Would being a psychopath make life easier?

[Noonling]

You'd never have to fret about the morality of something. You'd never have to weigh up a choice that would benefit you but disadvantage someone else, or vice versa. The most you'd have to think is "If I'm nice to this person will it benefit me later down the line?"

Also you'd be super rich from sponging off the naive and vulnerable.

[Thomas]

According to Jon Ronson's book Am I Fuckin Evil?, only a psychopath would leave a spelling error in a thread title.

[Barry Admin]

Yep. Life is generally easier for predators.

Seems like a lot of hard work though. Long hours.

[imitationleather]

A psychopath would be able to use superficial charm to ensure their thread got more replies. :(

[holyzombiejesus]

Did anyone see that documentary on Channel 4 about the murderous trainee vicar? Fuck me, now there's a fucking psychopath. Man!

[imitationleather]

Did anyone see that documentary on Channel 4 about the murderous trainee vicar? Fuck me, now there's a fucking psychopath. Man!

Yes that guy was utterly terrifying. It made me, a stupid leftie who thinks all criminals should get free houses and big tellies, think that we might have to give some consideration to identifying all psychopaths and y'know... Putting them somewhere. Even if they have committed no crimes.

Might sound a bit drastic, but c'mon! Anyway, are there any non-evil psychopaths?

[bgmnts]

Yeah but more likely to have horribly bad things happen to you in the end maybe.

[Sherringford Hovis]

we might have to give some consideration to identifying all psychopaths and y'know... Putting them somewhere.

Swindon.

[New folder]

if we all were psychopaths there would be no one to exploit so we'd go extinct. good.

[Bence Fekete]

I'd imagine culture would be ultra-boring to a psycopath. Who cares what the weather is. You'd have no favourite cartoon. Everything would look emaciated and translucent. You'd get laid more. Cigarettes would taste good forever.

50/50 

[Cerys]

There should be a dating service catering solely for psychopaths.  But what would they call it?

[bgmnts]

Bates.

[Cerys]

I like it.  You've also just made me think of Mate Hooks.

[Default to the negative]

You'd never have to fret about the morality of something. You'd never have to weigh up a choice that would benefit you but disadvantage someone else, or vice versa.

Yeah, but you would have to live with yourself, and all the grotesque things you know you have done. And everyone can see it. Your mental illness is transparent to the world, it's an open book.

[Lost Oliver]

But if you didn't care about all the grotesque things you'd done you wouldn't give a shit. They say that life to a psychopath is just a game and it only ends when they die.

[Pink Gregory]

But do they find fulfilment in the game, or is that just their default mode of existing?

[neardark]

Yeah, but you would have to live with yourself, and all the grotesque things you know you have done. And everyone can see it. Your mental illness is transparent to the world, it's an open book.

Neither of those things apply to psychopathy.

[tourism]

sounds like it'd be bland af, honestly

[imitationleather]

Neither of those things apply to psychopathy.

Aye. People don't usually realise that absolutely lovely person who they deeply care about is a psychopath until the police rock up and arrest them for all the murders they've done or whatever it is.

[Dr Rock]

Perhaps easier, definitely less rich.

[pigamus]

If were a psychopath I could beat James Corden to death with an iron bar and feel absolutely nothing, except maybe an erection.

It sounds marvellous.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Anyone could do that.

[Alberon]

If were a psychopath I could beat James Corden to death with an iron bar and feel absolutely nothing, except maybe an erection.

I don't think he'd get off on being beaten to death.

[PlanktonSideburns]

superficial charm looks like a lot of work than just exuding it, which seems a bit more automatic

ive not read any of the responsed to this thread, - how many pages in does corden get mentioned?

[Sin Agog]

I genuinely think my da might be a sociopath*.  I was trying to explain the concept of empathy to him not so long ago, and his reply was, 'This is hurting my brain.' It's what makes him a fearless businessman- most of us more feckless sorts are hamstrung at the very first hurdle by all the what-ifs and the people who might be affected by our decisions.  Not so with the 'paths.  He admitted, after my pressing, that he sees people as static concepts, rather than fluid creatures of infinite variables.  It's not really a choice in his case; just the way his brain works.  He has asperger's, but this seems more than just that.

As to whether it's easier, it seems to be a double-edged sword.  It seems like a warm bath compared to the social anxiety and constant self-awareness and people-consciousness most of us go through, but conversely he still seems to be a somewhat social animal, but not having the facility to read who you're talking to, having them all be crude sounding boards, has resulted, in his words, in a 'lifetime of failed conversations.'  (I replied that going into conversations looking for a win or a loss might be part of the problem, but again with the hurt brain). He's also left a trail of bodies in his wake, because someone who doesn't understand why other people wouldn't be onboard with something that benefits him is a dangerous animal.

I'd definitely say a sociopath will generally find it much easier to live a fuller life.  By the time an over-thinker is done mulling over the syllogisms in their head, they'll often have completely sated their need to do a thing.  Not so with yer sociopath.  They'll just go ahead and shoot themselves out of that cannon, as the sting of failure barely penetrates their thick hides.  There's no audience in their heads to laugh at them.



*I might be wrong, but I see the distinction between the garden variety sociopath and the more virulent cyclepath is that sociopaths simply cannot factor other people into their decisions, while psychopaths either don't give a second fuck, or get off on the disruption they cause

[non capisco]

One of the standout details for me of Dan Davies' excellent book 'In Plain Sight: The Life And Lies Of Jimmy Savile' was that Savile's corpse was found grinning. He must have thought "Now then, this is it, dying here. I'm just going to lie down on the bed and have a nice long think about all the fun I had." Possibly adding that "OOooOOooOOooOO!" noise he favoured if his internal thoughts were the same as his external voice. He was the dictionary definition of a psychopath and he apparently died having a whale of a time of it, entirely untroubled by any of the disgusting shit he got up to. I'm not a psychopath to the best of my knowledge and I bet my corpse has a face like a smacked arse.

[Icehaven]

Depends what you do with it. Plenty of psychos in prison, so it doesn't always work out for them.

[H-O-W-L]

I've (in the eyes of professionals, not just me) skirted 'round the definition of a psychopath quite a bit during my emotional swings, but apparently having a sense of empathy and emotional connection means I'm just... very close to being defined one, without actually fully being a clinical psychopath. It's very hard for me to feel very much for the average person on the street, but I don't consider that a good thing nor do I try to wallow in it -- instead I try to make it a point to put myself in other people's shoes.

I will confess to having intentionally done reckless and immensely destructive things that have effectively got me off, emotionally speaking, just to 'get off' on it. It was a lot of why I was so fucked up as a kid, and it's more than likely the result of the fact I was abused by someone of a very similar mindset. No excuse for what I did, of course, but it's an explanation. I've tried to redeem myself where I can and make it up to people, but, honestly, some fuck-ups I've made are inexcusable, and on the whole I still consider myself morally black for what I've done in the past.

Having dated a diagnosed psychopath I can safely say that it is not easier for them. Far the opposite infact.

[H-O-W-L]

Might sound a bit drastic, but c'mon! Anyway, are there any non-evil psychopaths?

Yes, actually. I've met at least three people who have been clinically defined as a psychopath by a mental health professional and two out of three of them were actively trying to avoid hurting people as a result of their issues, because they were aware that they were neuroatypical and a potential predator toward others. That isn't to say they were entirely absolved of fucking with people, granted, but at the same time it wasn't like you were talking to Patrick Bateman. They were just a bit different at a glance.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I didn't think psychopathy was recognised clinically under things like the DSM, although various traits fit under antisocial personality disorders.