The Sociopath and Psychopath

They do not have to get in trouble with the law. Many people are unethical, lying, manipulators but do not have a police record.

CEOs, politician, etc. Lots of sociopaths.

Are you saying serial killers shouldn't be punished?

Very true - which is why I never indicated illegal activity, just gaining of trust, manipulation and controlling behavior. Did someone else mention criminal activity? - Or are you referring to the original question of the poster rather than the most recent in the thread? (Sorry if I was confused)

They live their own lives. Are you judging them?

Am I judging unethical, lying manipulators?

Or sociopaths?

Or CEOs and politicians?

I didn't understand.

Am I judging unethical, lying manipulators?

Or sociopaths?

Or CEOs and politicians?

I didn't understand.

I was referring to your comment about James Fallon.

Having had my life destroyed by a psychopath --- I really don't care whether blame can be apportioned. They are the way they are, and there is currently no way of alleviating their symptoms. Society needs to be protected from them.

Maybe we’re just on different wavelengths but also maybe this illustrates the whole question of how people think and feel about people on different wavelengths – and those thoughts and feelings are likely to be different for different people, too.

To me, there is a difference in how I feel about a person if I think “This is a person who can lie to and manipulate me without feeling guilt because of the way his brain is made.” as opposed to “This person is a liar and manipulator.” With the first, there is a sense of relationship. With the second there is not.

How do you feel about that? Does that make any sense to you? It seems subtle and/or complicated and I’m not sure I’m explaining it in a way that comes across well. Or maybe our brains are just wired differently?

They are individuals, with brains that are wired differently, some more likely to do harm than others, and I think if the rest of us recognize that then we are less likely to be taken in. It certainly sucks that your life was destroyed by one, but I don't think that sending them all to a "psychopath" colony is a good answer either.

Psychopaths are not born psychopaths; psychopaths are made through environmental factors.

Psychopaths know right from wrong (they're not insane). For example, a psychopath would not stab a person if a uniformed police officer was standing next to him.

The difference between sociopath and psychopath is, I believe, settling in on the idea that psychopaths are born and sociopaths are made through environmental factors.

The case of James Fallon is, to me, very interesting reading, and watching on YouTube. This is a person who is as different from me in their general orientation toward social life as a gay person is in their sexual orientation. A person who can lie and manipulate without a feeling of guilt. I would need to understand that if I were to have anything to do with him! But I'm careful in business relationships anyway. Yes, he cognitively knows what might get him into social trouble and tends not to do those things. And doesn't need to, apparently, to get most of what he wants and needs from life.

Some are actually born that way - due to the way their brains formed, they lack certain things the "normal" brain has.

Here is a link which may interest you

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...ompassion.html

The first problem with the article is that it shows a correlation. A correlation does not prove causation (even a 100% correlation).

The second problem with the article is that we don't know with certainty if these psychopaths' brains were the same at birth as they are now. We do know with certainty that the environment can change the structure of the brain (neuroplasticity).

Thus we have a nature/nurture debate.

There is another article which talks about the genetics itself - the debate on it but also the fact that more reason is to believe in actual geneaology. Here is that article:

Are Psychopaths Born or Made? | Misterio Press

Basically, to my understanding - it is kind of similar to BPD - they are born with key genetic factors giving them the pre-disposition for it, and if also raised either in an abusive environment or with a very traumatic event during childhood - this can lead to psychopathy. That's pretty much the same thought behind BPD, just differing abnormalities in the genetics. So yes, it is born into them - but it is further developed by the treatment. To prove this, you only have to look at the brain scan of the non-violent psychopathic neuro-scientist which has been being discussed here, James Fallon.

A scientist who studies psychopaths found out he was one by accident ? and it completely changed his life - Business Insider

That also provides much more info into the idea(s) thar it is born into them.

You have made an excellent point.

The problem with the nature/nurture debate is that it eliminates a combination of the two. Certain developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome we know are caused by a brain abnormality. However, many mental disorders have no known cause (such as schizophrenia). Also, homosexuality has no known cause.

A more accurate hypothesis is to view a brain abnormality as a predisposition that when combined with environmental factors (maybe more accurately the person's interpretation of the environmental factors) causes a disorder such as psychopathic behavior.

Excellent point.

I'm glad I was able to provide a possible bit of insight. As I said earlier though, I still do not believe any of this should make them be "un-accountable" for any acts they may commit against another living creature, person, or society as a whole - they still know and understand what they are doing is frowned upon and the consequences associated with it, they just lack the emotional response to "care" about it, which is not a reason to excuse their behavior(s) in my opinion.

I agree.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with you.

As have I with you!

I believe the percentage of people who are psychopaths are much higher, plus I do believe you can nurture yourself into changing your mind to the point of psychopathy, take businessmen for example, some career lifestyles create a habit that reshaped the psychology of people into psychopaths, least I believe anyways.

Can you elaborate? Do you know of anybody personally in your life like that? It kind of makes sense to me but, in a way, conflicts with what I know of the brain scan data.

myself? ha ha no...I dont know just been reading and researching and stuff so its just a guess, just what I meant about the habit like a businessman forming a psychopath is that I believe it can have a rub off effect, sure you can be sane and everything doing a certain job, but some of the psychopathic habit might rub of on either them, there peers, or even their family, I take this from a docu I watched briefly (forgot name) and it had a guy who was sent to get a brainscan and that and he was surprised when it turned out his results of the brain turned out to be psychopathic