A+brief+overview

Psychopathy: a brief overview

People are all different. Physically people are tall or short, dark or light, and many other things. People also differ mentally. People are are wired differently and these different wirings could make someone a psychopath. Psychopathy makes people different from each other mentally because of subsequent changes noted. Psychopaths are often stereotyped, and this is reasonable for people who do not understand them. Common sense sees to dictate that psychopaths would be insane, inhuman “creatures” who kill at any chance presented, but this is not always the case. They could be construed as “political figures” or any person (Mitchel). Killing is not a distinguishing factor of psychopathy. Psychopaths cannot help their impulses. Psychopaths “ hoard victims of ill-fated fate” (Essam). They kill with the “slightest pity and a merciless shame” (Essam) because they show no empathy. Other people would not be able to kill let alone enjoy it.  Researchers acknowledge that  there is a different brain wiring in psychopaths that make them unique which is why psychopathy is defined as a personality disorder. Characteristics of psychopathy are being antisocial, not showing empathy and bold behavior (psychopathy). Usually, humans have a “suppression of aggression in the context of distress cues” so that that do not do anything rash (Blair). Psychopaths do not have this suppression which means they “lack this violence inhibitor” (Blair). Without the violence inhibitor there is no distinction between right and wrong in the brain. This is why psychopaths do not realize that killing, or violence, is a wrong doing.  Researchers are right that psychopaths are different from other non psychopathic people. They are incapable of emotions that normal people feel. They do not consider the consequences and typically have “narcissistic behavior” (Montaldo). But psychopaths are concealed within society because they have practiced their personality and can fake emotions and “conceal their true personalities” (Montaldo). To develop their fake personality, psychopaths “mimic” the personalities of the people around them (Montaldo). Some people believe that they are “incapable of deserving trust” (Diane M.). In the film, __Silence of the Lambs,__ Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer sentenced to life in prison but also a psychopath. He helps a detective with a case where a person is killing people out in the world. In exchange for the help he is providing, Lecter wants to be moved to a different jail. While being moved he tricked the guards and ended up escaping. This shows how a psychopath is portrayed as someone who cannot be trusted. A movie that includes a psychopathic serial killer is __Halloween__. This movie is about a child, Michael Myers who murders his sister and is admitted into a mental asylum. Many years later, Myers escaped and started killing people on Halloween day in his home town. No one was safe until a doctor started to try and stop Myers (Debra Hill). This movie shows how psychopathy can develop in early childhood years. This whole research paper has been about how psychopaths are violent. And while it is true that psychopaths could be violent, there are findings that challenge this statement. The findings of Hal Arkowitz in “What “Psychopath” means” has the research for this. The research states that not all psychopaths are violent, and not all violent people are psychopaths. Also, most psychopaths are not psychotic. They are almost always rational and do not lose “contact with reality”. The wrong doings are just shrugged off because they do not care about the consequences. Lastly, psychopathy is treatable with therapy.  Psychopathy is important to understand because we are surrounded by these people daily. Understanding some of the signs of this personality disorder could prevent a judgment, or misdiagnosing a person that is not psychopathic. Because everyone is different and knowing these difference would enhance others knowledge of their surroundings.