James Fallon, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry, human behavior, anatomy and neurobiology, discovered that his own brain matches the brains of diagnosed psychopaths. In this radio interview, he talks about psychopaths, their brains, and why he didn’t turn into an exploiter.
Am I a psychopath? on ScienceFriday.com.
The interesting thing about this is interview is the scientist’s conclusion that the reason he didn’t become a psychopath, even though he had the genetics and brain structure, is because of the loving attention he received as a child. This is exactly what Dr. Liane Leedom says. It gives me reason to hope that, if we start when children are young, the disorder can be prevented.
As interesting as it promised to be, the Science Friday article itself ended up by reminding me of a poem:
So I’m glad Donna drew attention to the radio interview, which I might otherwise have missed. (Click on the LISTEN NOW button near the bottom of the article.) This is both enlightening and encouraging.
It’s also worth following the link to the Amazon.com entry for Fallon’s book, though the comments on it are brief and Jane Dystel’s review seems needlessly negative about one aspect. Since other readers found the book “absorbing,” “fun and engaging,” and “couldn’t put it down,” it’s odd to find her criticizing it as “sterile” and “emotionally flat.” One wonders what she was hoping for—a Harlequin novel?
The Science Friday article has a link to Fallon’s paper as well, though that will take more time to digest.
Like all psychopaths James Fallon LOVES to brag about his self discovery, the fact of the matter is, he has known since childhood he was different, he knew long before his brain scan he was a psychopath and that is the very reason he went into his field.
He was on the Dr Drew Show not to long ago flattering Drew like a psychopath does with great ease and Dr Drew had no clue that he was being manipulated by a psychopath for fun even though Fallon told Dr Drew about his psychopath brain scan….how Dr Drew responded (for someone who studies/works directly with mental illness) was a perfect example of how anyone can be sucked into a psychopaths mental games quickly (how we all got sucked in). Steven Hassan wrote in his book “Releasing the Bonds” that anyone and everyone can be sucked into a cult or abusive relationships…sadly he is correct.
James Fallon and Sam Vaknin both profit in their minds for being “honest” about being a psychopath (well maybe Vaknin is not honest about being a psychopath)…but a psychopath always wont’s to win one over on the average person proving they are smarter, for control. for fun and there is know doubt these two use mind control, gas lighting, and all the other tricks psychopaths use to manipulate anyone that will listen to the lectures. I feel sorry for the young naive students that sign up for James Fallon classes or anyone that listens to or reads any of Vaknin’s literature because it IS damaging to their minds, emotions, and mental well being.
Since finding out exactly who my ex husband is = sociopath…if someone stated to me that they are a psychopath I would steer clear immediately of what they are saying because I know from experience sadly it is all manipulation, control, lies and mind twisting (to put it nicely) that you will get from them and Fallon and Vaknin are no exception.
It’s very scary that this guy is a professor at a top university and no one fired him immediately for being a psychopath! Image all the damage he has done at the university to get others fired, have mental breakdowns, female/male students been sucked into affairs with him etc…so scary!!
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Read Katie Drummond interview on fallon, I found it by googling “James Fallon psycopath”….here is an excerpt….you can never trust a sociopath…
“…….After Fallon revealed the findings in a 2009 TED Talk, mainstream media latched on: he was profiled on NPR, graced the front page of the Wall Street Journal, and even inspired an episode of the TV series Criminal Minds. Now, however,
Fallon is telling his own version of the story. In a new book, The Psychopath Inside (Penguin Group), Fallon takes a hard scientific look at our evolving understanding of psychopathy through the lens of his own biology and behaviors.
And the latter, as he admits, haven’t exactly been laudable: Fallon isn’t a murderer, but he writes candidly of hard partying, perpetual lying, and reckless, dangerous impulsivity not to mention the admission that he’s never truly made an empathetic connection (even with his wife).”
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Here is more from Katie Drummonds article on James Fallon:
“So if you personally aren’t the Hannibal, then what kind of psychopath are you?
What I’ve realized is that for me, it’s all about the power. I get a buzz from manipulating people, and from making them want to do things for me even if I don’t take it that far, by making unreasonable or immoral demands on them. I just like to know that I can; it’s like a game I play whenever I walk into a room. I can really turn on the charm, I can really work it to get whatever it is that I might want. I mean, I don’t look good: I’m fat and I’m old. But I can make people think that I’m really special. And that gives me a hit that I crave.
Look, let’s say all of a sudden I was broke, I didn’t have a career, I didn’t have a family. Then I could see myself breaking the codes of ethics and morality, and getting into some ugly behavior to get what I wanted or felt I needed. But I’ve been very fortunate to have a wonderful, privileged life so I don’t feel a need to break those codes. I’m just saying that I can easily see myself going there…..” (James Fallon comment end)
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My ex husband is masterful at this kind of manipulation…this is how he sucked me in…he needed help painting his living room and no one would help him…I did not want to help him, looking back it was all a game to him to get me to help him to control me, to manipulate me etc…throughout our marriage he was able to manipulate people one after the other, of course I had no clue how he was doing it…once he met a customer at work and got him to get his brothers and he to help roof the house…these guys had not clue how to roof a house and had literally just met my ex husband 30 mins earlier, when they came to the house I was honestly embarrassed that they were roofing with my ex….years later the original brother stated that one min they were just talking and the next he was on his roof and he still did not know how that happened (and this guy along with me had no clue we were dealing with a manipulative sociopath!!)
I would highly recommend you read her article its very telling at what Fallon does…so so scary that he is getting away with his abuse!!!
Jan 7 – very interesting. Can you please clarify – in your comment above, is that a Q&A with James Fallon?
Without any judgment or commentary on whether or not this guy is a psychopath, I noticed he spoke in a rather choppy and nervous voice and said “you know” a lot, as though he were disconnected from his feelings. An voice analyst could have a field day with that. As a scientist, though, he could be expected to be the analytical type. It is possible he has channeled his drive into his work rather than into manipulating and exploiting people. But he may still have low empathy. This could fly under the radar because in our society many men are analytical and not connected to their feelings, especially if they are in jobs that are highly analytical. So he may be onto something – that psychopaths can be redirected in childhood. Or the whole thing could be a hoax. Never know with a psychopath.
Hi Donna, yes it was a Q&A interivew with fallon…(except the part where I talk about my husband/manipulation/roof)
here is one of the articles with the above info…just google “james fallon psychopath” for more info, you will see he contradicts himself in difference interviews. Reading through some of the other google post, I read that Fallon did that study with Dr Amen (Amenclinic.com)…since Fallon is a psychopath I doubt his story about how he learned he had the brain type of a psychopath…
Dr Amen has stated in his lectures/interviews that anyone that works with him he conducts a brain scan, he has even stated that he scanned own kids to insure they would have a healthy brain, his daughters bf(s) also to keep them safe and he scan his wife’s brain to insure she was a safe person after dating her a short while…so I imagine that Amen would do so with Fallon. google “Dr Amen you tube” to see his PBS special and other interivews & his books (if you have not read his books they are excellent and I think a part of the healing process).
I know from my own experienced with a sociopath (ex husband) that you only get a small percentage of the truth from them, the rest are lie after lie you have to dissect and that is exactly what a sociopath wants to keep you confused…after reading/seeing fallon on Dr Drew there is no doubt the guy is a con artist psychopath just like Valknin.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/31/5025744/james-fallon-the-psychopath-inside-interview
From what I have observed in the article Jan posted and the radio interview, this is an example of a biologically predisposed sociopath who is self-aware. Regardless of whether I’d ever trust him in a close relationship (probably not), I think we can learn from him about the role of nurture in psychopathy. I have not read or heard anything in his interviews that sounds grandiose or indicates he is deliberately being manipulative. His odd choppy verbal style is a little concerning – reminds me of some of George W. Bush’s old speeches. I do get the impression that he is being honest about his urges to play games with people and his extreme lack of sensitivity. Sadly, he cannot suddenly develop empathy, but he can learn to find motivation in socially acceptable (thoughtful, caring) behaviors. Pride seems to be a good motivator for him. He doesn’t want to be thought of as insensitive or uncaring. This is probably the best he can do. I think of the difference between my boa constrictors whom I raised with love as babies to those who grow up with no human interaction. The former will be docile, and the latter will be defensive. But they both have the same innate tendencies. It is an ongoing discussion amongst boa owners whether their snakes know them, trust them, and perhaps can even love them. We’ve come up with no definitive answer. I can predict with 98% accuracy my boa’s behaviors. But the other 2% are a wild card, and this is what makes them potentially dangerous. But the danger element is definitely great decreased by the fact that I handle them frequently and have for 7 years. Similarly, I think there are probably environmental conditions that deemphasize sociopathic tendencies and emphasize more humane behaviors and thoughts.
People live with and learn to manage all kinds of conditions – bipolar, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia….I think there is a certain kind of tragedy in a person with a disorder becoming self-aware but not really being able to change the core of the disorder.
I myself am love-motivated. When I walk into a room, the last thing on my mind is how to exploit people. I am more interested in how I will connect with them, whether there will be any kind of affinity. But not everyone is love-motivated. Some people are power-motivated. Some are motivated by creativity. Some are more concerned with security than anything else. It’s good to know that not everyone is love-motivated and to see who isn’t. But I don’t think it’s productive for me to hate those people, only to see them clearly and to protect myself when necessary.
Jan, to answer your question, we don’t know if he is telling the truth or not. Personally, I don’t see anything in his presentation that indicates that he isn’t. If he came out in another book and said his parents beat him or it turned out he has no siblings, etc., that would be a different story.
I do believe it is possible to be a self-aware person with psychopathic tendencies. And I believe it is possible for that person to want to change, even though the changes are not motivated by empathy.
Supposing someone came along and said they read a book and they believe they are a psychopath. But they have never once exhibited any characteristics. Personally, I look at the behaviors.
here is part of an interview that Fallon did with AB Journal (found by googling James Fallon psychopath):
Here Fallon tells a different story to a journalist of why he choice to do a brain scan on his family and himself:
“Fallon decided to check out brain patterns of his family members after he learned from his mother at a barbecue that eight of his ancestors had been accused of murder, including Lizzy Borden, the story says. Several family members had already submitted to PET scans for an Alzheimer’s study, so he decided to take a look….”.
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Fallon is not the first to study brain scan’s on psychopath or to determine that psychopaths have different brains (meaning they are wired differently) these studies have happened at top Univ around the world.
I think that Fallon has left a trail of destruction behind him and he had to come up with a story to prevent people from knowing the truth about him = he is not a good guy, that he is a liar and manipulator (as indicated in his book per the interviewer)….what better scam for him to come up with then to say he has a brain like a psychopath but because he was not abused as a kid and grew up in a “loving home” that he is not a bad psychopath….sorry there are NO GOOD psychopaths the brain scans show that a psychopath brain is exactly like another psychopaths brain. Fallons brain scan study was conducted with prison psychopaths, so fallon compared his brain scan with psychopaths that were murders etc…his brain was like theirs!
I believe that james Fallon and Sam Valknin are both con artist psychopaths who are profiting off of people (victims) by selling their books etc…The only difference between these two is the fact Fallon is a more successful psychopath who has learned to blend in to society easier then Valknin possible because Fallon has a higher IQ.
Fallon is manipulating the interviewers and the readers by stating that because he is not a murder or a violent man that he is not a psychopath…we all know that the bulk of psychopaths are not violent at least in public examples of this are Bernie Madoff, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong but never the less they are psychopaths and do great harm covertly to lots of victims and no one is wise to their manipulation even when the victims speaks the truth the victims are not believed most of the time because the psycopath has started a smear campaign against the victim.
Bottom line Never trust a psychopath! (including Fallon)
Jan7, is there a link you were going to attach? I wouldn’t mind reading more. Is there something written about the “trail of destruction?” My opinion is based only on the video and article. Based on those things alone, I don’t see anything that indicates he is other than what he says he is.
Stargazer, you’re right; I haven’t seen evidence of any “trail of destruction.” I put in a long post about this early Saturday, but it got hung up with a message saying it’s “awaiting moderation,” possibly because it included five links to other Web pages and videos about Fallon. The system may be erroneously flagging it as “spam.” Anyway I agree with the views you’ve been expressing.
Redwald – did your comment post? I don’t see anything that is waiting for moderation.
Donna, about my comment, I entered it on Saturday morning and by Sunday evening it was still there awaiting moderation. So I deleted it, chopped it in two, and reposted it in two parts. That time the two pieces posted without any delay. I don’t believe the length itself was the problem. I’m guessing the system must have some limit on the number of links it permits in a post before holding it up for moderation. The original post had five links, but after I chopped it up, the segments had only two and three links respectively. So by the time you asked your question, the original post had gone. Thanks for asking, anyway! 🙂