The definition of a psychopath

[ecojeanne]

(Narcissistic personality disorder)

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique
4) requires excessive admiration
5) has a sense of entitlement
6) is interpersonally exploitative
7) lacks empathy
8) is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

I know a lot of people who have five or more of those qualities and they are ALL men. What does that say about the future of our society? These people emerged recently during the 'good times'. I don't believe the current environment is going to change anyone, some people have been saying people will care more about each other, I just think some people will become more violent and will either take the aggression out on others or themselves (suicide). it was recently discussed in the media that suicides and divorces and petty crime is already up since this economic downturn. Are these men causing all the problems? and will it get worse?

[doppelgaenger]

If the personality of a psychopath could be simplified so easily, well then there wouldn't be all those half ass pharmaceutical attempts to get rid of the shit.

[Lite]

Are these men causing all the problems? and will it get worse?

Are you honestly medically qualified to diagnose someone as having 5 or more of these problems, or are your merely projecting your bias against men by taking what are in fact extremely generalized descriptions and applying them towards men via Forer effect in much the way we believe that horoscopes rule our lives?

Because, I can quite honestly look at that same list and apply it to women I have known. But my opinion of them is admittedly biased by my interactions with them.

Now, there is a problem with men and empathy, but pretty much you could vaguely define every man and woman as a psychopath via the above poorly defined standards.

Any psychiatrist will tell you that it is a combination if things used to diagnose, not just one or two. For example, I can run through a Rorschach test and provide a whole bunch of scary interpretations, simply because I know what the negative answer already are. But, if the person testing me did not know this and based their diagnosis upon my answers to this one test alone, I'd be locked up.

Crime generally increases during times of economic hardship. The lower in the financial pecking order you go, the more desperate many people become. People end up suppressing emotions in general, especially empathy as they become more absorbed in dealing with the problems of their day-to-day lives. The greater those problems, the greater the suppression becomes.

[Lite]

If the personality of a psychopath could be simplified so easily, well then there wouldn't be all those half ass pharmaceutical attempts to get rid of the shit.

I suggest you read Brave New World if you haven't already. Aldus Huxley paints a rather grim and scary version of a world controlled by medication. Another would be the movie Equilibrium.

[ecojeanne]

no i'm not medically qualified to make any kind of judgment (that list is real tho for qualified people to judge from) but i have to say Ireland used to be be so different about 15 years ago, people really did care more. they didn't complain; now it's acceptable to abuse someone else who's paid to accept it who doesn't run the organization and policies.

i feel people get annoyed quicker, want to impress people with their success and material things, are preoccupied with how great and superior they are when in actual fact we all die with nothing in the end. Where is anyone taking all their riches? they are leaving it all to their sons in -law and daughters in-law.

i see some people i know and they really do believe that they are entitled to everything and feel that they are special. it is weird to me coz it's a new thing here in Ireland to be allowed to 'demand' a service all just coz one has the 'right' (money) over someone else. people are very rude and yet the people they are being rude to have no control over the policy or rules in place. it has become the norm to be like this coz one has the cash. this is crazy to me. i know many rude people who live in a 'special' world of their own. it has actually become more than just acceptable but admired. and they feel that they should control everyone around them involved (or not even involved but just in the vacinity) in ther crazy self involved life. this is a crazy attitude imo

[lesa]

(Narcissistic personality disorder)

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique
4) requires excessive admiration
5) has a sense of entitlement
6) is interpersonally exploitative
7) lacks empathy
8) is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Where's Cain? I wonder whether his ex has most if not all these qualities. From the information I get from him, I would say she is indeed "suffering" from this or other personality disorders.

[Illusional]

was that a description of friz?? haha

raverboy

[ecojeanne]

imo no-one is superior to anyone else, people have different qualities and life experiences but it doesn't mean any ONE person is any better than another. thats a fact and i don't care who thinks they are better than another and disagrees with me. the people i believe are low quality are the ones who don't empathize with people's life and experiences and believe that don't need to, they are indeed the lower quality people, just my thoughts

[lesa]

Crime generally increases during times of economic hardship. The lower in the financial pecking order you go, the more desperate many people become. People end up suppressing emotions in general, especially empathy as they become more absorbed in dealing with the problems of their day-to-day lives. The greater those problems, the greater the suppression becomes.

That's very true but there are rich psychopaths too.

Ecojeanne was your last past to a particular poster?

[vashti]

Are you honestly medically qualified to diagnose someone as having 5 or more of these problems, or are your merely projecting your bias against men by taking what are in fact extremely generalized descriptions and applying them towards men via Forer effect in much the way we believe that horoscopes rule our lives?

Actually, those ARE the criteria used by professionals to diagnose this psych disorder. They appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). And yes, I can think of a couple of women who fit this criteria, and quite a lot of people have less than 5.

[lesa]

Actually, those ARE the criteria used by professionals to diagnose this psych disorder. They appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). And yes, I can think of a couple of women who fit this criteria, and quite a lot of people have less than 5.

OOoo the DSM-IV. My bf would love to go over it with me. I have partial information in my bookshelf somewhere and the info Ecojeanne gave is definitely in there.

[ecojeanne]

That's very true but there are rich psychopaths too.

Ecojeanne was your last past to a particular poster?

no not at all lesa, i'm just feelin a bit like a lot people haven't realised that everyone is the same, lol sorry, it may have looked like that but no, i'm just feelin like some people don't have a concience and it seems to be acceptable and admired in some cases

[vashti]

Narcissists have a conscience. The ones that *don't* are the ones with anti-social personality disorder.

Of course, many people have more than one personality disorder at the same time, so there could be overlap.

[ecojeanne]

how can they have a conscience if they don’t empathize? is the conscience when they realize that they hurt themselves by being terrible to someone else therefore in turn hurting themselves? is that a conscience?

[vashti]

I'm not really sure about the difference, but having a conscience is to be able to distinguish whether a person's actions are right or wrong. Maybe the narcissist knows, but just doesn't care? Anyway, who cares? They are both nuts.