Psychopaths: What Is A Psychopath?

Thousands of undiagnosed psychopaths are roaming the streets of society. A psychopath, by dictionary definition, is a mentally unbalanced individual who is inclined toward antisocial and criminal behavior. Whether those abnormalities trigger an inner serial killer is all a matter of psychology. Statistically, most serial killers are white males in their twenties to thirties coming from a low to middle class background. In America, one in one hundred people are psychopathic and only 20% of them are in prisons. Successful businessmen and political and religious leaders have a great chance of being psychopathic. Narcissistic and manipulative characteristics are key aspects of a psychopath’s personality. Considering all aspects of psychopathology,
DNA patterns create psychopaths, but the defect is not necessarily genetically passed down. A father and mother could be completely normal, functioning members of society, but have a mentally unstable child. Symptoms to look for include lack of remorse, frequent lying and or cheating, manipulation and charm, easily bored, lack of empathy, impulsiveness, and shallow or superficial characteristics. They are the people who are always interested in what is in it for themselves, the ones that cannot maintain steady relationships with others. The part of the brain that aids in producing and expressing emotions is the amygdala. The amygdala is connected to the autonomic fear response as well. In psychopaths, the amygdala is shown to not be as active as it should be. This defect causes an infinity for risk taking and spontaneity, making psychopaths fairly dangerous. One could argue that the only aspect of humans that is different from
Undoubtedly, there is a “monster-type” psychopath, but there is also the “victim-type”. Serial killers can actually be either type of psychopath. The monster type serial killers are organized, they plan out murders methodically and precisely according to a specific fantasy. The victim type serial killers usually have some sort of underlying problem like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The victim type psychopaths tend to be the more disorganized killers; a fine line between psychopath and psychotic is drawn in these serial killers. Contrary to popular belief, the disorganized killers are more dangerous than the organized because they are more spontaneous and do not worry about making mistakes. Organized killers are cold-blooded and heartless, but once the specific method of killing is discovered and the fantasy is unraveled, they are easier to catch. Understanding the psychopathic brain is just one small key of catching a criminal. Genetics have such a small role in what makes a serial killer tick. The environment and experiences of the individual have more than 50% to do with transforming a psychopath into a serial killer. Abuse, divorce, and death are just a few hardships that can turn a serial killer loose. Normal, average people go through hardships everyday, the difference is the psychopathic personality. Mental instability added to bad experiences is going to equal a ticking time