Psychopaths are some of the most dangerous people in the world, yet they often go unrecognized in society. We might have the stereotypical image of a serial killer or the head of a violent mob when we imagine psychopaths, but they often blend in with the rest of us. In fact, they usually use their charm and lies to make themselves appear even more wholesome and pure than their peers. Unfortunately, it’s after they’ve gained our trust that they begin to do the most damage.
If you think someone you know, or maybe even yourself, could be a psychopath, keep watching because we’ve got 13 clear signs of psychopathy coming up. Be sure to stick around until the end; our favorite is number three, as it explains a fascinating study on psychopathy that blew our minds. We just had to share it with you! Let’s get started.
Number 13: Disregard for Rules, Laws, and Morals
One of the textbook signs that someone is a psychopath is a lack of regard for laws, rules, and morals. Most people who are not psychopaths respect rules and laws and have a set of morals that they live by, whether consciously or unconsciously. Non-psychopathic individuals typically believe that cheating and stealing are not appropriate ways to get ahead. Being relatively kind to others is their natural behavior, and they view laws as necessary to maintain an orderly society.
In contrast, psychopaths often have little or no regard for these basic morals and laws that the rest of the world follows. Psychopaths make up 17% of the prison population in America, meaning 93% of American psychopaths are already in prison. This statistic might give you more insight into their disregard for morals.
Number 12: Superficial Charm and Charisma
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Psychopaths are skilled actors in their daily lives, acting exceptionally charming and charismatic to attract those around them. They will behave as if they have a heart of gold and that allowing them into your life will only benefit you. Then, once your guard is down, they’ll begin their toxic behaviors.
Number 11: Pathological Lying
Psychopaths are often pathological liars. They will fabricate blatant lies to gain the upper hand in either the workplace or relationships. They distort reality to gain power and evade blame for their wrongdoings, often slandering their victims in the process by acting as if they are the ones who acted maliciously. Even when presented with hard evidence that proves they were lying, they will continue to create new lies to justify their actions and reject any accountability.
Number 10: A Small Range of Emotions
Psychologists have identified five core emotions that are typical in humans: happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, and anger. While these emotions may vary in frequency and intensity based on personality, a typical human will feel them regularly. In contrast, psychopaths report that they don’t feel sadness or fear, but they do feel anger, disgust, and happiness. However, psychopaths experience happiness much differently than non-psychopaths. For example, if a psychopath were to receive a gift they had been wanting for a while, they would likely feel much less happiness than a non-psychopath.
Number 9: Lacks Empathy and Is Callous
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Psychopaths lack empathy. In fact, brain scans of psychopaths show a reduction in functioning in their prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain is responsible for empathy, learning from past mistakes, reflection, and forming principles and morals. Consequently, psychopaths often act callously toward others, using harsh bullying tactics without any remorse. They will behave this way toward anyone, regardless of their relationship with them. Their lack of empathy allows them to hurt others without feeling guilt or shame.
Number 8: They Are Impulsive
Psychopaths often experience boredom when they’re not highly stimulated, leading them to act impulsively to fulfill their boredom. They may act in drastic ways, such as spontaneously quitting a job out of anger or disgust, without considering the financial consequences. Their impulsive nature can be hurtful not only to themselves but also to everyone around them.
Number 7: Act Like a Victim
Bullying and abuse, especially gaslighting, are extremely common in psychopaths. Gaslighting is akin to brainwashing, where they use lies, manipulations, and devaluing insults to make the victim feel as if they are going insane, that they don’t know themselves, and that they are reliant on their abuser for survival. Because their self-worth plummets due to their lack of empathy, they can behave this way without any guilt or remorse.
Number 6: They Act Like a Victim When Caught
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When caught for their immoral actions, it’s not uncommon for psychopaths to act like the victim in the situation. Regardless of the evidence, they may directly blame the victim of their actions or create a sad, tragic story that justifies their behavior. Accepting responsibility for their wrongdoing is nearly impossible for a psychopath.
Number 5: They Directly Blame Others for Their Misfortunes
Even when a psychopath isn’t caught acting wrongly but faces hardship in their lives, they often feel the need to blame others. Sometimes, things happen that are out of our control, like being laid off due to a shortage of work. Most people are initially upset and might try to blame the company, but eventually, they accept it and move on. Psychopaths, however, often continue to blame others and hold onto resentment, sometimes even acting vengefully instead of accepting it and moving forward.
Number 4: Narcissism and Superiority Complexes Are Common
Although not all narcissists are psychopaths, most psychopaths exhibit traits of narcissism. They often act superior to others, even when there is nothing to warrant their inflated ego. In the mind of a psychopath with narcissistic traits, feeling better than their peers justifies their manipulative and cold-hearted actions. They may also believe that those beneath them deserve to be scrutinized and mistreated.
Number 3: Manipulation Comes Naturally
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Manipulative traits often develop over a lifetime, usually beginning in childhood, and become habitual. As such, psychopaths are essentially professionals at manipulating people with their false charm. In fact, despite their pathological lying, they often present themselves as exceptionally honest, good-hearted individuals. The scariest part is that people often believe it because they are such good actors.
In 2017, a study was conducted in Texas by Shannon Kelly and colleagues. They gave psychopaths a self-reported questionnaire measuring how kind and good a person they are, then asked their roommates—who were unaware of the psychopaths’ condition—to rate them. Unsurprisingly, the psychopaths rated themselves as highly honest and good-hearted, while their roommates also reported them as good people. This provides evidence of how well they have fooled others through manipulation.
Number 2: Multiple Sexual Partners and Short-Term Relationships
Psychopaths often have a pattern of unstable relationships and multiple one-night stands. Their need to relieve boredom often leads to risky sexual encounters without any intention of meeting again. Based on the previously listed traits, it’s no surprise that their relationships are short-lived. The psychopath may become bored and believe they could do better than their partner, discarding them first, or their partner may break up with them due to their abusive and toxic behaviors. Regardless, unstable relationships throughout their lifespan often indicate psychopathy.
Number 1: They Seek Revenge
Psychopaths seek revenge far more than any other personality disorder or mental illness found in others. Psychopathy predicts revenge more than any combination of the Big Five personality traits. The saying “don’t get mad, get even” is often the psychopath’s mantra. Interestingly, however, psychopaths report little aggression or emotional reaction when initially provoked. Instead, they usually act cool and collected, only to scheme and plan their revenge later—whether it’s ruining a reputation or damaging property. Hurting a psychopath’s ego often results in some form of revenge.
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