> "List of Common Psychopathic Traits"
>>
>> Glib and superficial charm; Grandiose sense of self-worth; Need for
>> stimulation; Pathological lying; Conning and manipulativeness; Lack of
>> remorse or guilt; Shallow affect; Callousness and lack of empathy;
>> Parasitic lifestyle; Poor behavioral controls; Promiscuous sexual
>> behavior; Early behavior problems; Lack of realistic, long-term goals;
>> Impulsivity; Irresponsibility; Failure to accept responsibility for
>> own actions; Many short-term marital relationships; Juvenile
>> delinquency; Revocation of conditional release; Criminal versatility.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER"
>>
>>
>> The diagnosis of APD has long been controversial. The criteria for
>> it seem to change with each and every new edition of the Diagnostic
>> and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I 1968; DSM-II 1976;
>> DSM-III 1980; DSM-III-R 1987; DSM-IV 1994). The diagnosis was
>> substantially changed with DSM-III when the APA decided to distinguish
>> between child and adult characteristics, and essentially substituted
>> behavioral criteria (like truancy or law violations) for personality
>> criteria (like callousness and selfishness). In the DSM-III-R (R for
>> Revised), the focus was on violence and a list of violent acts
>> (fighting, cruelty to others, cruelty to animals). The current DSM-IV
>> approach essentially says that anything which is not sociopathy,
>> psychopathy or dyssocial personality disorder is antisocial
>> personality disorder, but there is considerable overlap. The
>> diagnostic possibilities are endless; there are at least 3 million
>> possible variations of symptoms on at least 62 different measurable
>> items.
>>
>> Ongoing research is quite prolific into the factor or principal
>> components analysis of APD characteristics. Most forensic experts
>> believe there are 3-4 factors (groupings of symptoms). One factor
>> involves symptoms that cluster around what might be called a Lack of
>> Planning (promiscuous, irresponsible, impulsive traits and behavior).
>> Another factor clusters around the notion of Disregard for Others. A
>> third factor is clearly related to Adult Criminality. A fourth factor
>> is clearly related to Juvenile Delinquency. Impulsivity appears to be
>> a prototypical (core) feature, but it can take many forms. Definitions
>> of impulsivity are numerous -- a tendency to act without reflection;
>> dysfunctional information processing; a tendency for risk taking;
>> sensation seeking; and an inability to sustain attention. Rating
>> scales are easily available to measure these.
>>
>> The incidence of APD is twice as high for inner-city residents
>> than in small towns or rural areas, and five times higher in males
>> than in females. It affects people in all social classes, but if
>> someone with APD is born into a family of wealth and privilege, they
>> will usually manage to eek out a successful business or political
>> career. Poorer people with APD tend to wind up in state prison
>> systems. Since African-Americans are seven times more likely to be
>> represented in state prison systems, it's tempting to speculate the
>> incidence of APD among African-Americans is high. However, there are
>> most likely other causes of crime among African-Americans (like
>> unemployment and racism). The fact is that most of the current prison
>> population, white or black, shares the APD diagnosis. All it takes is
>> a juvenile record, an adult offense career, aggressivity, impulsivity,
>> a checkered work history, and/or lack of demonstrable repentance.
>> These can be easily found in almost any prison inmate's dossier.
>>
>> One of the things closely related to APD is the comorbidity of
>> alcoholism and narcotic addiction. Some of the criteria for a
>> substance abuse disorder are very similar: theft, hazardous behavior,
>> failure to fulfill role functions in home, school, and work. A strong
>> correlation exists between substance abuse and factor 2 (antisocial
>> behaviors) of the psychopathy construct. APDs with a drug addiction
>> have some serious substance abuse problems -- the kind that lead to
>> death by overdose or accident within five years. Are APD and narcotic
>> addiction part of the same disorder, does one lead to the other, or
>> are they are spuriously linked together? From what little research
>> there is, it appears that most of the time, APD precedes narcotic
>> addiction, although some of the time, addiction leads to APD
>> behaviors. People with such comorbid characteristics also usually have
>> undiagnosed other Axis I and Axis II disorders.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOPATH"
>>
>>
>> From the wild Irish slums of the 19th Century Eastern seaboard to
>> the riot-torn anomic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, our society has
>> always produced sociopaths who are quite often the products of
>> illegitimacy, broken homes, and a lack of any bonding with male or
>> societal authority. Some 70% of sociopaths come from fatherless homes.
>> Father absence produces many consequences similar to the symptoms of
>> sociopathy -- early, precocious sexuality; antagonistic, deprecating
>> attitude toward the opposite ---; lack of interest in bonding with a
>> durable, stable mate; aggressive acting-out; excessive boasting; and
>> risk-taking behavior. Some 30% of children today are born
>> out-of-wedlock, and another 30% live in divorced homes. These
>> conditions - a problem of unsocialization - produce sociopathy.
>> Furthermore, sociopaths tend to reproduce themselves, that is, they
>> produce more than own their share of illegitimate offspring
>> themselves.
>>
>> So what is a sociopath? You won't find criteria in the DSM IV or
>> official psychiatric nomenclature, but the construct refers to the
>> largest subgroup of APDs. Most are males, but an increasing number are
>> female. They have otherwise normal temperaments (as opposed to
>> psychopaths who have abnormal temperaments). Some are aggressive,
>> fearless sensation seekers, and others are Machiavellian manipulators.
>> A Machiavellian is a personality type who is a cross between an
>> antisocial personality and a narcissist, and someone who also has an
>> extremely high sense of entitlement. The one thing that all
>> sociopaths have in common is that they are "too much" to handle for
>> their parents or anyone else. It's common to refer to them as
>> unsocialized, but the dyssocial sociopath does socialize to the mores
>> and values of a dyssocial outgroup, like a gang. Let's explore the
>> four (4) subtypes of sociopaths:
>>
>> COMMON SOCIOPATHS are the largest subtype and have a weak or
>> unelaborated conscience. They are not ashamed by the same things as
>> you or I would be ashamed of. They are like feral children grown up,
>> taking pleasures and gratifying impulses at every opportunity or
>> temptation. They especially enjoy and take pride in bending or
>> breaking the rules. As teenagers, they are often runaways. As adults,
>> they are often geographically mobile, living in shelters, or taking
>> advantage of welfare systems. They are experienced shoplifters. They
>> have quite active --- lives. They are usually of average intelligence,
>> but don't do well in school and never seem to break out of low-paying
>> dead-end jobs. Nevertheless, they seem genuinely happy with their
>> lives, unburdened by any sense of negative self-worth or the fact that
>> they have not been a functional, contributing member of society.
>>
>> ALIENATED SOCIOPATHS have never developed the ability to love,
>> empathize, or affiliate in real life with another person. They will
>> show more emotion toward their pet or a personal artifact than toward
>> a person. Or, they may hate animals and live out their emotional life
>> by watching TV (identification with soap opera characters is a common
>> pattern). Dating and marriage relationships will be very barren and
>> empty. They won't get along with the neighbors. They live in a shell.
>> They have a cold, callous attitude toward human suffering or any
>> social problem in the society they live in. They just don't care
>> because it's outside their range of empathy. Most will believe they
>> are justified in this because they feel they were cheated in some way
>> themselves by society, and a few will be more than happy to rant and
>> rave about it to anyone who listens. They are chronic complainers, and
>> underneath it all, they would like to see nothing better than all of
>> society destroyed.
>>
>> AGGRESSIVE SOCIOPATHS derive strong, yet nonperverse gratification
>> from harming others. They like to hurt, frighten, tyrannize, bully,
>> and manipulate. They do it for a sense of power and control, and will
>> often only drop subtle hints about what they are up to. They polish
>> their aggressive, domineering manner in such a way to disguise any
>> intimidation others might feel. They seek out positions of power, such
>> as parent, teacher, bureaucrat, supervisor, or police officer. Their
>> style is one of passive aggression as they systematically go about
>> sabotaging the ideas of others to get their ideas in place. In their
>> spare time, they like to hunt or occasionally do sadistic things like
>> find stray dogs and cut them up. They are usually effective at getting
>> their way, and are especially vindictive if resisted or crossed. They
>> don't follow the social norm of reciprocity like others do.
>>
>> DYSSOCIAL SOCIOPATHS identify and hold an allegiance with a
>> dyssocial, outcast, or predatory subculture. Any subculture will do,
>> as long as it runs counter to established authority. They are capable
>> of intense loyalty, and even a feeling of guilt and shame, within such
>> limited circles. They seem to continually fall upon bad luck and bad
>> companions, however. While they will constantly complain that none of
>> this is their fault, behind it all is a kind of self-defeating
>> mechanism in the poor choices they made themselves.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHOPATH"
>>
>>
>> Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or
>> development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who
>> represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and
>> untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and
>> emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age
>> 50 or so, then tapers off. Their emotionlessness reflects a detached,
>> fearless, and possibly dissociated state, revealing a lower autonomic
>> nervous system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what
>> motivates them - control and dominance possibly - since their life
>> history will usually show no bonds with others nor much rhyme to their
>> reason (other than the planning of violence). They tend to operate
>> with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of entitlement, an insatiable
>> appetite, and a tendency toward sadism. Fearlessness is probably the
>> prototypical (core) characteristic (the low-fear hypothesis). It's
>> helpful to think of them as high-speed vehicles with ineffective
>> brakes. Certain organic (brain) disorders and hormonal imbalances
>> mimic the state of mind of a psychopath.
>>
>> There are four (4) different subtypes of psychopaths. The oldest
>> distinction was made by Cleckley back in 1941 between primary and
>> secondary. However, we'll explore the other two subtypes first:
>>
>> DISTEMPERED PSYCHOPATHS are the kind that seem to fly into a rage
>> or frenzy more easily and more often than other subtypes. Their frenzy
>> will resemble an epileptic fit. They are also usually men with
>> incredibly strong --- drives, capable of astonishing feats of sexual
>> energy, and seemingly obsessed by sexual urges during a large part of
>> their waking lives. Powerful cravings also seem to characterize them,
>> as in drug addiction, kleptomania, pedophilia, any illicit or illegal
>> indulgence. They like the endorphin "high" or "rush" off of excitement
>> and risk-taking. The serial-rapist-murderer known as the Boston
>> Strangler was such a psychopath.
>>
>> CHARISMATIC PSYCHOPATHS are charming, attractive liars. They are
>> usually gifted at some talent or another, and they use it to their
>> advantage in manipulating others. They are usually fast-talkers, and
>> possess an almost demonic ability to persuade others out of everything
>> they own, even their lives. Leaders of religious sects or cults, for
>> example, might be psychopaths if they lead their followers to their
>> deaths. This subtype often comes to believe in their own fictions.
>> They are irresistible.
>>
>> PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS do not respond to punishment, apprehension,
>> stress, or disapproval. They seem to be able to inhibit their
>> antisocial impulses most of the time, not because of conscience, but
>> because it suits their purpose at the time. Words do not seem to have
>> the same meaning for them as they do for us. In fact, it's unclear if
>> they even grasp the meaning of their own words, a condition that
>> Cleckley called "semantic aphasia." They don't follow any life plan,
>> and it seems as if they are incapable of experiencing any genuine
>> emotion.
>>
>> SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHS are risk-takers, but are also more likely to
>> be stress-reactive, worriers, and guilt-prone. They expose themselves
>> to more stress than the average person, but they are as vulnerable to
>> stress as the average person. They are daring, adventurous,
>> unconventional people who began playing by their own rules early in
>> life. They are strongly driven by a desire to escape or avoid pain,
>> but are unable to resist temptation. As their anxiety increases toward
>> some forbidden object, so does their attraction to it. They live their
>> lives by the lure of temptation.
>>
>> Hare's PCL-R 20-item checklist is based on Cleckley's 16-item
>> checklist, and the following is a discussion of the concepts in the
>> PCL-R:
>>
>> 1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging,
>> charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the
>> least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath
>> never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social
>> conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.
>>
>> 2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities
>> and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart.
>> Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human
>> beings.
>>
>> 3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need
>> for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and
>> doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low
>> self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they
>> get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of
>> time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or
>> routine.
>>
>> 4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form,
>> they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme
>> form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous,
>> manipulative, and dishonest.
>>
>> 5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to
>> cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from
>> Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness
>> is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and
>> suffering of one's victims.
>>
>> 6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the
>> losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned,
>> dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic. This item is usually
>> demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.
>>
>> 7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of
>> feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open
>> gregariousness.
>>
>> 8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people
>> in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
>>
>> 9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and
>> exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of
>> motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete
>> responsibilities.
>>
>> 10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability,
>> annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;
>> inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
>>
>> 11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial
>> relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual
>> partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a
>> history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or
>> taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.
>>
>> 12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviors prior to age 13,
>> including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual
>> activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away
>> from home.
>>
>> 13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent
>> failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic
>> existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
>>
>> 14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated
>> and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation,
>> frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering
>> the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and
>> reckless.
>>
>> 15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfill or honor
>> obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on
>> loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing
>> to honor contractual agreements.
>>
>> 16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to
>> accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low
>> conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic
>> manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate
>> others through this denial.
>>
>> 17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS -- a lack of commitment to a
>> long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and
>> unreliable commitments in life, including marital.
>>
>> 18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behavior problems between the ages of
>> 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of
>> antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous,
>> ruthless tough-mindedness.
>>
>> 19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or
>> other conditional release due to technical violations, such as
>> carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.
>>
>> 20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses,
>> regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them;
>> taking great pride at getting away with crimes.
>>
Message-ID: <46f0b633$0$16264$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:20 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b633$0$16264$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:tuc1f3hrmri6dmbdq8o2uovv6bveh4qsl0@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
>>
>>
>> Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is practically synonymous with
>> criminal behavior, but as with all distributions of a disease or
>> whatever in a population, it is probable that the majority of people
>> with this particular affliction are law-abiding. Aging,
>> overinvolvements, and/or relationships might hold sway over the
>> control (or lack of control) in these kind of people, and although
>> approaching the study of offenders from a relationship & personality
>> disorders point of view may or may not be productive, Dr. Drew is
>> probably an adequate source of information on such matters. Dr.
>> Drew's theory (and one with wide ramifications since he pretty much
>> defines an antisocial tendency as thinking about one's self first) is
>> that women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline
>> personality disorders, tend to be attracted to and hook up with men
>> who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder (see
>> Lecture on BPD & OCD) and that such match-ups may or may not be
>> dysfunctional. On the other hand, the field of criminology tends to
>> treat APD as so synonymous, in fact, with criminal behavior that
>> practically all convicted criminals (65-75%) have it, with
>> criminologists often referring to it as a "wastebasket" category.
>> Antisocials come is all shapes and sizes, and psychologists consider
>> the juvenile version of it to be a juvenile conduct disorder. The main
>> characteristic of it is a complete and utter disregard for the rights
>> of others and the rules of society. They seldom show anxiety and don't
>> feel guilt. Although many people would hope that there's an effective
>> treatment, there's really no effective treatment for them other than
>> locking them up in a secure facility with such rigid rules that they
>> cannot talk their way out. A full list of APD traits would include:
>>
>>
>>
>> "List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits"
>>
>> Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others;
>> Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning;
>> Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible;
>> Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible.
>>
>> whereas the DSM-IV "clinical" features of Antisocial Personality
>> Disorder (with a person having at least three of these
>> characteristics) are:
>>
>>
>> "Clinical Symptoms for an Antisocial Personality Disorder
>> Diagnosis"
>>
>> 1. Failure to conform to social norms;
>> 2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness;
>> 3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead;
>> 4. Irritability, aggressiveness;
>> 5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
>> 6. Consistent irresponsibility;
>> 7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from
>> another person.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the
>> person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes
>> like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize
>> or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective.
>> Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires -
>> selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody
>> else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used
>> in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are
>> doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The
>> term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists
>> alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due
>> primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an
>> inherent feature of temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly
>> distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a
>> psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However,
>> this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least
>> four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and
>> dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of
>> conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or be loved;
>> aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and dyssocials by an
>> ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those rules are the wrong
>> rules. As Stout (2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following
>> to be defined as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits
>> include:
>>
>> "List of Common Sociopathic Traits"
>>
>> Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect;
>> Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to
>> resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the
>> opposite ---; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate.
>>
>>
>> Psychopathy is a concept subject to much debate, but is usually
>> defined as a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral
>> characteristics including egocentricity; impulsivity;
>> irresponsibility; shallow emotions; lack of empathy, guilt, or
>> remorse; pathological lying; manipulativeness; and the persistent
>> violation of social norms and expectations (Cleckley 1976; Hare 1993).
>> The crimes of psychopaths are usually stone-cold, remorseless killings
>> for no apparent reason. They cold-bloodedly take what they want and do
>> as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret. In many
>> ways, they are natural-born intraspecies predators who satisfy their
>> lust for power and control by charm, manipulation, intimidation, and
>> violence. While almost all societies would regard them as criminals
>> (the exception being frontier or warlike societies where they might
>> become heroes, patriots, or leaders), it's important to distinguish
>> their behavior from criminal behavior. As a common axiom goes in
>> psychology, MOST PSYCHOPATHS ARE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES BUT NOT ALL
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES ARE PSYCHOPATHS. This is because APD is
>> defined mainly by behaviors (Factor 2 antisocial behaviors) and
>> doesn't tap the affective/interpersonal dimensions (Factor 1 core
>> psychopathic features, narcissism) of psychopathy. Further, criminals
>> and APDs tend to "age out" of crime; psychopaths do not, and are at
>> high risk of recidivism. Psychopaths love to intellectualize in
>> treatment with their half-baked understanding of rules. Like the Star
>> Trek character, Spock, their reasoning cannot handle any mix of
>> cognition and emotion. They are calculating predators who, when
>> trapped, will attempt escape, create a nuisance and danger to staff,
>> be a disruptive influence on other patients or inmates, and fake
>> symptoms to get transferred, bouncing back and forth between
>> institutions. The common features of psychopathic traits (the PCL-R
>> items) are:
>>
>>
>> "List of Common Psychopathic Traits"
>>
>> Glib and superficial charm; Grandiose sense of self-worth; Need for
>> stimulation; Pathological lying; Conning and manipulativeness; Lack of
>> remorse or guilt; Shallow affect; Callousness and lack of empathy;
>> Parasitic lifestyle; Poor behavioral controls; Promiscuous sexual
>> behavior; Early behavior problems; Lack of realistic, long-term goals;
>> Impulsivity; Irresponsibility; Failure to accept responsibility for
>> own actions; Many short-term marital relationships; Juvenile
>> delinquency; Revocation of conditional release; Criminal versatility.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER"
>>
>>
>> The diagnosis of APD has long been controversial. The criteria for
>> it seem to change with each and every new edition of the Diagnostic
>> and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I 1968; DSM-II 1976;
>> DSM-III 1980; DSM-III-R 1987; DSM-IV 1994). The diagnosis was
>> substantially changed with DSM-III when the APA decided to distinguish
>> between child and adult characteristics, and essentially substituted
>> behavioral criteria (like truancy or law violations) for personality
>> criteria (like callousness and selfishness). In the DSM-III-R (R for
>> Revised), the focus was on violence and a list of violent acts
>> (fighting, cruelty to others, cruelty to animals). The current DSM-IV
>> approach essentially says that anything which is not sociopathy,
>> psychopathy or dyssocial personality disorder is antisocial
>> personality disorder, but there is considerable overlap. The
>> diagnostic possibilities are endless; there are at least 3 million
>> possible variations of symptoms on at least 62 different measurable
>> items.
>>
>> Ongoing research is quite prolific into the factor or principal
>> components analysis of APD characteristics. Most forensic experts
>> believe there are 3-4 factors (groupings of symptoms). One factor
>> involves symptoms that cluster around what might be called a Lack of
>> Planning (promiscuous, irresponsible, impulsive traits and behavior).
>> Another factor clusters around the notion of Disregard for Others. A
>> third factor is clearly related to Adult Criminality. A fourth factor
>> is clearly related to Juvenile Delinquency. Impulsivity appears to be
>> a prototypical (core) feature, but it can take many forms. Definitions
>> of impulsivity are numerous -- a tendency to act without reflection;
>> dysfunctional information processing; a tendency for risk taking;
>> sensation seeking; and an inability to sustain attention. Rating
>> scales are easily available to measure these.
>>
>> The incidence of APD is twice as high for inner-city residents
>> than in small towns or rural areas, and five times higher in males
>> than in females. It affects people in all social classes, but if
>> someone with APD is born into a family of wealth and privilege, they
>> will usually manage to eek out a successful business or political
>> career. Poorer people with APD tend to wind up in state prison
>> systems. Since African-Americans are seven times more likely to be
>> represented in state prison systems, it's tempting to speculate the
>> incidence of APD among African-Americans is high. However, there are
>> most likely other causes of crime among African-Americans (like
>> unemployment and racism). The fact is that most of the current prison
>> population, white or black, shares the APD diagnosis. All it takes is
>> a juvenile record, an adult offense career, aggressivity, impulsivity,
>> a checkered work history, and/or lack of demonstrable repentance.
>> These can be easily found in almost any prison inmate's dossier.
>>
>> One of the things closely related to APD is the comorbidity of
>> alcoholism and narcotic addiction. Some of the criteria for a
>> substance abuse disorder are very similar: theft, hazardous behavior,
>> failure to fulfill role functions in home, school, and work. A strong
>> correlation exists between substance abuse and factor 2 (antisocial
>> behaviors) of the psychopathy construct. APDs with a drug addiction
>> have some serious substance abuse problems -- the kind that lead to
>> death by overdose or accident within five years. Are APD and narcotic
>> addiction part of the same disorder, does one lead to the other, or
>> are they are spuriously linked together? From what little research
>> there is, it appears that most of the time, APD precedes narcotic
>> addiction, although some of the time, addiction leads to APD
>> behaviors. People with such comorbid characteristics also usually have
>> undiagnosed other Axis I and Axis II disorders.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOPATH"
>>
>>
>> From the wild Irish slums of the 19th Century Eastern seaboard to
>> the riot-torn anomic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, our society has
>> always produced sociopaths who are quite often the products of
>> illegitimacy, broken homes, and a lack of any bonding with male or
>> societal authority. Some 70% of sociopaths come from fatherless homes.
>> Father absence produces many consequences similar to the symptoms of
>> sociopathy -- early, precocious sexuality; antagonistic, deprecating
>> attitude toward the opposite ---; lack of interest in bonding with a
>> durable, stable mate; aggressive acting-out; excessive boasting; and
>> risk-taking behavior. Some 30% of children today are born
>> out-of-wedlock, and another 30% live in divorced homes. These
>> conditions - a problem of unsocialization - produce sociopathy.
>> Furthermore, sociopaths tend to reproduce themselves, that is, they
>> produce more than own their share of illegitimate offspring
>> themselves.
>>
>> So what is a sociopath? You won't find criteria in the DSM IV or
>> official psychiatric nomenclature, but the construct refers to the
>> largest subgroup of APDs. Most are males, but an increasing number are
>> female. They have otherwise normal temperaments (as opposed to
>> psychopaths who have abnormal temperaments). Some are aggressive,
>> fearless sensation seekers, and others are Machiavellian manipulators.
>> A Machiavellian is a personality type who is a cross between an
>> antisocial personality and a narcissist, and someone who also has an
>> extremely high sense of entitlement. The one thing that all
>> sociopaths have in common is that they are "too much" to handle for
>> their parents or anyone else. It's common to refer to them as
>> unsocialized, but the dyssocial sociopath does socialize to the mores
>> and values of a dyssocial outgroup, like a gang. Let's explore the
>> four (4) subtypes of sociopaths:
>>
>> COMMON SOCIOPATHS are the largest subtype and have a weak or
>> unelaborated conscience. They are not ashamed by the same things as
>> you or I would be ashamed of. They are like feral children grown up,
>> taking pleasures and gratifying impulses at every opportunity or
>> temptation. They especially enjoy and take pride in bending or
>> breaking the rules. As teenagers, they are often runaways. As adults,
>> they are often geographically mobile, living in shelters, or taking
>> advantage of welfare systems. They are experienced shoplifters. They
>> have quite active --- lives. They are usually of average intelligence,
>> but don't do well in school and never seem to break out of low-paying
>> dead-end jobs. Nevertheless, they seem genuinely happy with their
>> lives, unburdened by any sense of negative self-worth or the fact that
>> they have not been a functional, contributing member of society.
>>
>> ALIENATED SOCIOPATHS have never developed the ability to love,
>> empathize, or affiliate in real life with another person. They will
>> show more emotion toward their pet or a personal artifact than toward
>> a person. Or, they may hate animals and live out their emotional life
>> by watching TV (identification with soap opera characters is a common
>> pattern). Dating and marriage relationships will be very barren and
>> empty. They won't get along with the neighbors. They live in a shell.
>> They have a cold, callous attitude toward human suffering or any
>> social problem in the society they live in. They just don't care
>> because it's outside their range of empathy. Most will believe they
>> are justified in this because they feel they were cheated in some way
>> themselves by society, and a few will be more than happy to rant and
>> rave about it to anyone who listens. They are chronic complainers, and
>> underneath it all, they would like to see nothing better than all of
>> society destroyed.
>>
>> AGGRESSIVE SOCIOPATHS derive strong, yet nonperverse gratification
>> from harming others. They like to hurt, frighten, tyrannize, bully,
>> and manipulate. They do it for a sense of power and control, and will
>> often only drop subtle hints about what they are up to. They polish
>> their aggressive, domineering manner in such a way to disguise any
>> intimidation others might feel. They seek out positions of power, such
>> as parent, teacher, bureaucrat, supervisor, or police officer. Their
>> style is one of passive aggression as they systematically go about
>> sabotaging the ideas of others to get their ideas in place. In their
>> spare time, they like to hunt or occasionally do sadistic things like
>> find stray dogs and cut them up. They are usually effective at getting
>> their way, and are especially vindictive if resisted or crossed. They
>> don't follow the social norm of reciprocity like others do.
>>
>> DYSSOCIAL SOCIOPATHS identify and hold an allegiance with a
>> dyssocial, outcast, or predatory subculture. Any subculture will do,
>> as long as it runs counter to established authority. They are capable
>> of intense loyalty, and even a feeling of guilt and shame, within such
>> limited circles. They seem to continually fall upon bad luck and bad
>> companions, however. While they will constantly complain that none of
>> this is their fault, behind it all is a kind of self-defeating
>> mechanism in the poor choices they made themselves.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHOPATH"
>>
>>
>> Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or
>> development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who
>> represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and
>> untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and
>> emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age
>> 50 or so, then tapers off. Their emotionlessness reflects a detached,
>> fearless, and possibly dissociated state, revealing a lower autonomic
>> nervous system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what
>> motivates them - control and dominance possibly - since their life
>> history will usually show no bonds with others nor much rhyme to their
>> reason (other than the planning of violence). They tend to operate
>> with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of entitlement, an insatiable
>> appetite, and a tendency toward sadism. Fearlessness is probably the
>> prototypical (core) characteristic (the low-fear hypothesis). It's
>> helpful to think of them as high-speed vehicles with ineffective
>> brakes. Certain organic (brain) disorders and hormonal imbalances
>> mimic the state of mind of a psychopath.
>>
>> There are four (4) different subtypes of psychopaths. The oldest
>> distinction was made by Cleckley back in 1941 between primary and
>> secondary. However, we'll explore the other two subtypes first:
>>
>> DISTEMPERED PSYCHOPATHS are the kind that seem to fly into a rage
>> or frenzy more easily and more often than other subtypes. Their frenzy
>> will resemble an epileptic fit. They are also usually men with
>> incredibly strong --- drives, capable of astonishing feats of sexual
>> energy, and seemingly obsessed by sexual urges during a large part of
>> their waking lives. Powerful cravings also seem to characterize them,
>> as in drug addiction, kleptomania, pedophilia, any illicit or illegal
>> indulgence. They like the endorphin "high" or "rush" off of excitement
>> and risk-taking. The serial-rapist-murderer known as the Boston
>> Strangler was such a psychopath.
>>
>> CHARISMATIC PSYCHOPATHS are charming, attractive liars. They are
>> usually gifted at some talent or another, and they use it to their
>> advantage in manipulating others. They are usually fast-talkers, and
>> possess an almost demonic ability to persuade others out of everything
>> they own, even their lives. Leaders of religious sects or cults, for
>> example, might be psychopaths if they lead their followers to their
>> deaths. This subtype often comes to believe in their own fictions.
>> They are irresistible.
>>
>> PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS do not respond to punishment, apprehension,
>> stress, or disapproval. They seem to be able to inhibit their
>> antisocial impulses most of the time, not because of conscience, but
>> because it suits their purpose at the time. Words do not seem to have
>> the same meaning for them as they do for us. In fact, it's unclear if
>> they even grasp the meaning of their own words, a condition that
>> Cleckley called "semantic aphasia." They don't follow any life plan,
>> and it seems as if they are incapable of experiencing any genuine
>> emotion.
>>
>> SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHS are risk-takers, but are also more likely to
>> be stress-reactive, worriers, and guilt-prone. They expose themselves
>> to more stress than the average person, but they are as vulnerable to
>> stress as the average person. They are daring, adventurous,
>> unconventional people who began playing by their own rules early in
>> life. They are strongly driven by a desire to escape or avoid pain,
>> but are unable to resist temptation. As their anxiety increases toward
>> some forbidden object, so does their attraction to it. They live their
>> lives by the lure of temptation.
>>
>> Hare's PCL-R 20-item checklist is based on Cleckley's 16-item
>> checklist, and the following is a discussion of the concepts in the
>> PCL-R:
>>
>> 1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging,
>> charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the
>> least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath
>> never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social
>> conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.
>>
>> 2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities
>> and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart.
>> Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human
>> beings.
>>
>> 3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need
>> for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and
>> doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low
>> self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they
>> get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of
>> time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or
>> routine.
>>
>> 4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form,
>> they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme
>> form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous,
>> manipulative, and dishonest.
>>
>> 5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to
>> cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from
>> Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness
>> is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and
>> suffering of one's victims.
>>
>> 6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the
>> losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned,
>> dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic. This item is usually
>> demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.
>>
>> 7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of
>> feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open
>> gregariousness.
>>
>> 8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people
>> in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
>>
>> 9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and
>> exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of
>> motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete
>> responsibilities.
>>
>> 10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability,
>> annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;
>> inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
>>
>> 11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial
>> relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual
>> partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a
>> history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or
>> taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.
>>
>> 12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviors prior to age 13,
>> including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual
>> activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away
>> from home.
>>
>> 13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent
>> failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic
>> existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
>>
>> 14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated
>> and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation,
>> frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering
>> the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and
>> reckless.
>>
>> 15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfill or honor
>> obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on
>> loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing
>> to honor contractual agreements.
>>
>> 16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to
>> accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low
>> conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic
>> manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate
>> others through this denial.
>>
>> 17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS -- a lack of commitment to a
>> long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and
>> unreliable commitments in life, including marital.
>>
>> 18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behavior problems between the ages of
>> 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of
>> antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous,
>> ruthless tough-mindedness.
>>
>> 19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or
>> other conditional release due to technical violations, such as
>> carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.
>>
>> 20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses,
>> regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them;
>> taking great pride at getting away with crimes.
>>
Message-ID: <46f0b633$0$16264$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:12 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b626$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:isc1f35e9vd6e1a7rv8g7rikqmhufbs47m@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
>>
>>
>> Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is practically synonymous with
>> criminal behavior, but as with all distributions of a disease or
>> whatever in a population, it is probable that the majority of people
>> with this particular affliction are law-abiding. Aging,
>> overinvolvements, and/or relationships might hold sway over the
>> control (or lack of control) in these kind of people, and although
>> approaching the study of offenders from a relationship & personality
>> disorders point of view may or may not be productive, Dr. Drew is
>> probably an adequate source of information on such matters. Dr.
>> Drew's theory (and one with wide ramifications since he pretty much
>> defines an antisocial tendency as thinking about one's self first) is
>> that women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline
>> personality disorders, tend to be attracted to and hook up with men
>> who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder (see
>> Lecture on BPD & OCD) and that such match-ups may or may not be
>> dysfunctional. On the other hand, the field of criminology tends to
>> treat APD as so synonymous, in fact, with criminal behavior that
>> practically all convicted criminals (65-75%) have it, with
>> criminologists often referring to it as a "wastebasket" category.
>> Antisocials come is all shapes and sizes, and psychologists consider
>> the juvenile version of it to be a juvenile conduct disorder. The main
>> characteristic of it is a complete and utter disregard for the rights
>> of others and the rules of society. They seldom show anxiety and don't
>> feel guilt. Although many people would hope that there's an effective
>> treatment, there's really no effective treatment for them other than
>> locking them up in a secure facility with such rigid rules that they
>> cannot talk their way out. A full list of APD traits would include:
>>
>>
>>
>> "List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits"
>>
>> Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others;
>> Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning;
>> Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible;
>> Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible.
>>
>> whereas the DSM-IV "clinical" features of Antisocial Personality
>> Disorder (with a person having at least three of these
>> characteristics) are:
>>
>>
>> "Clinical Symptoms for an Antisocial Personality Disorder
>> Diagnosis"
>>
>> 1. Failure to conform to social norms;
>> 2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness;
>> 3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead;
>> 4. Irritability, aggressiveness;
>> 5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
>> 6. Consistent irresponsibility;
>> 7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from
>> another person.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the
>> person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes
>> like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize
>> or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective.
>> Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires -
>> selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody
>> else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used
>> in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are
>> doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The
>> term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists
>> alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due
>> primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an
>> inherent feature of temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly
>> distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a
>> psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However,
>> this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least
>> four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and
>> dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of
>> conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or be loved;
>> aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and dyssocials by an
>> ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those rules are the wrong
>> rules. As Stout (2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following
>> to be defined as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits
>> include:
>>
>> "List of Common Sociopathic Traits"
>>
>> Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect;
>> Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to
>> resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the
>> opposite ---; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate.
>>
>>
>> Psychopathy is a concept subject to much debate, but is usually
>> defined as a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral
>> characteristics including egocentricity; impulsivity;
>> irresponsibility; shallow emotions; lack of empathy, guilt, or
>> remorse; pathological lying; manipulativeness; and the persistent
>> violation of social norms and expectations (Cleckley 1976; Hare 1993).
>> The crimes of psychopaths are usually stone-cold, remorseless killings
>> for no apparent reason. They cold-bloodedly take what they want and do
>> as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret. In many
>> ways, they are natural-born intraspecies predators who satisfy their
>> lust for power and control by charm, manipulation, intimidation, and
>> violence. While almost all societies would regard them as criminals
>> (the exception being frontier or warlike societies where they might
>> become heroes, patriots, or leaders), it's important to distinguish
>> their behavior from criminal behavior. As a common axiom goes in
>> psychology, MOST PSYCHOPATHS ARE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES BUT NOT ALL
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES ARE PSYCHOPATHS. This is because APD is
>> defined mainly by behaviors (Factor 2 antisocial behaviors) and
>> doesn't tap the affective/interpersonal dimensions (Factor 1 core
>> psychopathic features, narcissism) of psychopathy. Further, criminals
>> and APDs tend to "age out" of crime; psychopaths do not, and are at
>> high risk of recidivism. Psychopaths love to intellectualize in
>> treatment with their half-baked understanding of rules. Like the Star
>> Trek character, Spock, their reasoning cannot handle any mix of
>> cognition and emotion. They are calculating predators who, when
>> trapped, will attempt escape, create a nuisance and danger to staff,
>> be a disruptive influence on other patients or inmates, and fake
>> symptoms to get transferred, bouncing back and forth between
>> institutions. The common features of psychopathic traits (the PCL-R
>> items) are:
>>
>>
>> "List of Common Psychopathic Traits"
>>
>> Glib and superficial charm; Grandiose sense of self-worth; Need for
>> stimulation; Pathological lying; Conning and manipulativeness; Lack of
>> remorse or guilt; Shallow affect; Callousness and lack of empathy;
>> Parasitic lifestyle; Poor behavioral controls; Promiscuous sexual
>> behavior; Early behavior problems; Lack of realistic, long-term goals;
>> Impulsivity; Irresponsibility; Failure to accept responsibility for
>> own actions; Many short-term marital relationships; Juvenile
>> delinquency; Revocation of conditional release; Criminal versatility.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER"
>>
>>
>> The diagnosis of APD has long been controversial. The criteria for
>> it seem to change with each and every new edition of the Diagnostic
>> and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I 1968; DSM-II 1976;
>> DSM-III 1980; DSM-III-R 1987; DSM-IV 1994). The diagnosis was
>> substantially changed with DSM-III when the APA decided to distinguish
>> between child and adult characteristics, and essentially substituted
>> behavioral criteria (like truancy or law violations) for personality
>> criteria (like callousness and selfishness). In the DSM-III-R (R for
>> Revised), the focus was on violence and a list of violent acts
>> (fighting, cruelty to others, cruelty to animals). The current DSM-IV
>> approach essentially says that anything which is not sociopathy,
>> psychopathy or dyssocial personality disorder is antisocial
>> personality disorder, but there is considerable overlap. The
>> diagnostic possibilities are endless; there are at least 3 million
>> possible variations of symptoms on at least 62 different measurable
>> items.
>>
>> Ongoing research is quite prolific into the factor or principal
>> components analysis of APD characteristics. Most forensic experts
>> believe there are 3-4 factors (groupings of symptoms). One factor
>> involves symptoms that cluster around what might be called a Lack of
>> Planning (promiscuous, irresponsible, impulsive traits and behavior).
>> Another factor clusters around the notion of Disregard for Others. A
>> third factor is clearly related to Adult Criminality. A fourth factor
>> is clearly related to Juvenile Delinquency. Impulsivity appears to be
>> a prototypical (core) feature, but it can take many forms. Definitions
>> of impulsivity are numerous -- a tendency to act without reflection;
>> dysfunctional information processing; a tendency for risk taking;
>> sensation seeking; and an inability to sustain attention. Rating
>> scales are easily available to measure these.
>>
>> The incidence of APD is twice as high for inner-city residents
>> than in small towns or rural areas, and five times higher in males
>> than in females. It affects people in all social classes, but if
>> someone with APD is born into a family of wealth and privilege, they
>> will usually manage to eek out a successful business or political
>> career. Poorer people with APD tend to wind up in state prison
>> systems. Since African-Americans are seven times more likely to be
>> represented in state prison systems, it's tempting to speculate the
>> incidence of APD among African-Americans is high. However, there are
>> most likely other causes of crime among African-Americans (like
>> unemployment and racism). The fact is that most of the current prison
>> population, white or black, shares the APD diagnosis. All it takes is
>> a juvenile record, an adult offense career, aggressivity, impulsivity,
>> a checkered work history, and/or lack of demonstrable repentance.
>> These can be easily found in almost any prison inmate's dossier.
>>
>> One of the things closely related to APD is the comorbidity of
>> alcoholism and narcotic addiction. Some of the criteria for a
>> substance abuse disorder are very similar: theft, hazardous behavior,
>> failure to fulfill role functions in home, school, and work. A strong
>> correlation exists between substance abuse and factor 2 (antisocial
>> behaviors) of the psychopathy construct. APDs with a drug addiction
>> have some serious substance abuse problems -- the kind that lead to
>> death by overdose or accident within five years. Are APD and narcotic
>> addiction part of the same disorder, does one lead to the other, or
>> are they are spuriously linked together? From what little research
>> there is, it appears that most of the time, APD precedes narcotic
>> addiction, although some of the time, addiction leads to APD
>> behaviors. People with such comorbid characteristics also usually have
>> undiagnosed other Axis I and Axis II disorders.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOPATH"
>>
>>
>> From the wild Irish slums of the 19th Century Eastern seaboard to
>> the riot-torn anomic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, our society has
>> always produced sociopaths who are quite often the products of
>> illegitimacy, broken homes, and a lack of any bonding with male or
>> societal authority. Some 70% of sociopaths come from fatherless homes.
>> Father absence produces many consequences similar to the symptoms of
>> sociopathy -- early, precocious sexuality; antagonistic, deprecating
>> attitude toward the opposite ---; lack of interest in bonding with a
>> durable, stable mate; aggressive acting-out; excessive boasting; and
>> risk-taking behavior. Some 30% of children today are born
>> out-of-wedlock, and another 30% live in divorced homes. These
>> conditions - a problem of unsocialization - produce sociopathy.
>> Furthermore, sociopaths tend to reproduce themselves, that is, they
>> produce more than own their share of illegitimate offspring
>> themselves.
>>
>> So what is a sociopath? You won't find criteria in the DSM IV or
>> official psychiatric nomenclature, but the construct refers to the
>> largest subgroup of APDs. Most are males, but an increasing number are
>> female. They have otherwise normal temperaments (as opposed to
>> psychopaths who have abnormal temperaments). Some are aggressive,
>> fearless sensation seekers, and others are Machiavellian manipulators.
>> A Machiavellian is a personality type who is a cross between an
>> antisocial personality and a narcissist, and someone who also has an
>> extremely high sense of entitlement. The one thing that all
>> sociopaths have in common is that they are "too much" to handle for
>> their parents or anyone else. It's common to refer to them as
>> unsocialized, but the dyssocial sociopath does socialize to the mores
>> and values of a dyssocial outgroup, like a gang. Let's explore the
>> four (4) subtypes of sociopaths:
>>
>> COMMON SOCIOPATHS are the largest subtype and have a weak or
>> unelaborated conscience. They are not ashamed by the same things as
>> you or I would be ashamed of. They are like feral children grown up,
>> taking pleasures and gratifying impulses at every opportunity or
>> temptation. They especially enjoy and take pride in bending or
>> breaking the rules. As teenagers, they are often runaways. As adults,
>> they are often geographically mobile, living in shelters, or taking
>> advantage of welfare systems. They are experienced shoplifters. They
>> have quite active --- lives. They are usually of average intelligence,
>> but don't do well in school and never seem to break out of low-paying
>> dead-end jobs. Nevertheless, they seem genuinely happy with their
>> lives, unburdened by any sense of negative self-worth or the fact that
>> they have not been a functional, contributing member of society.
>>
>> ALIENATED SOCIOPATHS have never developed the ability to love,
>> empathize, or affiliate in real life with another person. They will
>> show more emotion toward their pet or a personal artifact than toward
>> a person. Or, they may hate animals and live out their emotional life
>> by watching TV (identification with soap opera characters is a common
>> pattern). Dating and marriage relationships will be very barren and
>> empty. They won't get along with the neighbors. They live in a shell.
>> They have a cold, callous attitude toward human suffering or any
>> social problem in the society they live in. They just don't care
>> because it's outside their range of empathy. Most will believe they
>> are justified in this because they feel they were cheated in some way
>> themselves by society, and a few will be more than happy to rant and
>> rave about it to anyone who listens. They are chronic complainers, and
>> underneath it all, they would like to see nothing better than all of
>> society destroyed.
>>
>> AGGRESSIVE SOCIOPATHS derive strong, yet nonperverse gratification
>> from harming others. They like to hurt, frighten, tyrannize, bully,
>> and manipulate. They do it for a sense of power and control, and will
>> often only drop subtle hints about what they are up to. They polish
>> their aggressive, domineering manner in such a way to disguise any
>> intimidation others might feel. They seek out positions of power, such
>> as parent, teacher, bureaucrat, supervisor, or police officer. Their
>> style is one of passive aggression as they systematically go about
>> sabotaging the ideas of others to get their ideas in place. In their
>> spare time, they like to hunt or occasionally do sadistic things like
>> find stray dogs and cut them up. They are usually effective at getting
>> their way, and are especially vindictive if resisted or crossed. They
>> don't follow the social norm of reciprocity like others do.
>>
>> DYSSOCIAL SOCIOPATHS identify and hold an allegiance with a
>> dyssocial, outcast, or predatory subculture. Any subculture will do,
>> as long as it runs counter to established authority. They are capable
>> of intense loyalty, and even a feeling of guilt and shame, within such
>> limited circles. They seem to continually fall upon bad luck and bad
>> companions, however. While they will constantly complain that none of
>> this is their fault, behind it all is a kind of self-defeating
>> mechanism in the poor choices they made themselves.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHOPATH"
>>
>>
>> Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or
>> development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who
>> represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and
>> untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and
>> emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age
>> 50 or so, then tapers off. Their emotionlessness reflects a detached,
>> fearless, and possibly dissociated state, revealing a lower autonomic
>> nervous system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what
>> motivates them - control and dominance possibly - since their life
>> history will usually show no bonds with others nor much rhyme to their
>> reason (other than the planning of violence). They tend to operate
>> with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of entitlement, an insatiable
>> appetite, and a tendency toward sadism. Fearlessness is probably the
>> prototypical (core) characteristic (the low-fear hypothesis). It's
>> helpful to think of them as high-speed vehicles with ineffective
>> brakes. Certain organic (brain) disorders and hormonal imbalances
>> mimic the state of mind of a psychopath.
>>
>> There are four (4) different subtypes of psychopaths. The oldest
>> distinction was made by Cleckley back in 1941 between primary and
>> secondary. However, we'll explore the other two subtypes first:
>>
>> DISTEMPERED PSYCHOPATHS are the kind that seem to fly into a rage
>> or frenzy more easily and more often than other subtypes. Their frenzy
>> will resemble an epileptic fit. They are also usually men with
>> incredibly strong --- drives, capable of astonishing feats of sexual
>> energy, and seemingly obsessed by sexual urges during a large part of
>> their waking lives. Powerful cravings also seem to characterize them,
>> as in drug addiction, kleptomania, pedophilia, any illicit or illegal
>> indulgence. They like the endorphin "high" or "rush" off of excitement
>> and risk-taking. The serial-rapist-murderer known as the Boston
>> Strangler was such a psychopath.
>>
>> CHARISMATIC PSYCHOPATHS are charming, attractive liars. They are
>> usually gifted at some talent or another, and they use it to their
>> advantage in manipulating others. They are usually fast-talkers, and
>> possess an almost demonic ability to persuade others out of everything
>> they own, even their lives. Leaders of religious sects or cults, for
>> example, might be psychopaths if they lead their followers to their
>> deaths. This subtype often comes to believe in their own fictions.
>> They are irresistible.
>>
>> PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS do not respond to punishment, apprehension,
>> stress, or disapproval. They seem to be able to inhibit their
>> antisocial impulses most of the time, not because of conscience, but
>> because it suits their purpose at the time. Words do not seem to have
>> the same meaning for them as they do for us. In fact, it's unclear if
>> they even grasp the meaning of their own words, a condition that
>> Cleckley called "semantic aphasia." They don't follow any life plan,
>> and it seems as if they are incapable of experiencing any genuine
>> emotion.
>>
>> SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHS are risk-takers, but are also more likely to
>> be stress-reactive, worriers, and guilt-prone. They expose themselves
>> to more stress than the average person, but they are as vulnerable to
>> stress as the average person. They are daring, adventurous,
>> unconventional people who began playing by their own rules early in
>> life. They are strongly driven by a desire to escape or avoid pain,
>> but are unable to resist temptation. As their anxiety increases toward
>> some forbidden object, so does their attraction to it. They live their
>> lives by the lure of temptation.
>>
>> Hare's PCL-R 20-item checklist is based on Cleckley's 16-item
>> checklist, and the following is a discussion of the concepts in the
>> PCL-R:
>>
>> 1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging,
>> charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the
>> least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath
>> never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social
>> conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.
>>
>> 2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities
>> and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart.
>> Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human
>> beings.
>>
>> 3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need
>> for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and
>> doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low
>> self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they
>> get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of
>> time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or
>> routine.
>>
>> 4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form,
>> they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme
>> form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous,
>> manipulative, and dishonest.
>>
>> 5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to
>> cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from
>> Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness
>> is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and
>> suffering of one's victims.
>>
>> 6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the
>> losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned,
>> dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic. This item is usually
>> demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.
>>
>> 7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of
>> feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open
>> gregariousness.
>>
>> 8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people
>> in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
>>
>> 9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and
>> exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of
>> motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete
>> responsibilities.
>>
>> 10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability,
>> annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;
>> inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
>>
>> 11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial
>> relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual
>> partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a
>> history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or
>> taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.
>>
>> 12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviors prior to age 13,
>> including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual
>> activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away
>> from home.
>>
>> 13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent
>> failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic
>> existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
>>
>> 14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated
>> and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation,
>> frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering
>> the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and
>> reckless.
>>
>> 15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfill or honor
>> obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on
>> loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing
>> to honor contractual agreements.
>>
>> 16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to
>> accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low
>> conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic
>> manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate
>> others through this denial.
>>
>> 17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS -- a lack of commitment to a
>> long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and
>> unreliable commitments in life, including marital.
>>
>> 18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behavior problems between the ages of
>> 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of
>> antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous,
>> ruthless tough-mindedness.
>>
>> 19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or
>> other conditional release due to technical violations, such as
>> carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.
>>
>> 20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses,
>> regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them;
>> taking great pride at getting away with crimes.
>>
Message-ID: <46f0b626$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:12 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b626$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:isc1f35e9vd6e1a7rv8g7rikqmhufbs47m@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
>>
>>
>> Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is practically synonymous with
>> criminal behavior, but as with all distributions of a disease or
>> whatever in a population, it is probable that the majority of people
>> with this particular affliction are law-abiding. Aging,
>> overinvolvements, and/or relationships might hold sway over the
>> control (or lack of control) in these kind of people, and although
>> approaching the study of offenders from a relationship & personality
>> disorders point of view may or may not be productive, Dr. Drew is
>> probably an adequate source of information on such matters. Dr.
>> Drew's theory (and one with wide ramifications since he pretty much
>> defines an antisocial tendency as thinking about one's self first) is
>> that women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline
>> personality disorders, tend to be attracted to and hook up with men
>> who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder (see
>> Lecture on BPD & OCD) and that such match-ups may or may not be
>> dysfunctional. On the other hand, the field of criminology tends to
>> treat APD as so synonymous, in fact, with criminal behavior that
>> practically all convicted criminals (65-75%) have it, with
>> criminologists often referring to it as a "wastebasket" category.
>> Antisocials come is all shapes and sizes, and psychologists consider
>> the juvenile version of it to be a juvenile conduct disorder. The main
>> characteristic of it is a complete and utter disregard for the rights
>> of others and the rules of society. They seldom show anxiety and don't
>> feel guilt. Although many people would hope that there's an effective
>> treatment, there's really no effective treatment for them other than
>> locking them up in a secure facility with such rigid rules that they
>> cannot talk their way out. A full list of APD traits would include:
>>
>>
>>
>> "List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits"
>>
>> Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others;
>> Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning;
>> Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible;
>> Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible.
>>
>> whereas the DSM-IV "clinical" features of Antisocial Personality
>> Disorder (with a person having at least three of these
>> characteristics) are:
>>
>>
>> "Clinical Symptoms for an Antisocial Personality Disorder
>> Diagnosis"
>>
>> 1. Failure to conform to social norms;
>> 2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness;
>> 3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead;
>> 4. Irritability, aggressiveness;
>> 5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
>> 6. Consistent irresponsibility;
>> 7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from
>> another person.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the
>> person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes
>> like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize
>> or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective.
>> Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires -
>> selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody
>> else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used
>> in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are
>> doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The
>> term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists
>> alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due
>> primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an
>> inherent feature of temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly
>> distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a
>> psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However,
>> this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least
>> four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and
>> dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of
>> conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or be loved;
>> aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and dyssocials by an
>> ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those rules are the wrong
>> rules. As Stout (2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following
>> to be defined as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits
>> include:
>>
>> "List of Common Sociopathic Traits"
>>
>> Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect;
>> Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to
>> resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the
>> opposite ---; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate.
>>
>>
>> Psychopathy is a concept subject to much debate, but is usually
>> defined as a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral
>> characteristics including egocentricity; impulsivity;
>> irresponsibility; shallow emotions; lack of empathy, guilt, or
>> remorse; pathological lying; manipulativeness; and the persistent
>> violation of social norms and expectations (Cleckley 1976; Hare 1993).
>> The crimes of psychopaths are usually stone-cold, remorseless killings
>> for no apparent reason. They cold-bloodedly take what they want and do
>> as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret. In many
>> ways, they are natural-born intraspecies predators who satisfy their
>> lust for power and control by charm, manipulation, intimidation, and
>> violence. While almost all societies would regard them as criminals
>> (the exception being frontier or warlike societies where they might
>> become heroes, patriots, or leaders), it's important to distinguish
>> their behavior from criminal behavior. As a common axiom goes in
>> psychology, MOST PSYCHOPATHS ARE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES BUT NOT ALL
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES ARE PSYCHOPATHS. This is because APD is
>> defined mainly by behaviors (Factor 2 antisocial behaviors) and
>> doesn't tap the affective/interpersonal dimensions (Factor 1 core
>> psychopathic features, narcissism) of psychopathy. Further, criminals
>> and APDs tend to "age out" of crime; psychopaths do not, and are at
>> high risk of recidivism. Psychopaths love to intellectualize in
>> treatment with their half-baked understanding of rules. Like the Star
>> Trek character, Spock, their reasoning cannot handle any mix of
>> cognition and emotion. They are calculating predators who, when
>> trapped, will attempt escape, create a nuisance and danger to staff,
>> be a disruptive influence on other patients or inmates, and fake
>> symptoms to get transferred, bouncing back and forth between
>> institutions. The common features of psychopathic traits (the PCL-R
>> items) are:
>>
>>
>> "List of Common Psychopathic Traits"
>>
>> Glib and superficial charm; Grandiose sense of self-worth; Need for
>> stimulation; Pathological lying; Conning and manipulativeness; Lack of
>> remorse or guilt; Shallow affect; Callousness and lack of empathy;
>> Parasitic lifestyle; Poor behavioral controls; Promiscuous sexual
>> behavior; Early behavior problems; Lack of realistic, long-term goals;
>> Impulsivity; Irresponsibility; Failure to accept responsibility for
>> own actions; Many short-term marital relationships; Juvenile
>> delinquency; Revocation of conditional release; Criminal versatility.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER"
>>
>>
>> The diagnosis of APD has long been controversial. The criteria for
>> it seem to change with each and every new edition of the Diagnostic
>> and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I 1968; DSM-II 1976;
>> DSM-III 1980; DSM-III-R 1987; DSM-IV 1994). The diagnosis was
>> substantially changed with DSM-III when the APA decided to distinguish
>> between child and adult characteristics, and essentially substituted
>> behavioral criteria (like truancy or law violations) for personality
>> criteria (like callousness and selfishness). In the DSM-III-R (R for
>> Revised), the focus was on violence and a list of violent acts
>> (fighting, cruelty to others, cruelty to animals). The current DSM-IV
>> approach essentially says that anything which is not sociopathy,
>> psychopathy or dyssocial personality disorder is antisocial
>> personality disorder, but there is considerable overlap. The
>> diagnostic possibilities are endless; there are at least 3 million
>> possible variations of symptoms on at least 62 different measurable
>> items.
>>
>> Ongoing research is quite prolific into the factor or principal
>> components analysis of APD characteristics. Most forensic experts
>> believe there are 3-4 factors (groupings of symptoms). One factor
>> involves symptoms that cluster around what might be called a Lack of
>> Planning (promiscuous, irresponsible, impulsive traits and behavior).
>> Another factor clusters around the notion of Disregard for Others. A
>> third factor is clearly related to Adult Criminality. A fourth factor
>> is clearly related to Juvenile Delinquency. Impulsivity appears to be
>> a prototypical (core) feature, but it can take many forms. Definitions
>> of impulsivity are numerous -- a tendency to act without reflection;
>> dysfunctional information processing; a tendency for risk taking;
>> sensation seeking; and an inability to sustain attention. Rating
>> scales are easily available to measure these.
>>
>> The incidence of APD is twice as high for inner-city residents
>> than in small towns or rural areas, and five times higher in males
>> than in females. It affects people in all social classes, but if
>> someone with APD is born into a family of wealth and privilege, they
>> will usually manage to eek out a successful business or political
>> career. Poorer people with APD tend to wind up in state prison
>> systems. Since African-Americans are seven times more likely to be
>> represented in state prison systems, it's tempting to speculate the
>> incidence of APD among African-Americans is high. However, there are
>> most likely other causes of crime among African-Americans (like
>> unemployment and racism). The fact is that most of the current prison
>> population, white or black, shares the APD diagnosis. All it takes is
>> a juvenile record, an adult offense career, aggressivity, impulsivity,
>> a checkered work history, and/or lack of demonstrable repentance.
>> These can be easily found in almost any prison inmate's dossier.
>>
>> One of the things closely related to APD is the comorbidity of
>> alcoholism and narcotic addiction. Some of the criteria for a
>> substance abuse disorder are very similar: theft, hazardous behavior,
>> failure to fulfill role functions in home, school, and work. A strong
>> correlation exists between substance abuse and factor 2 (antisocial
>> behaviors) of the psychopathy construct. APDs with a drug addiction
>> have some serious substance abuse problems -- the kind that lead to
>> death by overdose or accident within five years. Are APD and narcotic
>> addiction part of the same disorder, does one lead to the other, or
>> are they are spuriously linked together? From what little research
>> there is, it appears that most of the time, APD precedes narcotic
>> addiction, although some of the time, addiction leads to APD
>> behaviors. People with such comorbid characteristics also usually have
>> undiagnosed other Axis I and Axis II disorders.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOPATH"
>>
>>
>> From the wild Irish slums of the 19th Century Eastern seaboard to
>> the riot-torn anomic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, our society has
>> always produced sociopaths who are quite often the products of
>> illegitimacy, broken homes, and a lack of any bonding with male or
>> societal authority. Some 70% of sociopaths come from fatherless homes.
>> Father absence produces many consequences similar to the symptoms of
>> sociopathy -- early, precocious sexuality; antagonistic, deprecating
>> attitude toward the opposite ---; lack of interest in bonding with a
>> durable, stable mate; aggressive acting-out; excessive boasting; and
>> risk-taking behavior. Some 30% of children today are born
>> out-of-wedlock, and another 30% live in divorced homes. These
>> conditions - a problem of unsocialization - produce sociopathy.
>> Furthermore, sociopaths tend to reproduce themselves, that is, they
>> produce more than own their share of illegitimate offspring
>> themselves.
>>
>> So what is a sociopath? You won't find criteria in the DSM IV or
>> official psychiatric nomenclature, but the construct refers to the
>> largest subgroup of APDs. Most are males, but an increasing number are
>> female. They have otherwise normal temperaments (as opposed to
>> psychopaths who have abnormal temperaments). Some are aggressive,
>> fearless sensation seekers, and others are Machiavellian manipulators.
>> A Machiavellian is a personality type who is a cross between an
>> antisocial personality and a narcissist, and someone who also has an
>> extremely high sense of entitlement. The one thing that all
>> sociopaths have in common is that they are "too much" to handle for
>> their parents or anyone else. It's common to refer to them as
>> unsocialized, but the dyssocial sociopath does socialize to the mores
>> and values of a dyssocial outgroup, like a gang. Let's explore the
>> four (4) subtypes of sociopaths:
>>
>> COMMON SOCIOPATHS are the largest subtype and have a weak or
>> unelaborated conscience. They are not ashamed by the same things as
>> you or I would be ashamed of. They are like feral children grown up,
>> taking pleasures and gratifying impulses at every opportunity or
>> temptation. They especially enjoy and take pride in bending or
>> breaking the rules. As teenagers, they are often runaways. As adults,
>> they are often geographically mobile, living in shelters, or taking
>> advantage of welfare systems. They are experienced shoplifters. They
>> have quite active --- lives. They are usually of average intelligence,
>> but don't do well in school and never seem to break out of low-paying
>> dead-end jobs. Nevertheless, they seem genuinely happy with their
>> lives, unburdened by any sense of negative self-worth or the fact that
>> they have not been a functional, contributing member of society.
>>
>> ALIENATED SOCIOPATHS have never developed the ability to love,
>> empathize, or affiliate in real life with another person. They will
>> show more emotion toward their pet or a personal artifact than toward
>> a person. Or, they may hate animals and live out their emotional life
>> by watching TV (identification with soap opera characters is a common
>> pattern). Dating and marriage relationships will be very barren and
>> empty. They won't get along with the neighbors. They live in a shell.
>> They have a cold, callous attitude toward human suffering or any
>> social problem in the society they live in. They just don't care
>> because it's outside their range of empathy. Most will believe they
>> are justified in this because they feel they were cheated in some way
>> themselves by society, and a few will be more than happy to rant and
>> rave about it to anyone who listens. They are chronic complainers, and
>> underneath it all, they would like to see nothing better than all of
>> society destroyed.
>>
>> AGGRESSIVE SOCIOPATHS derive strong, yet nonperverse gratification
>> from harming others. They like to hurt, frighten, tyrannize, bully,
>> and manipulate. They do it for a sense of power and control, and will
>> often only drop subtle hints about what they are up to. They polish
>> their aggressive, domineering manner in such a way to disguise any
>> intimidation others might feel. They seek out positions of power, such
>> as parent, teacher, bureaucrat, supervisor, or police officer. Their
>> style is one of passive aggression as they systematically go about
>> sabotaging the ideas of others to get their ideas in place. In their
>> spare time, they like to hunt or occasionally do sadistic things like
>> find stray dogs and cut them up. They are usually effective at getting
>> their way, and are especially vindictive if resisted or crossed. They
>> don't follow the social norm of reciprocity like others do.
>>
>> DYSSOCIAL SOCIOPATHS identify and hold an allegiance with a
>> dyssocial, outcast, or predatory subculture. Any subculture will do,
>> as long as it runs counter to established authority. They are capable
>> of intense loyalty, and even a feeling of guilt and shame, within such
>> limited circles. They seem to continually fall upon bad luck and bad
>> companions, however. While they will constantly complain that none of
>> this is their fault, behind it all is a kind of self-defeating
>> mechanism in the poor choices they made themselves.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHOPATH"
>>
>>
>> Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or
>> development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who
>> represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and
>> untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and
>> emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age
>> 50 or so, then tapers off. Their emotionlessness reflects a detached,
>> fearless, and possibly dissociated state, revealing a lower autonomic
>> nervous system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what
>> motivates them - control and dominance possibly - since their life
>> history will usually show no bonds with others nor much rhyme to their
>> reason (other than the planning of violence). They tend to operate
>> with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of entitlement, an insatiable
>> appetite, and a tendency toward sadism. Fearlessness is probably the
>> prototypical (core) characteristic (the low-fear hypothesis). It's
>> helpful to think of them as high-speed vehicles with ineffective
>> brakes. Certain organic (brain) disorders and hormonal imbalances
>> mimic the state of mind of a psychopath.
>>
>> There are four (4) different subtypes of psychopaths. The oldest
>> distinction was made by Cleckley back in 1941 between primary and
>> secondary. However, we'll explore the other two subtypes first:
>>
>> DISTEMPERED PSYCHOPATHS are the kind that seem to fly into a rage
>> or frenzy more easily and more often than other subtypes. Their frenzy
>> will resemble an epileptic fit. They are also usually men with
>> incredibly strong --- drives, capable of astonishing feats of sexual
>> energy, and seemingly obsessed by sexual urges during a large part of
>> their waking lives. Powerful cravings also seem to characterize them,
>> as in drug addiction, kleptomania, pedophilia, any illicit or illegal
>> indulgence. They like the endorphin "high" or "rush" off of excitement
>> and risk-taking. The serial-rapist-murderer known as the Boston
>> Strangler was such a psychopath.
>>
>> CHARISMATIC PSYCHOPATHS are charming, attractive liars. They are
>> usually gifted at some talent or another, and they use it to their
>> advantage in manipulating others. They are usually fast-talkers, and
>> possess an almost demonic ability to persuade others out of everything
>> they own, even their lives. Leaders of religious sects or cults, for
>> example, might be psychopaths if they lead their followers to their
>> deaths. This subtype often comes to believe in their own fictions.
>> They are irresistible.
>>
>> PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS do not respond to punishment, apprehension,
>> stress, or disapproval. They seem to be able to inhibit their
>> antisocial impulses most of the time, not because of conscience, but
>> because it suits their purpose at the time. Words do not seem to have
>> the same meaning for them as they do for us. In fact, it's unclear if
>> they even grasp the meaning of their own words, a condition that
>> Cleckley called "semantic aphasia." They don't follow any life plan,
>> and it seems as if they are incapable of experiencing any genuine
>> emotion.
>>
>> SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHS are risk-takers, but are also more likely to
>> be stress-reactive, worriers, and guilt-prone. They expose themselves
>> to more stress than the average person, but they are as vulnerable to
>> stress as the average person. They are daring, adventurous,
>> unconventional people who began playing by their own rules early in
>> life. They are strongly driven by a desire to escape or avoid pain,
>> but are unable to resist temptation. As their anxiety increases toward
>> some forbidden object, so does their attraction to it. They live their
>> lives by the lure of temptation.
>>
>> Hare's PCL-R 20-item checklist is based on Cleckley's 16-item
>> checklist, and the following is a discussion of the concepts in the
>> PCL-R:
>>
>> 1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging,
>> charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the
>> least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath
>> never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social
>> conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.
>>
>> 2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities
>> and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart.
>> Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human
>> beings.
>>
>> 3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need
>> for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and
>> doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low
>> self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they
>> get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of
>> time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or
>> routine.
>>
>> 4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form,
>> they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme
>> form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous,
>> manipulative, and dishonest.
>>
>> 5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to
>> cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from
>> Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness
>> is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and
>> suffering of one's victims.
>>
>> 6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the
>> losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned,
>> dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic. This item is usually
>> demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.
>>
>> 7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of
>> feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open
>> gregariousness.
>>
>> 8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people
>> in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
>>
>> 9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and
>> exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of
>> motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete
>> responsibilities.
>>
>> 10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability,
>> annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;
>> inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
>>
>> 11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial
>> relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual
>> partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a
>> history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or
>> taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.
>>
>> 12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviors prior to age 13,
>> including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual
>> activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away
>> from home.
>>
>> 13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent
>> failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic
>> existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
>>
>> 14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated
>> and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation,
>> frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering
>> the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and
>> reckless.
>>
>> 15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfill or honor
>> obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on
>> loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing
>> to honor contractual agreements.
>>
>> 16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to
>> accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low
>> conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic
>> manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate
>> others through this denial.
>>
>> 17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS -- a lack of commitment to a
>> long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and
>> unreliable commitments in life, including marital.
>>
>> 18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behavior problems between the ages of
>> 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of
>> antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous,
>> ruthless tough-mindedness.
>>
>> 19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or
>> other conditional release due to technical violations, such as
>> carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.
>>
>> 20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses,
>> regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them;
>> taking great pride at getting away with crimes.
>>
Message-ID: <46f0b626$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....

24Bit®

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:30:12 -0700, "L.W. \(Bill\) ------ III"
<LWBill------@------.net> wrote:

Message-ID: <46f0b626$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

> There you go again, the little Psychopath, jealous, REALLY JEALOUS,
>over the fact that I once own a '37 Lasalle, ranting over my documents,
>possessions, successes, manliness, Super Southern California surfer body,
>Christian family, and name. What a jealous little draft dodging senile
>coward from 12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT, Mediacom
>Communications Corp MEDIACOMCC-12-205-156-0-GULF-BREEZE-Florida, that of
>course, doesn't have a DD214, it had to have served our country for that.
>Who's only way to get attention is to make a fool of its self, with its goat
>obsession/fetish, where it writes via remailers, to no one's surprise. Like
>when the other kids laughed at its attempt to use foul language in
>elementary school play grounds, but its just gibberish. Too senile to
>remember what he last wrote, like the rest of Florida. You remind me of a
>little rat dog, like a Mexican Chiwawa with its senseless barking it's rabid
>head off, me too, me too. And is too afraid to use your name, address, or
>even sign your statement as any man would, totally worthless!
> Posted pornography at: news:0u7g43dkje4pdkqi07hl66s8kpifo564k1@4ax.com
>As a member of the moral majority I know what ---- is when I see it!
> But now worth the time to forward this low life to: abuse@mchsi.com,
>fraud@mchsi.com, fraud@4AX.COM, abuse@aioe.org, admin@***.net,
>abuse@teranews.com for forgery.
> I thought your attacks were just personal disagreements, but with
>passing of my country's Independents Day, I realize these attacks are
>stemming from my love of God and America, and that's what you've been doing
>all along is declaring your hatred for the United States of America, with
>each declaration of my signature, but just too cowardly to be a ---------.
>It's America, love it, or leave it, so get the f*ck out!
> Considering the source, which you're a habitual lair, so these plus your
>other accusations would be thrown out of court.
> When are you going to take responsibility for yourself, and become a
>man??????????
> People that follow astrology, know the traits you have listed are a
>hundred eighty out from any Capricorn.
>Forwarded to: alt.binaries.pictures.autos, alt.binaries.automobile.pictures
>groups so they may to see what an a**hole you really are!!!!!
>Is this what your Psychologist wrote about you? They don't fit any
>Capricorn, sounds like a spoil Leo.
> You're a LIAR and never been in the Service much less Vietnam, as you
>suggest!!!!!
> If you think I'm a Psycho, then report me to my friends at the San Diego
>Sheriffs Department.
> I'm just really curious as to who you think will believe you over any
>man responsible enough to list his name and address here and in every place
>I know of????? All you can do is lie, as most everything you have said
>contradicts it's self.
> You know what they say, once a ------ coward, always a ------ coward.
> I won't give up until traitors like you are gone from these groups I
>participate and see you've pretty well killed this group I will devote my
>life to reminding your groups who you are!!!!!!!
> I would appreciate the name and address of these trolls, Square Wheel:
>S0106000ea6ba70e7.vn.shawcable.net 24.86.24.251 intrepidator@shaw.ca and
>24bit:
>12.205.158.32 AT&T WorldNet Services ATT Mediacom Communications Corp. I
>will keep your name in confidence, kindly email -------------------- or
>LW------@------.net
> Sincerely,
> Llewellyn W. (Bill) ------ III
> You're not fooling anyone, ------! You need to get back in the hospital
>before you hurt yourself or someone else.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
>
>"24Bit®" <24Bit@Ur.Asylm.org> wrote in message
>news:isc1f35e9vd6e1a7rv8g7rikqmhufbs47m@4ax.com.. .
>>
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
>>
>>
>> Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is practically synonymous with
>> criminal behavior, but as with all distributions of a disease or
>> whatever in a population, it is probable that the majority of people
>> with this particular affliction are law-abiding. Aging,
>> overinvolvements, and/or relationships might hold sway over the
>> control (or lack of control) in these kind of people, and although
>> approaching the study of offenders from a relationship & personality
>> disorders point of view may or may not be productive, Dr. Drew is
>> probably an adequate source of information on such matters. Dr.
>> Drew's theory (and one with wide ramifications since he pretty much
>> defines an antisocial tendency as thinking about one's self first) is
>> that women with certain kinds of disorders, like borderline
>> personality disorders, tend to be attracted to and hook up with men
>> who manifest symptoms of psychopathic personality disorder (see
>> Lecture on BPD & OCD) and that such match-ups may or may not be
>> dysfunctional. On the other hand, the field of criminology tends to
>> treat APD as so synonymous, in fact, with criminal behavior that
>> practically all convicted criminals (65-75%) have it, with
>> criminologists often referring to it as a "wastebasket" category.
>> Antisocials come is all shapes and sizes, and psychologists consider
>> the juvenile version of it to be a juvenile conduct disorder. The main
>> characteristic of it is a complete and utter disregard for the rights
>> of others and the rules of society. They seldom show anxiety and don't
>> feel guilt. Although many people would hope that there's an effective
>> treatment, there's really no effective treatment for them other than
>> locking them up in a secure facility with such rigid rules that they
>> cannot talk their way out. A full list of APD traits would include:
>>
>>
>>
>> "List of Antisocial Personality Disorder Traits"
>>
>> Sense of entitlement; Unremorseful; Apathetic to others;
>> Unconscionable behavior; Blameful of others; Manipulative and conning;
>> Affectively cold; Disparate understanding; Socially irresponsible;
>> Disregardful of obligations; Nonconforming to norms; Irresponsible.
>>
>> whereas the DSM-IV "clinical" features of Antisocial Personality
>> Disorder (with a person having at least three of these
>> characteristics) are:
>>
>>
>> "Clinical Symptoms for an Antisocial Personality Disorder
>> Diagnosis"
>>
>> 1. Failure to conform to social norms;
>> 2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness;
>> 3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead;
>> 4. Irritability, aggressiveness;
>> 5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others;
>> 6. Consistent irresponsibility;
>> 7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from
>> another person.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the
>> person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes
>> like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize
>> or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective.
>> Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires -
>> selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody
>> else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used
>> in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are
>> doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The
>> term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists
>> alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due
>> primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an
>> inherent feature of temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly
>> distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a
>> psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However,
>> this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least
>> four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and
>> dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of
>> conscience; the alienated by their inability to love or be loved;
>> aggressives by a consistent sadistic streak; and dyssocials by an
>> ability to abide by gang rules, as long as those rules are the wrong
>> rules. As Stout (2005) indicates, it only takes three of the following
>> to be defined as a sociopath, and some common sociopathic traits
>> include:
>>
>> "List of Common Sociopathic Traits"
>>
>> Egocentricity; Callousness; Impulsivity; Conscience defect;
>> Exaggerated sexuality; Excessive boasting; Risk taking; Inability to
>> resist temptation; Antagonistic, deprecating attitude toward the
>> opposite ---; Lack of interest in bonding with a mate.
>>
>>
>> Psychopathy is a concept subject to much debate, but is usually
>> defined as a constellation of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral
>> characteristics including egocentricity; impulsivity;
>> irresponsibility; shallow emotions; lack of empathy, guilt, or
>> remorse; pathological lying; manipulativeness; and the persistent
>> violation of social norms and expectations (Cleckley 1976; Hare 1993).
>> The crimes of psychopaths are usually stone-cold, remorseless killings
>> for no apparent reason. They cold-bloodedly take what they want and do
>> as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret. In many
>> ways, they are natural-born intraspecies predators who satisfy their
>> lust for power and control by charm, manipulation, intimidation, and
>> violence. While almost all societies would regard them as criminals
>> (the exception being frontier or warlike societies where they might
>> become heroes, patriots, or leaders), it's important to distinguish
>> their behavior from criminal behavior. As a common axiom goes in
>> psychology, MOST PSYCHOPATHS ARE ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES BUT NOT ALL
>> ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITIES ARE PSYCHOPATHS. This is because APD is
>> defined mainly by behaviors (Factor 2 antisocial behaviors) and
>> doesn't tap the affective/interpersonal dimensions (Factor 1 core
>> psychopathic features, narcissism) of psychopathy. Further, criminals
>> and APDs tend to "age out" of crime; psychopaths do not, and are at
>> high risk of recidivism. Psychopaths love to intellectualize in
>> treatment with their half-baked understanding of rules. Like the Star
>> Trek character, Spock, their reasoning cannot handle any mix of
>> cognition and emotion. They are calculating predators who, when
>> trapped, will attempt escape, create a nuisance and danger to staff,
>> be a disruptive influence on other patients or inmates, and fake
>> symptoms to get transferred, bouncing back and forth between
>> institutions. The common features of psychopathic traits (the PCL-R
>> items) are:
>>
>>
>> "List of Common Psychopathic Traits"
>>
>> Glib and superficial charm; Grandiose sense of self-worth; Need for
>> stimulation; Pathological lying; Conning and manipulativeness; Lack of
>> remorse or guilt; Shallow affect; Callousness and lack of empathy;
>> Parasitic lifestyle; Poor behavioral controls; Promiscuous sexual
>> behavior; Early behavior problems; Lack of realistic, long-term goals;
>> Impulsivity; Irresponsibility; Failure to accept responsibility for
>> own actions; Many short-term marital relationships; Juvenile
>> delinquency; Revocation of conditional release; Criminal versatility.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER"
>>
>>
>> The diagnosis of APD has long been controversial. The criteria for
>> it seem to change with each and every new edition of the Diagnostic
>> and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I 1968; DSM-II 1976;
>> DSM-III 1980; DSM-III-R 1987; DSM-IV 1994). The diagnosis was
>> substantially changed with DSM-III when the APA decided to distinguish
>> between child and adult characteristics, and essentially substituted
>> behavioral criteria (like truancy or law violations) for personality
>> criteria (like callousness and selfishness). In the DSM-III-R (R for
>> Revised), the focus was on violence and a list of violent acts
>> (fighting, cruelty to others, cruelty to animals). The current DSM-IV
>> approach essentially says that anything which is not sociopathy,
>> psychopathy or dyssocial personality disorder is antisocial
>> personality disorder, but there is considerable overlap. The
>> diagnostic possibilities are endless; there are at least 3 million
>> possible variations of symptoms on at least 62 different measurable
>> items.
>>
>> Ongoing research is quite prolific into the factor or principal
>> components analysis of APD characteristics. Most forensic experts
>> believe there are 3-4 factors (groupings of symptoms). One factor
>> involves symptoms that cluster around what might be called a Lack of
>> Planning (promiscuous, irresponsible, impulsive traits and behavior).
>> Another factor clusters around the notion of Disregard for Others. A
>> third factor is clearly related to Adult Criminality. A fourth factor
>> is clearly related to Juvenile Delinquency. Impulsivity appears to be
>> a prototypical (core) feature, but it can take many forms. Definitions
>> of impulsivity are numerous -- a tendency to act without reflection;
>> dysfunctional information processing; a tendency for risk taking;
>> sensation seeking; and an inability to sustain attention. Rating
>> scales are easily available to measure these.
>>
>> The incidence of APD is twice as high for inner-city residents
>> than in small towns or rural areas, and five times higher in males
>> than in females. It affects people in all social classes, but if
>> someone with APD is born into a family of wealth and privilege, they
>> will usually manage to eek out a successful business or political
>> career. Poorer people with APD tend to wind up in state prison
>> systems. Since African-Americans are seven times more likely to be
>> represented in state prison systems, it's tempting to speculate the
>> incidence of APD among African-Americans is high. However, there are
>> most likely other causes of crime among African-Americans (like
>> unemployment and racism). The fact is that most of the current prison
>> population, white or black, shares the APD diagnosis. All it takes is
>> a juvenile record, an adult offense career, aggressivity, impulsivity,
>> a checkered work history, and/or lack of demonstrable repentance.
>> These can be easily found in almost any prison inmate's dossier.
>>
>> One of the things closely related to APD is the comorbidity of
>> alcoholism and narcotic addiction. Some of the criteria for a
>> substance abuse disorder are very similar: theft, hazardous behavior,
>> failure to fulfill role functions in home, school, and work. A strong
>> correlation exists between substance abuse and factor 2 (antisocial
>> behaviors) of the psychopathy construct. APDs with a drug addiction
>> have some serious substance abuse problems -- the kind that lead to
>> death by overdose or accident within five years. Are APD and narcotic
>> addiction part of the same disorder, does one lead to the other, or
>> are they are spuriously linked together? From what little research
>> there is, it appears that most of the time, APD precedes narcotic
>> addiction, although some of the time, addiction leads to APD
>> behaviors. People with such comorbid characteristics also usually have
>> undiagnosed other Axis I and Axis II disorders.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOPATH"
>>
>>
>> From the wild Irish slums of the 19th Century Eastern seaboard to
>> the riot-torn anomic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, our society has
>> always produced sociopaths who are quite often the products of
>> illegitimacy, broken homes, and a lack of any bonding with male or
>> societal authority. Some 70% of sociopaths come from fatherless homes.
>> Father absence produces many consequences similar to the symptoms of
>> sociopathy -- early, precocious sexuality; antagonistic, deprecating
>> attitude toward the opposite ---; lack of interest in bonding with a
>> durable, stable mate; aggressive acting-out; excessive boasting; and
>> risk-taking behavior. Some 30% of children today are born
>> out-of-wedlock, and another 30% live in divorced homes. These
>> conditions - a problem of unsocialization - produce sociopathy.
>> Furthermore, sociopaths tend to reproduce themselves, that is, they
>> produce more than own their share of illegitimate offspring
>> themselves.
>>
>> So what is a sociopath? You won't find criteria in the DSM IV or
>> official psychiatric nomenclature, but the construct refers to the
>> largest subgroup of APDs. Most are males, but an increasing number are
>> female. They have otherwise normal temperaments (as opposed to
>> psychopaths who have abnormal temperaments). Some are aggressive,
>> fearless sensation seekers, and others are Machiavellian manipulators.
>> A Machiavellian is a personality type who is a cross between an
>> antisocial personality and a narcissist, and someone who also has an
>> extremely high sense of entitlement. The one thing that all
>> sociopaths have in common is that they are "too much" to handle for
>> their parents or anyone else. It's common to refer to them as
>> unsocialized, but the dyssocial sociopath does socialize to the mores
>> and values of a dyssocial outgroup, like a gang. Let's explore the
>> four (4) subtypes of sociopaths:
>>
>> COMMON SOCIOPATHS are the largest subtype and have a weak or
>> unelaborated conscience. They are not ashamed by the same things as
>> you or I would be ashamed of. They are like feral children grown up,
>> taking pleasures and gratifying impulses at every opportunity or
>> temptation. They especially enjoy and take pride in bending or
>> breaking the rules. As teenagers, they are often runaways. As adults,
>> they are often geographically mobile, living in shelters, or taking
>> advantage of welfare systems. They are experienced shoplifters. They
>> have quite active --- lives. They are usually of average intelligence,
>> but don't do well in school and never seem to break out of low-paying
>> dead-end jobs. Nevertheless, they seem genuinely happy with their
>> lives, unburdened by any sense of negative self-worth or the fact that
>> they have not been a functional, contributing member of society.
>>
>> ALIENATED SOCIOPATHS have never developed the ability to love,
>> empathize, or affiliate in real life with another person. They will
>> show more emotion toward their pet or a personal artifact than toward
>> a person. Or, they may hate animals and live out their emotional life
>> by watching TV (identification with soap opera characters is a common
>> pattern). Dating and marriage relationships will be very barren and
>> empty. They won't get along with the neighbors. They live in a shell.
>> They have a cold, callous attitude toward human suffering or any
>> social problem in the society they live in. They just don't care
>> because it's outside their range of empathy. Most will believe they
>> are justified in this because they feel they were cheated in some way
>> themselves by society, and a few will be more than happy to rant and
>> rave about it to anyone who listens. They are chronic complainers, and
>> underneath it all, they would like to see nothing better than all of
>> society destroyed.
>>
>> AGGRESSIVE SOCIOPATHS derive strong, yet nonperverse gratification
>> from harming others. They like to hurt, frighten, tyrannize, bully,
>> and manipulate. They do it for a sense of power and control, and will
>> often only drop subtle hints about what they are up to. They polish
>> their aggressive, domineering manner in such a way to disguise any
>> intimidation others might feel. They seek out positions of power, such
>> as parent, teacher, bureaucrat, supervisor, or police officer. Their
>> style is one of passive aggression as they systematically go about
>> sabotaging the ideas of others to get their ideas in place. In their
>> spare time, they like to hunt or occasionally do sadistic things like
>> find stray dogs and cut them up. They are usually effective at getting
>> their way, and are especially vindictive if resisted or crossed. They
>> don't follow the social norm of reciprocity like others do.
>>
>> DYSSOCIAL SOCIOPATHS identify and hold an allegiance with a
>> dyssocial, outcast, or predatory subculture. Any subculture will do,
>> as long as it runs counter to established authority. They are capable
>> of intense loyalty, and even a feeling of guilt and shame, within such
>> limited circles. They seem to continually fall upon bad luck and bad
>> companions, however. While they will constantly complain that none of
>> this is their fault, behind it all is a kind of self-defeating
>> mechanism in the poor choices they made themselves.
>>
>>
>> "DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PSYCHOPATH"
>>
>>
>> Psychopaths cannot be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or
>> development. They are simply morally depraved individuals who
>> represent the "monsters" in our society. They are unstoppable and
>> untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and
>> emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age
>> 50 or so, then tapers off. Their emotionlessness reflects a detached,
>> fearless, and possibly dissociated state, revealing a lower autonomic
>> nervous system and lack of anxiety. It's difficult to say what
>> motivates them - control and dominance possibly - since their life
>> history will usually show no bonds with others nor much rhyme to their
>> reason (other than the planning of violence). They tend to operate
>> with a grandiose demeanor, an attitude of entitlement, an insatiable
>> appetite, and a tendency toward sadism. Fearlessness is probably the
>> prototypical (core) characteristic (the low-fear hypothesis). It's
>> helpful to think of them as high-speed vehicles with ineffective
>> brakes. Certain organic (brain) disorders and hormonal imbalances
>> mimic the state of mind of a psychopath.
>>
>> There are four (4) different subtypes of psychopaths. The oldest
>> distinction was made by Cleckley back in 1941 between primary and
>> secondary. However, we'll explore the other two subtypes first:
>>
>> DISTEMPERED PSYCHOPATHS are the kind that seem to fly into a rage
>> or frenzy more easily and more often than other subtypes. Their frenzy
>> will resemble an epileptic fit. They are also usually men with
>> incredibly strong --- drives, capable of astonishing feats of sexual
>> energy, and seemingly obsessed by sexual urges during a large part of
>> their waking lives. Powerful cravings also seem to characterize them,
>> as in drug addiction, kleptomania, pedophilia, any illicit or illegal
>> indulgence. They like the endorphin "high" or "rush" off of excitement
>> and risk-taking. The serial-rapist-murderer known as the Boston
>> Strangler was such a psychopath.
>>
>> CHARISMATIC PSYCHOPATHS are charming, attractive liars. They are
>> usually gifted at some talent or another, and they use it to their
>> advantage in manipulating others. They are usually fast-talkers, and
>> possess an almost demonic ability to persuade others out of everything
>> they own, even their lives. Leaders of religious sects or cults, for
>> example, might be psychopaths if they lead their followers to their
>> deaths. This subtype often comes to believe in their own fictions.
>> They are irresistible.
>>
>> PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHS do not respond to punishment, apprehension,
>> stress, or disapproval. They seem to be able to inhibit their
>> antisocial impulses most of the time, not because of conscience, but
>> because it suits their purpose at the time. Words do not seem to have
>> the same meaning for them as they do for us. In fact, it's unclear if
>> they even grasp the meaning of their own words, a condition that
>> Cleckley called "semantic aphasia." They don't follow any life plan,
>> and it seems as if they are incapable of experiencing any genuine
>> emotion.
>>
>> SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHS are risk-takers, but are also more likely to
>> be stress-reactive, worriers, and guilt-prone. They expose themselves
>> to more stress than the average person, but they are as vulnerable to
>> stress as the average person. They are daring, adventurous,
>> unconventional people who began playing by their own rules early in
>> life. They are strongly driven by a desire to escape or avoid pain,
>> but are unable to resist temptation. As their anxiety increases toward
>> some forbidden object, so does their attraction to it. They live their
>> lives by the lure of temptation.
>>
>> Hare's PCL-R 20-item checklist is based on Cleckley's 16-item
>> checklist, and the following is a discussion of the concepts in the
>> PCL-R:
>>
>> 1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging,
>> charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the
>> least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath
>> never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social
>> conventions about taking turns in talking, for example.
>>
>> 2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities
>> and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart.
>> Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human
>> beings.
>>
>> 3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need
>> for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and
>> doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low
>> self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they
>> get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of
>> time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or
>> routine.
>>
>> 4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form,
>> they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme
>> form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous,
>> manipulative, and dishonest.
>>
>> 5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to
>> cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from
>> Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness
>> is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and
>> suffering of one's victims.
>>
>> 6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the
>> losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned,
>> dispassionate, coldhearted, and unempathic. This item is usually
>> demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.
>>
>> 7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of
>> feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open
>> gregariousness.
>>
>> 8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people
>> in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.
>>
>> 9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and
>> exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of
>> motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete
>> responsibilities.
>>
>> 10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability,
>> annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse;
>> inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.
>>
>> 11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial
>> relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual
>> partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a
>> history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or
>> taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.
>>
>> 12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviors prior to age 13,
>> including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual
>> activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away
>> from home.
>>
>> 13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent
>> failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic
>> existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.
>>
>> 14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviors that are unpremeditated
>> and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation,
>> frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering
>> the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and
>> reckless.
>>
>> 15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfill or honor
>> obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on
>> loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing
>> to honor contractual agreements.
>>
>> 16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to
>> accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low
>> conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic
>> manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate
>> others through this denial.
>>
>> 17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS -- a lack of commitment to a
>> long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and
>> unreliable commitments in life, including marital.
>>
>> 18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behavior problems between the ages of
>> 13-18; mostly behaviors that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of
>> antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous,
>> ruthless tough-mindedness.
>>
>> 19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or
>> other conditional release due to technical violations, such as
>> carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.
>>
>> 20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses,
>> regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them;
>> taking great pride at getting away with crimes.
>>
Message-ID: <46f0b626$0$24196$88260bb3@free.teranews.com>

The Psychopathy Checklist lets us discuss psychopaths with little
risk that we are describing simple social deviance or criminality, or
that we are mislabeling people who have nothing more in common than
that they have broken the law. But it also provides a detailed picture
of the disordered personalities of the psychopaths among us. In this
chapter and the next, I bring that picture into focus by describing
the more salient features one by one. This chapter looks at the
emotional and interpersonal traits of this complex personality
disorder; chapter 4 examines the unstable, characteristically
antisocial lifestyle of the psychopath.


Emotional/Interpersonal
glib and superficial
egocentric and grandiose
lack of remorse or guilt
lack of empathy
deceitful and manipulative
shallow emotions
Social Deviance
impulsive
poor behavior controls
need for excitement
lack of responsibility
early behavior problems
adult antisocial behavior


A cautionary note: The Psychopathy Checklist is a complex clinical
tool for professional use.[1] What follows is a general summary of the
key traits and behaviors of psychopaths. Do not use these symptoms to
diagnose yourself or others. A diagnosis requires explicit training
and access to the formal scoring manual. If you suspect that someone
you know conforms to the profile described here and in the next
chapter, and if it is important to you to obtain an expert opinion,
seek the services of a qualified (registered) forensic psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Also, be aware that people who are not psychopaths may have some of
the symptoms described here. Many people are impulsive, or glib, or
cold and unfeeling, or antisocial, but this does not mean they are
psychopaths. Psychopathy is a syndrome--a cluster of related symptoms.


Psychopaths are often witty and articulate. They can be amusing and
entertaining conversationalists, ready with a quick and clever
comeback, and can tell unlikely but convincing stories that cast
themselves in a good light. They can be very effective in presenting
themselves well and are often very likable and charming. To some
people, however, they seem too slick and smooth, too obviously
insincere and superficial. Astute observers often get the impression
that psychopaths are play-acting, mechanically "reading their lines."


One of my raters described an interview she did with a prisoner: "I
sat down and took out my clipboard, and the first thing this guy told
me was what beautiful eyes I had. He managed to work quite a few
compliments on my appearance into the interview -- couldn't get over
my hair. So by the time I wrapped things up I was feeling
unusually...well, pretty. I'm a wary person, especially on the job,
and can usually spot a phony. When I got back outside, I couldn't
believe I'd fallen for a line like that."


Psychopaths may ramble and tell stories that seem unlikely in light of
what is known about them. Typically, they attempt to appear familiar
with sociology, psychiatry, medicine, psychology, philosophy, poetry,
literature, art, or law. A signpost to this trait is often a smooth
lack of concern at being found out. One of our prison files describes
a psychopathic inmate claiming to have advanced degrees in sociology
and psychology, when in fact he did not even complete high school. He
maintained the fiction during an interview with one of my students, a
Ph.D. candidate in psychology; she commented that the inmate was so
confident in his use of technical jargon and concepts that those not
familiar with the field of psychology might well have been impressed.
Variations on this sort of "expert" theme are common among
psychopaths....



Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their
self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense
of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as
superior beings who are justified in living according to their own
rules. "It's not that I don't follow the law," said one of our
subjects. "I follow my own laws. I never violate my own rules." She
then described these rules in terms of "looking out for number one."


When another psychopath, in prison for a variety of crimes including
robbery, rape, and fraud, was asked if he had any weaknesses, he
replied, "I don't have any weaknesses, except maybe I'm too caring."
On a 10-point scale he rated himself "an all-round 10. I would have
said 12, but that would be bragging. If I had a better education I'd
be brilliant."


The grandiosity and pomposity of some psychopaths often emerges in
dramatic fashion in the courtroom. For example, it is not unusual for
them to criticize or fire their lawyers and to take over their own
defense, usually with disastrous results. "My partner got a year. I
got two because of a ******** lawyer," said one of our subjects. He
later handled his own appeal and saw his sentence increased to three
years.


Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts --
self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have
power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other
people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear
charismatic or "electrifying" to some people.


Psychopaths are seldom embarrassed about their legal, financial, or
personal problems. Rather, they see them as temporary setbacks, the
results of bad luck, unfaithful friends, or an unfair and incompetent
system.


Although psychopaths often claim to have specific goals, they show
little understanding of the qualifications required -- they have no
idea how to achieve their goals and little or no chance of attaining
them, given their track record and lack of sustained interest in
education. The psychopathic inmate thinking about parole might outline
vague plans to become a property tycoon or a lawyer for the poor. One
inmate, not particularly literate, managed to copyright the title of a
book he was planning to write about himself and was already counting
the fortune his bestseller would bring....


Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating
effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely
forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of
guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused,
and that there is no reason for them to be concerned.


When asked if he had any regrets about stabbing a robbery victim who
subsequently spent three months in the hospital as a result of his
wounds, one of our subjects replied, "Get real! He spends a few months
in a hospital and I rot here. I cut him up a bit, but if I wanted to
kill him I would have slit his throat. That's the kind of guy I am; I
gave him a break." Asked if he regretted any of his crimes, he said,
"I don't regret nothing. What's done is done. There must have been a
reason why I did it at the time, and that is why it was done...."


On the other hand, psychopaths sometimes verbalize remorse but then
contradict themselves in words or actions. Criminals in prison quickly
learn that remorse is an important word. When asked if he experienced
remorse over a murder he'd committed, one young inmate told us, "Yeah,
sure, I feel remorse." Pressed further, he said that he didn't "feel
bad inside about it."


I was once dumbfounded by the logic of an inmate who described his
murder victim as having benefited from the crime by learning "a hard
lesson about life."


"The guy only had himself to blame," another inmate said of the man
he'd murdered in an argument about paying a bar tab. "Anybody could
have seen I was in a rotten mood that night. What did he want to go
and bother me for?" He continued, "Anyway, the guy never suffered.
Knife wounds to an artery are the easiest way to go."


Psychopaths' lack of remorse or guilt is associated with a remarkable
ability to rationalize their behavior and to shrug off personal
responsibility for actions that cause shock and disappointment to
family, friends, associates, and others who have played by the rules.
Usually they have handy excuses for their behavior, and in some cases
they deny that it happened at all....


Many of the characteristics displayed by psychopaths -- especially
their egocentricity, lack of remorse, shallow emotions, and
deceitfulness are closely associated with a profound lack of empathy
(an inability to construct a mental and emotional "facsimile" of
another person). They seem unable to "get into the skin" or to "walk
in the shoes" of others, except in a purely intellectual sense. The
feelings of other people are of no concern to psychopaths.


In some respects they are like the emotionless androids depicted in
science fiction, unable to imagine what real humans experience. One
rapist, high on the Psychopathy Checklist, commented that he found it
hard to empathize with his victims. "They are frightened, right? But,
you see, I don't really understand it. I've been scared myself, and it
wasn't unpleasant."


Psychopaths view people as little more than objects to be used for
their own gratification. The weak and the vulnerable -- whom they
mock, rather than pity--are favorite targets. "There is no such thing,
in the psychopathic universe, as the merely weak," wrote psychologist
Robert Rieber. "Whoever is weak is also a sucker; that is, someone who
demands to be exploited....


Lying, deceiving, and manipulation are natural talents for
psychopaths.

With their powers of imagination in gear and focused on themselves,
psychopaths appear amazingly unfazed by the possibility -- or even by
the certainty -- of being found out. When caught in a lie or
challenged with the truth, they are seldom perplexed or embarrassed --
they simply change their stories or attempt to rework the facts so
that they appear to be consistent with the lie. The results are a
series of contradictory statements and a thoroughly confused listener.
Much of the lying seems to have no motivation other than what
psychologist Paul Ekman refers to as a "duping delight....


Psychopaths seem proud of their ability to lie. When asked if she lied
easily, one woman with a high score on the Psychopathy Checklist
laughed and replied, "I'm the best. I'm really good at it, I think
because I sometimes admit to something bad about myself. They'd think,
well, if she's admitting to that she must be telling the truth about
the rest." She also said that she sometimes "salts the mine" with a
nugget of truth." If they think some of what you say is true, they
usually think it's all true."


Many observers get the impression that psychopaths sometimes are
unaware that they're lying; it is as if the words take on a life of
their own, unfettered by the speaker's knowledge that the observer is
aware of the facts. The psychopath's indifference to being identified
as a liar is truly extraordinary; it causes the listener to wonder
about the speaker's sanity. More often, though, the listener is taken
in....


"I'm the most cold-blooded son of a bitch that you'll ever meet. So
Ted Bundy described himself to the police following his final arrest.


Psychopaths seem to suffer a kind of emotional poverty that limits the
range and depth of their feelings. While at times they appear cold and
unemotional, they are prone to dramatic, shallow, and short-lived
displays of feeling. Careful observers are left with the impression
that they are play-acting and that little is going on below the
surface.


Sometimes they claim to experience strong emotions but are unable to
describe the subtleties of various affective states. For example, they
equate love with sexual arousal, sadness with frustration, and anger
with irritability. "I believe in emotions: hate, anger, lust, and
greed," said Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker....


The apparent lack of normal affect and emotional depth led
psychologists J. H. Johns and H. C. Quay to say that the psychopath
"knows the words but not the music.For example, in a rambling book
about hate, violence, and rationalizations for his behavior, Jack
Abbott made this revealing comment: "There are emotions -- a whole
spectrum of them -- that I know only through words, through reading
and in my immature imagination. I can imagine I feel these emotions
(know, therefore, what they are), but I do not. At age thirty-seven I
am barely a precocious child. My passions are those of a boy....