"Psychopaths- They Prey on All of Us"
by Melinda Pillsbury-Foster
"He constantly asks for sympathy, takes risks, lies to you and when caught shows no remorse. It is unsettling, frightening. Somehow it is your own fault. But why would anyone do these things? There is an answer. The terms, "psychopathy", "sociopath" and others refer to individuals who look human but, in elemental ways, are not. They harbor a condition which cuts them off from us. Their automatic emotional reactions, foundational to limiting wrong behavior, do not exist. These individuals emulate compassion, concern, affection, kindness and love only to further their purposes. They feel no compunction about stealing, lying, or committing crimes to achieve their goals. They consistently demand sympathy, knowing perfectly well they deserve none.
They do not want or need sympathy. But they do need you to feel sorry for them, to want to help them. It is all manipulation, emotions emulated to get what they want. They know we feel sorry for them and project the existence of emotions they never feel, just another lie.
People catching their eyes report feeling a chill of fear, as if looking into the eyes of a predator. Psychopaths are predators among us. The pain and suffering of those around them mean nothing, is pleasure to them. Their motivations seem inexplicable to the emotionally normal, who comprise 94 - 96% of the population.
Psychopaths have no conscience.
Where before little was written on the condition outside of professional journals, this is changing. Now much more is known. The evidence, now mounting, indicates the condition has a genetic element which becomes activated when combined with the conditions in the life of the individual. The last few years have taken understanding of the condition known as 'psychopathy' to new levels.
While only 4-6% of the population have the condition Martha Stout, PhD., points out in her book, "The Sociopath Next Door"**, you are likely to have contact with psychopathic individuals on many occasions during your life time. You therefore need to understand the danger signs. Experts in the field of psychology have been researching the problem since 1980. Much is now known.
In 1999 Robert D. Hare, Ph.D., published "Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us." Today, thanks to Robert Hare, David Kosson, Pd.D, and others, the means exist to reliably diagnose the condition. The test, carried out by qualified professionals, allows us the tools needed to understand and to take steps to help victims. The test, known as the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Hare Psychopathy Checklist when used by qualified professionals, makes available the means to identify those with the condition. As with other tests it, presumably, will soon be commonly used in court proceedings.
Hare's new book, "Snakes In Suits: When Psychopaths Go To Work", written with Paul Babiak, Ph.D., and published in 2006, opens the issue of the impact of the condition on the workplace, including large corporations.
Since psychopaths live and work in every part of our culture we must consider this issue. How many sociopaths have worked their way into the management structure of corporate America? Estimates vary widely and lacking documented evidence all numbers are open to question. However, the behaviors associated with psychopathy, lack of conscience, lack of concern for the well being of others, a pattern of blatant lies and others, strike many as strongly present in corporate culture today. Both the recent banking and mortgage implosions are evidence of this conclusion.
What if the present meltdown is partly due to a growing presence of psychopaths in upper management? Disturbingly, this may well also be true in higher levels of government given the massive cross which exists at the over the highest levels of each. Logic supports the theory. The test originated by Robert Hare has proven to be a valuable tool both to help victims and, increasingly, to open the door for victims to find justice. The work of Hare and his associates may, possibly, be used to the benefit of business and politics as well.
Psychopaths can impact us from every direction. For individual victims there is also hope. At "Through the Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy" website* victims participate with clinicians, therapists and others to move on with understanding. The site provides a Forum for victims, clinicians and therapists for discussion and could well become the hub needed to generalize understanding of the condition in the general public.
Reading books on the subject, such as the excellent work by Martha Stout, Ph.D. "The Sociopath Next Door" provides tools and tests which you can use personally. Dr. Stout, a practicing psychologist and clinical instructor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, warns the reader to beware of those who fail the simple tests she outlines. Three lies and you're out is one of simple suggestions she proposes.
In dealing with the overall problem Stout raises other questions which are profoundly on point for all of us today. On the question of war: Should sociopaths be tolerated as useful in time of war? Are we intentionally allowing psychopaths into the military? Perhaps recruiting them? Has our tolerance and ignorance smoothed the path for ugly behavior in other parts of our culture? What would a psychopath do if elected to office; if they were the determining factor in deciding what matters, their profit or your health? Have we considered the dangers the unchallenged presence of psychopaths present when combined with the tendency in most of us to defer to authority?
If winning is the only thing that matters there is nothing a sociopath will not do. Recognizing no limits, psychopaths ignore the damage to others. As any small, determined group can change the world for the good, as Margaret Mead said, so a small number of individuals could destroy it. We need, therefore, to limit the access of psychopaths to power while identifying them to the public. A short tour through the books and the "Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy" site raises questions which may well open up a new understanding of ourselves. As individuals, parents, activists and businesspersons, as well as Americans, we need to know."
