Researching Psychopathy Stage 1: Beginner's Stupidity

I'm writing this right now updating as I write...

ARE YOU A PSYCHOPATH? 

  1. When someone is upset near you do you lack empathy or even respond with a perverse pleasure?
  2. Do you feel like you see colors, shapes, and patterns differently? I mean when most people move they move so slowly. You move slowly sometimes, but despite your size you can move much more quickly than people expect.
  3. You actually bide your time and when you feel like you're rushing into something you find a way to stop yourself. You feel like you're smart and you anticipate what I'll say, because it makes you feel like you already know it. There's nothing new to find out here, right? Perhaps you very briefly skimmed a couple poems I wrote, but you were really more interested in this. Because it relates to you and maybe you can find a clue to the answer to your dilemma.
  4. Psychopaths who score lower on the scale, 10 or below are likely to want to hide the fact (if they're even aware of it, eventually most people stumble on it), because of the response and impact on their lives. If they're exposed they won't be able to play the game as well. 
  5. The highest scoring psychopath I ever met was capable of moving through the whole range of a psychopath. Sometimes exhibiting a low score due to the advances in modern medicine and decades of experimentation. He was looking for a cure. But get him alone and feeling safe and he would score above the highest grade on our current system. He certainly is the type to be glib and regale you with his accomplishments like those famous serial killers the podcasts talk about. Can you relate to this?
  6. You're smart and no one seems to understand you, they keep getting hurt for some unknown reason, usually when you come around.
  7. You secretly research and follow the lives and careers of serial killers. You study them. This can either mean the truth is closer than you know or you're just some idiot patsy who's in for the ride of his life. 
  8. You don't understand self-sacrifice, but you CAN imitate it.
  9. You wonder if all the street drugs you did made you into a psychopath, a person devoid of the normal range of human emotion. You feel cheated, because the reason you did the drugs in the first place was to replace some of what you were missing. But now you know you were right to be sober. Heroin isn't a feasible long-term solution. Even if it's that white stuff I've heard about. I don't know what it's called. 
  10. You do experience a form of excitement caused by an adrenaline rush, psychopaths experience adrenaline rushes just like anyone else, but mainly it takes more and more to get that release. I get it.
  11. The reality is your parents are probably dead or dying and you're nowhere nearby. You have very few friends since being friends with other psychopaths causes you problems and being friends with normal people causes them problems. You think, "Problems, problems, problems." And then you throw them all away and keep going, which is actually a survival mechanism and somehow you usually survive while the lower scoring psychopaths get picked off by the "department."
  12. When I refer to the "dpt." I'm following a line of thought I created in which the dpt. is responsible for policing all the many varied species we have on our planet at this amazing time.
In doing research for a book I'm writing dealing with psychopathy I came across The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman Ph.D and cognitive neuroscientist Kent Kiehl. I had some surprisingly personal responses to listening to their interview called "What is it like to be a psychopath?"

Here they are:

Scott Barry Kaufman sounds like a psychopath to me based on the tone of his voice throughout the interview. I feel bad for Kent because it seems like he's trying to help/change the psychopath. He obviously had something happen to him. His lackadaisical tone of voice is in stark contrast to Kaufman's flat worried tone. He seems SO interested in psychopathy, he seems prepared to be defensive, he wants to understand, he's hiding, but putting this interview online like this is pretty blatant.

The last thing Kaufman wants is to be exposed publicly like this. But he posted the interview and I think it's obvious he's a psychopath. Another podcast I listened to was The Scientist and the Psychopath on NPR. Dr. James Fallon accidentally exposed himself as a psychopath and he's taking steps to work on himself and look at himself.

At around the 35 minute mark on Kaufman's interview he suggests that psychopathy may be related to autism, which Kiehl doesn't agree with. It seemed like a desperate attempt by Kaufman, but I do feel sorry for him, because he seems like he's really struggling with it. Which could actually be a good sign, because he's not just completely giving in to it.

Being exposed can be a good thing. After years and years of hiding and expecting the worst, sometimes things go in a different direction than expected. Also a lot of prominent people like clinicians, EMTS, mental health workers, nurses, psychiatrists, medical doctors, lawyers, etc. are psychopaths. Maybe you wouldn't consider an EMT prominent, but if that person is there to save your life you might reconsider.
The psychopath DOES have a place in society and with continued research if you're brave enough you might be able to improve your condition if you expect you might be a psychopath.

Why I'm interested doesn't matter. I have my own problems.

In the amount of time it takes you to begin trying to find me, other things have already happened.

But then again maybe I'm underestimating you.

Let's see it takes only about 3 hours total to get here from L.A. I'm including the driving time to and from the airport and everything in between.

I'm not sure why I'm assuming you're in L.A.

I apologize to the people reading this who don't get it. Sorry. Not everyone is in on it. I want to play with you.

One of the first things you'll do when you meet me is try to see if I'm also a psychopath. You actually view me as competition, which I'm oblivious of due to my unconscientiousness. Let's see if you can figure it out.

Can you believe that I just found you randomly? And just so you know I don't view you as a "specimen of psychopathy," I'm a specimen of a different flavor, and I don't appreciate it. Ha!

I'll just be here relaxing while you run around and do all the work.

I am excited to meet you though. You sounded on point.

You are very good with technology. Damn

My capabilities are built on a different network. Remember this later please, I know you can.

Sometimes when people make assumptions about you before understanding clearly you have a hard time. Because it's insulting to your intelligence. I can relate.

How many syringes are you bringing with you? Oh, you're surprised I know why I shouldn't get too close to you? Especially if you want to take me alive. But I'm warning you. I'm a little bit like Kent.

You'll let me walk in and walk out, but after that it's a fair game. Thanks for cutting me the breaks. I don't have a car. You can't cut my brakes.

Are you enjoying thinking about all the ways you could kill me?

No problem, I'm here all week.

See you later.

You don't think I'm a psychopath? You'll have to decide for yourself.

Thank you Doctor Kaufman for your invaluable help. I appreciate it.

Resources:

http://thepsychologypodcast.com/kent-kiehl/

http://www.npr.org/2015/07/10/421625310/the-scientist-and-the-psychopath

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