This semester I taught both Forensic Psychology and Abnormal Psychology at the University of Bridgeport. The students there are an ethnically diverse group and I think are fairly representative of America’s young adult population. In both classes we discussed those individuals who have a “a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others.” I wrote antisocial personality disorder, sociopathy and psychopathy on the blackboard before we began our discussion. I then asked the students if they had heard of these terms and if they could tell me the definitions.
Only a small percentage had heard the term antisocial personality disorder, nearly everyone had heard the word sociopath, about a third had heard the word psychopath.
The next question to the students was, “What do all these terms mean?” Someone asked if antisocial personality referred to a person that didn’t like to be around others. Someone else said that psychopaths are “out of touch with reality, psychotic.” Most who heard the word sociopath associated it with criminality.
The students were shocked to discover that all three terms basically refer to the same disorder.
That same week, I spoke with an internet search expert. He told me that the term antisocial personality disorder is searched through Google about 5,000 times per day. The term psychopath is searched 60,000 times per day and the term sociopath is searched 110,000 times per day. These numbers are consistent with my survey of university students. My findings indicate that the American Psychiatric Association has done the public a great disservice with their boggled naming of the disorder.
An interesting historical fact is that this disorder used to be called “moral insanity.” Insanity is a legal term that indicates that due to mental defect a person is not responsible for his/her actions. Although many people believe that the morally insane have a mental (brain)defect there is considerable resistance to saying this absolves them of responsibility for their criminal acts.
This week we discussed the case of John W. Hinckley, Jr. the man who shot President Reagan and Mr. Brady, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a mental hospital. A psychiatrist for the prosecution, Dietz testified that Hinckley viewed his actions on March 30 as successful. “It worked,” Hinckley told Dietz in an interview. “You know, actually, I accomplished everything I was going for there. Actually, I should feel good because I accomplished everything on a grand scale….I didn’t get any big thrill out of killing–I mean shooting–him. I did it for her sake….The movie isn’t over yet.” In short, Deitz saw Hinckley as a sociopath who was grandiose and trying to impress Jody Foster with his actions, though I believe he actually diagnosed him with borderline personality.
I reflected to the class that it seems that individuals like Hinckley and Dahmer (the serial killer) should be considered special cases of sociopathy and not lumped with the rest. There are sociopaths who are so grandiose and obsessed with power that they seem to lose touch with reality. Not that they are schizophrenic and have delusions or hallucinations, but their interpretations of the world cannot be construed as “normal.”
This is actually where the term “borderline” came from, as is used today to refer to “borderline personality.” The borderline is some point between neurotic and psychotic-borderline psychotic actually. So perhaps we could consider psychopaths those sociopaths who are so afflicted that their thinking and behavior indicate they have lost their grip on reality. Some psychiatrists do think of psychopaths as the worst sociopaths.
Should those with moral insanity who commit crimes be treated differently than others? Should John Hinckley be released now that he has been judged not psychotic? These are questions for another week.
See also:
https://lovefraud.com/blog/2006/07/30/confusion-about-sociopaths-pyschopaths-and-antisocials/
If you have a personal example of a sociopath’s “loose grip on reality” please share it with us in a comment.
If anyone is having trouble with the definition of the three conditions, it’s probably because the experts haven’t agreed on the terms and definitions yet.
How can anyone intelligently discuss the topic when the definitions are not yet universally defined? As things stand, reasonable people end up talking past each other, which is sad.
Before I came here I defined ASPD as the overarching category, and Sociopathy and Psychopathy as two subsets of the condition, with Psychopathy being more severe.
That being said, I think Psychopaths are often better organized and harder to catch than Sociopaths. Sociopaths are more likely to do impulsive, stupid stuff. Psychopaths are sometimes able to live a lie so complete that no one suspects them until the company books are audited or their backyards are excavated.
The first time I became aware that a Psychopath was trying to manipulate people around me, I laughed. I could see he was trying to convince my husband to quarrel with me over something trivial. This struck me as funny, and I started to laugh. The look of thwarted malice and impotent fury that crossed is face (only for a brief moment), was telling. After that I started paying very close attention to the bad things that kept happening to people who worked at our helicopter squadron. Sure enough, much of it could be traced back to him, but rarely was it provable. He was really good at being evil. That’s why I think he was a psychopath. Every smile, every courtesy, every seemingly innocent act was designed to hide his malice. He loved to witness pain, and he loved being the cause of that pain even better.
I was so scared of him that I did everything in my power to stay in the farthest corner of the building from him and as distant in the chain of command from him as possible.
Ironically, I’m pretty sure he retired and went on to a very comfortable second career as a police dispatcher. If that doesn’t make your blood run cold, nothing will.
Elizabeth Conley: I too, tried to stay as far away from anti-social personalities I worked with as I could. Unfortunately for me, I am not a wall flower and “they, anti-social personalities” love to go after me. I believe they know before I do, that I am completely opposite of what they are, and hence, love their sadistic games to dump into my space.
Funny. I knew I couldn’t change their way of viewing life, so I gave up trying. I always believed that if I just did my work, stayed way back in the back corner, not to be seen, nor heard … no one would bother me because I was their work horse and they needed me to supply the completion of the work load.
So much for this theory. It did get shot to hell (LOL). My boss was hell bent on her personal destruction of me any way she could and she pulled in all the reinforcements to do just that. What a waste of time, money and energy. I used to always think (and still do) … if they projected all this time, money and energy on something positive, imagine what we could have accomplished?
Peace.
“You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you’re finished, you’ll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird… So let’s look at the bird and see what it’s doing — that’s what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”
This is the quote of Richard Feynman – my favourite scientist (physicist) – he is an excellent example of critical thinker and I highly recommend getting to know his works and his life better 🙂
Many people know the name, few know the modus operandi of psychopaths – this is what really counts. In general such people use your own mind as a weapon against you by faking.
Any education in the subject of psychopathy should mind not to encourage the students to become like the object their study.
Peter
MY Psyco was Given the opprotunity to leave my house by the sherifs Officers. He had Hit me for not wanting to listen to rap music because I had to work the next day ,I wanted to sleep!
He says Well I’m not a Superhero ! There where Three of them fully Packing and him abuck fifty soakin wet!
He leaves and it is raining. So within the hour He was back wanting In my house. 911-hes Back I have called three times! Sir do not call 911 again!
Superhero trys to come in threw the doors front and back!
Superhero not really thinking now picks up a stepping stone and breaks front window! Two pains w/six squares each.
I Escape through Garage door and run to finaly meet Sherifs Car. Get in the back and ride back to my house. Still Raining. Two more Backups arive. They knock on the front door and he answers! He does’nt even know that I am not in the house! Wow where or what was he thinking?
They Baker Act Him !
Fun Fun LOVE JJ
Though I see that not all disordered personalities are identical in behavior any more than all depressed people are identical in behavior, but there are definitely some common factors in all disordered personalities and in all depressed people.
I think there are also “degrees” of depression and “degrees” of personality disorder, maybe from “bad to horrible” as nonen of the “degrees” of either are happy things.
Not all “alcoholics” or “drug addicts” are identical in behavior, some are “upstanding citizens” who hold jobs and at least to most people they interact with they are “Okay folks.” There are other alcoholics and addicts that are the “skid row bums” and live under the freeway or on a grate over the subway. There are those that are violent and those that are passive.
Because the “personality disordered” person may not have ALL the behaviors of ALL other personality disorders, it shouldn’t in my opinion cause so much confusion about the name.
People who are alcoholic can ALSO be depressed, or bi-polar or psychopathic as dual or triple diagnoses.
There are some diagnoses that are “X diagnosis” “severe type” or “Y diagnosis,” mild or situational.”
So maybe it should be just plain old “personality disorder,” X Y or Z type. Or “high functioning” or “low functioning” as a discriptive tag.
Trying to lump Ted Bundy into the same pot with Bill Clinton, though I consider both of them personality disordered, is not I think, descriptive of their disorder although I don’t think either one has a conscience. (I Don’t mean to get into a debate here over Clinton, this is JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION of the man from the facts I know of him and his behavior both here in Arkansas as Governor and as President.) But the point is that one man is a “serial killer” and the other is “successful” in life.
Many of the psychopaths that I hve known well and personally up close have been “successful” in life, if you consider being famous, rich, or at the top of their profession “success.” Those same “successful” people were also totally devoid of personal and relationship “success.” AGAIN, IN MY OPINION.
Oxdrover,
Bill Clinton was fascinating. He had amazing talent as a politician, and less zipper control than an unattended toddler in a candy shop. Wow! How his minders managed to go so far with him would be some story, if they’d ever talk!
Arguably, the Clinton administration was a successful one. That’s food for thought.
I’m interested in how people can thrive around the ASPDed because I think that’s useful information. In military service these personalities sometimes reach considerable rank. How can you make it through a 6 month to 3 year period under their supervision without going UA or winding up in the brig? Believe you me, many a service member would love to know. If you think explaining an ASPD to your family, friends and coworkers, try explaining to your commanding officer that your immediate senior is crazy mean! Good luck with that! Sometimes people just have to grin and bear it. That’s why I think coping skills for dealing with the ASPD would be helpful. There are good economic reasons why a civilian might try to grin and bear it too, at least long enough to find a new job. It would be better if that civilian could escape without actually being targeted by the unbalanced boss.
Then there’s family. I like to say: “Can’t live with ’em, can’t be born without ’em!” and mine are all kind and gentle people. If one of them had an ASPD or NPD I’d still try to muddle along. A few useful skills would be helpful.
Dear Elizabeth,
I went to school with the husband of one of the women who accused Bill Clinton of beating and raping her, and quite frankly I believe her. I have met him (I don’t claim to have known him) and he is soooo smooth the term “Slick Willy” really applies.
I too wish I knew how to “get along” with a P boss, or a P business partner. I’ve had to deal with both of them. In fact, I’ve had a P boss on several occasions. My mother had a P boss and she (being the CFO of her company) ended up sending him to federal prison for embezzlement with her testimony.
I wish there was some way to “get along” with them without selling your “soul to the devil” but I haven’t found any other way. I can’t even imagine being in the military and having one be my CO. At least in civilian life you can quit, and I’ve done that several times.
I’ve met some of the prison administration at my P-son’s prison that I think are at least Ns if not Ps themselves, and it must rankle him completely to be under the absolute control of these other Ps who are in absolute control of his life and living conditions. Personally, I think he is getting his “just deserts” so I don’t have a lot of sympathy for him. At the same time, though, I think in a way he “gets off” on matching wits with them and gets reinforcement every time he is able to break the rules and “get by with” it. He can sit for hours during a visit and tell me how he managed to get around this “chicken shit” rule or that one and seems to glory in his ability to smuggle in contraband or violate small rules.
He even had an affair with a married and very attractive female major. I can only imagine tht she must have been pretty disordered herself for her to have taken such a risk to have sex with an inmate. If they had been caught, the major would have been prosecuted for rape, as having sex with a prisoner (who is supposed to be under their control and the inmate unable to say “no”) is a felony.
In 20 years he had 19 “major” rules violations that resulted in him being put in solitary confinement and/or transferred to another facility, and/or demoted from low security to high security. None of those included the many many smaller infractions he was caught and none of the ones he wasn’t caught at.
ONe of the most blatant Ps that I ever knew well was my bio-father who was very successful in his business life though his personal life was chaos. I knew another man (my husband used to be his private pilot and chief of aviation) and he was very well liked by people who knew him, he was a serial adulterer and had 4 wives, the last one putting up with him for 35 years no matter what he did, and I have no doubt he was a psychopath, but it worked for his advantage in business. My husband flew for another man tht from the tales I have heard I think was also a psychopath, but again, successful and well liked by everyone except his intimate family who reaped most of his abuse.
I don’t think this type of “successful” psychopath is rare at all. In many ways I think a social veneer and brains, overlaid with a calousness that allows them to fake the “Mr. Nice Guy” to people’s faces, but allows them to skin a gnat and sell the hide for tallow, makes it easier for them to be successful in business.
Doing your job, being open and honest, and trying to “do what is right” even when it is not popular is not going to endear you to the “Ps that bes.” They will shut you up one way or another.
Elizabeth Conley: I know with my boss, I would do whatever she asked. I was very professional when dealing with her. She undermined and insulted me at the same time she praised me. Believe me, I never took her praises to heart, but I did hear her insults. No matter what she did, I never let on one way or the other because I knew how ruthless she was in our place of employment for years before I worked with her. I always kept my distance from her but was always polite and professional and matter of fact business like when I had to exchange my working time with her.
Over the years she destroyed so many careers and she always came out smelling like a rose. It was amazing to watch. 24 years and not a scratch on her.
Then a subordinate of hers made his move and branched out from her due to a new upper management team that took over our place of employment. He started a new office and I was the last to be employed by him. He was one, if not, the most impressive bosses that I’ve ever had. He was so spiritually decent, it was incredible to work for a man like him. I thought I died and went to heaven.
Heaven lasted for about a year and a half and inner ranks took over our work place, pulling her up the ranks with them. My decent Angel boss went to another place to work and his team went to work for the wicked witch of the East.
The rest is history. When she first took us over, she demoted me twice with no written warning, no explanation except she didn’t need my title and I was demoted down one notch … then demoted again.
Of course, I turned the other cheek … but I only had one more demotion to go and I was automatically out the door which she was busy concocting and I knew it … so I waited for her to step over the legal line, which of course, she did.
And the rest is history.
Peace.
peterd says
“Many people know the name, few know the modus operandi of psychopaths – this is what really counts. In general such people use your own mind as a weapon against you by faking.”
very profound…i am so happy liane that this is a part of you course….it leads to open discussion…..and yes it just may be more important to identify the mo of he bird, than what to call it…at least as far as protecting ourselves
Oxy said: “I went to school with the husband of one of the women who accused Bill Clinton of beating and raping her, and quite frankly I believe her. I have met him (I don’t claim to have known him) and he is soooo smooth the term “Slick Willy” really applies.”
There have been numerous women who have accused him of sexual transgressions. Doubtful they could ALL be lying.
I got within feet of Clinton and had him look directly at me with a big ol’ smile on his face. I thought, and the woman I was with thought, this was absolutely the most charismatic man either of us had ever seen. On the campaign trail this man OOZED charisma and excitement. It was electrifying just being near him. Too bad he is such a well documented asshole!