Are you a Psychopath?

 

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A ‘Psychopath’ is a person with an antisocial personality, which includes lack of empathy and feeling for others, lack of guilt, selfishness, superficial charm, ability to manipulate others etc.

In the early 1800s, doctors who worked with mental patients began to notice that some of their patients who appeared outwardly normal had what they termed a ‘moral depravity’ or ‘moral insanity’, in that they seemed to possess no sense of ethics or of the rights of other people.

Psychopaths are literally everywhere- In your neighbourhood, working with you at your workplace, sitting next to you on a subway. Psychopathy is perhaps most dramatised and talked about mental condition in popular culture.

In common belief, the word Psychopath is synonymous with violent, murderous maniac or serial killer, like Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs or Dexter Morgan from Dexter. But, contrary to that, Psychopaths can be charming and intelligent, like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. In fact, many of them hold prominent positions in various business organizations, because of their impulsive attitude.

According to a survey, people employed in certain jobs like CEOs, Lawyers, Surgeons, Police officers etc. have a high tendency of showing psychopathic traits.

The most commonly used device to identify a psychopath is Psychopathy Checklist- Revised (PCL-R), developed by Dr. Robert D. Hare. It is a twenty item checklist, which identifies the degree of psychopathy in an individual.

For each of the twenty characteristics, give a score of 0 if it does not apply, 1 if applied partially and 2 for perfect match.

If your overall scores sums up to be above 30, there are chances that you are a psychopath!

Here are the twenty questions. Take the quiz.

1.    Do you have excessive glibness or superficial charm?

A psychopath is never shy or introvert. In fact, he is very engaging, friendly, verbally pleasing and manipulative, irresistible (especially to opposite sex) and well mannered.

2.    Do you have a grandiose sense of self-worth?

Psychopaths exhibit superiority complex. They have an exaggerated view of their abilities.

3.    Do you have a proneness to boredom?

Psychopaths often get bored easily, and fail to complete a given task due to lack of self-discipline. Also, they show a constant urge to attempt something thrilling and risky.

4.    Are you a pathological liar?

Psychopaths can be shrewd, cunning, clever, as well as manipulative, deceitful and dishonest in extreme cases.

5.    Are you conning or manipulative?

Psychopaths use deception and deceit to con, cheat and defraud others for personal gain. It is of a higher degree in terms of ruthlessness present, as compared to point no. 4.

6.    Do you display a lack of remorse or guilt?

Psychopaths usually don’t feel sorry for doing something wrong. It is demonstrated by disdain for one’s victims.

7.    Do you have ‘shallow effect’?

Psychopaths have a limited range of feelings, and generally struggle in showing appropriate emotional reaction according to the situation.

8.    Do you lack empathy?

Psychopaths are usually unconcerned and insensitive about someone else’s sufferings.

9.    Do you have a ‘parasitic lifestyle’?

Psychopaths depend upon others due to lack of motivation and self -discipline. They find it easy to lend other peoples’ stuffs.

10. Poor Behavioural control

Psychopaths are generally short tempered individuals, and express their irritation, impatience, anger on others.

11. Promiscuous  behaviour

Maintaining numerous affairs at a same time is a psychopathic trait. Psychopaths take great pride in discussing their sexual conquests.

12. Early behaviour problems

Psychopaths start off very early in their lives. It includes exhibiting a variety of behaviour like lying, bullying, theft, cheating etc. prior to age 13.

13. Lack of long term, realistic goals

Psychopaths prefer crazy schemes over realistic goals. They live a nomadic lifestyle.

14. Are you overly impulsive?

Psychopaths have a very erratic and reckless behaviour. They often change their decisions frequently, without paying much heed to the consequences.

15. Are you irresponsible?

Psychopaths repeatedly fail to fulfill commitments, like paying bills, loans, reaching late to work regularly, doing sloppy work etc.

16.  Do you fail to accept responsibilities of your own actions?

Psychopaths often blame others for their faults.

17.  Have you had many short term marital relationships?

Psychopaths fail to commit to long term relationships, and often prefer short terms relationships with different partners, like one night stands.

18.  Do you have a history of juvenile delinquency?

Some psychopaths show behaviour problems between the ages 13 to 18, including participation in crime or expression of aggression, antagonism, callousness etc.

19.  Have you experienced ‘revocation of conditional release’?

Conditional release means being let out from prison due to technical violation, carelessness, failing to appear etc.

20.  Do you display ‘criminal versatility’?

Psychopaths differ from normal criminals because they don't care which type of laws they break- they'll break any of them. Also, they take great pride in getting away with crimes.

So, what’s your score?

To know more, buy this amazing book on Psychopaths: