With the release of the Mask of Sanity in the 1940s Dr. Hervey Cleckley began the quest to describe a syndrome called psychopathy, in which affected individuals prey on others without remorse. Since people affected by the syndrome are socially disordered the syndrome has also been called sociopathy. Dr. Robert Hare extended the work of Cleckley and carefully documented the symptoms of the disorder. All this research has lead to two basic conclusions:
1. It is quite remarkable that individuals who choose a lifestyle of remorseless predation of other people are so similar in their behaviors and personality traits.
2. Equally important is the idea that non-disordered people do not “regularly” prey on others.
These two very profound conclusions have been the cause of a dilemma that is outlined by the following statement by a prominent psychopathy researcher:
Clearly, not all people who are violent or callous or sadistic are psychopathic. In fact, it is probably the case that most of the cruelty in the world is not perpetrated by psychopathic individuals. Similarly, although psychopaths commit a disproportionate share of the violent crime, it seems to me that they do not commit even the majority of the violent crime.
Over the last two weeks I have thought about the above dilemma, particularly since attending the Battered Mothers Custody Conference. The dilemma was also discussed at the conference in the form of questioning whether “all batters are psychopaths/sociopaths.” I want to answer this question for you in and extend the answer to the broader context of psychopathy/sociopathy and humanity.
All though I have the utmost respect for the quoted psychopathy researcher, I disagree strongly with his views. I believe that ALL people who are violent, callous or sadistic (in the sense that these traits persist in them) are psychopathic.
Over the last 7 years a number of studies show that the group of traits and behaviors that group together in psychopathy act like a “dimensional trait.” By dimensional trait I mean that psychopathy is similar to height. Just as there are short people and tall people and also what we consider short and tall changes according to age, gender and geography, there are people who are more or less psychopathic. The dilemma only happens when we attempt to categorize a person and call him or her “a psychopath/sociopath.” Scientists and mental health professionals disagree about where to draw the dividing line to indicate “a psychopath,” just like you and I might disagree as to what height makes for a “tall person.”
The dimension, psychopathic is also different from height in a very important respect- that is stability. Whereas height is very stable, psychopathy is only relatively stable and is affected by aging, mood disorders, substance abuse and social environment.
Now I want to explain the source of the confusion around the dimension psychopathic. The source of the confusion is a failure to understand that one issue underlies psychopathy and is the cause of the observed fact that a group of traits and behaviors cluster together in psychopathy/sociopathy.
The cause of psychopathy/sociopathy is an addiction to power. The addiction to power can start at any age but as in most addictions it usually begins by the early 20s. Also like other addictions, the earlier a person becomes addicted to power, the worse the addiction. Addictions that begin early are very resistant to treatment and carry a very poor prognosis. Psychopathy/sociopathy that starts prior to age 10 (puberty) is the most devastating.
The idea that an addiction to power underlies psychopathy/sociopathy has important micro and macro implications for human society. On a micro level the family is affected by psychopathic individuals who are obsessed with the pursuit of interpersonal power at the expense of family members. Violence, callous manipulation and sadism are all part of that power fix. The person that abuses family members does so because it makes him or her feel powerful. That is true whether the abuser is mother, father, brother, sister or any other relation.
The macro level is just as important. Our institutional leaders, if addicted to power produce widespread abuse in our society. Institutional leaders are bosses, politicians, teachers and the like. When we examine risk for “psychopathy” in leaders, it is useful to consider the phenomenon of addiction as applied to power.
Last night we went to The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate my daughter’s 18th birthday. I had one frozen mango marguerita, likely one of six I will have in all of 2009. I will also likely drink 4 glasses of wine and about three beers all year. There are many people who cannot drink just one drink because the pleasure of alcohol sets off a chemical reaction in their brains. Once they have one drink they develop a compulsion to keep drinking.
Power with me works the same way. I dislike telling other people what to do. I have had to learn to manage this dislike in order to adequately mother my children. Good parenting requires the thoughtful, careful exertion of interpersonal power. Some parents become addicted to that power and become what are called “authoritarian parents.” They are so bossy and dictatorial their poor children never learn to think for themselves.
Institutional leaders are like parents. Leadership requires thoughtful, careful exertion of interpersonal power. For a psychopathic, power-addict the first time they lead the meeting fills them with pleasure and delight. They become obsessed with the feeling and so obsessed with power. Since love and power motives are mutually exclusive, eventually power consumes the person’s entire being and he/she develops all the qualities of “a psychopath.”
Let us look at domestic violence again. Men and women who abuse their partners mentally, emotionally sexually and physically are not normal people who are the subjects of the influence of a violent society. They are power addicts. Just like there are societal factors in alcoholism, gambling and other addictions, there are societal influences on psychopathy. These societal influences no more cause psychopathy or power addiction, than they do alcoholism. Drinking causes alcoholism and exerting power causes psychopathy- in people with an inborn predisposition.
Please comment on what I have written. If you disagree please state your reasons. Let’s have a debate.
I do so love a debate. Guess it part of my nature. But sorry can’t because I too have witness and experienced this “power play” in those that suffer from this disorder. The need is so great to them that I too see it as an addiction. I too agree that this “power fix” is so great a need for them that anyone or thing that gets in the way will be devalued or discarded or worst. Again so sorry we can’t debate this issue or views because I for one is in total agreement…
Thanks
This blog reminds me of the saying “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”….but I think it only true when the person has a leaning that way, which is what I think you are saying in part. One could give all the power in the world to my husband, who has issues, but with power, he would be fair and equitable and never use it for personal gain. I think that is why non-family members have named him executor for their wills….it is just very apparent that he is committed to NOT abusing power for personal gain.
I like Steve’s comment the telling characteristic is exploitive behavior (hope I’m remembering right) and also earlier blogs you have written saying that it n/p/s….all pretty much the same. There is no harm that I can see is saying they are the same, and danger in NOT saying they are the same, because then one might discount the possibility of what they are capable of.
I also agree that the psychopathy traits shown and acted upon (again hope I’m not misquoting) vary by circumstances and stress. My niece can be so sweet and understanding to me, but I remember her being rigid as a baby when you would pick her up. I have seen her eat up and spit out husbands….just leaving them devastated. And so while she appears to love me and everyone assumes I would name her to take care of me if my husband was gone, having no children, I will NOT. I know that me being feeble and having money might bring out a new relationship between us!!!
justabouthealed:
You are wise indeed NOT to name your niece as a caretaker for you. My ex-S BF is very sweet to anyone he can get something out of i.e., daughter to “look good”, uncle with no heirs, etc. Underneath the mask, he is an aggressive power-monger, liar and manipulator. Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, IMHO.
In regard to Liane’s article, I would have to give greater consideration to the statement, “ALL people who are violent, callous or sadistic…are psychopathic”. Hmm, much to ponder.
Peggy
Hi all
I dont like the term “Psychopath”, as my understanding is that it means ‘psych’-o, as ‘of the mind (psyche), and ‘path’, as in ‘pathology’ (ie illness/sickness). Thus, anyone with any mental illness, could be termed a psychopath. And someone suffering anxiety is certainly not what we are referring to here.
There is also a vast difference in the way an Anti-Social personality is formed, and functions, when compared with a Narcissist, or a Borderline. They are completely different in their ways of being, and abusing.
The term psychopath would be as general as the term ‘animal’, whereas a NPD is like ‘cat’, and ASPD like ‘dog’.
Here’s another term: Moral Insanity.
In my interactions, I note that I could NEVER count on the guy to “do the right thing.” His apparent generosity to others was at a direct cost to my pocketbook, and to others who had invested in my work. He was adept at looking like he was kind and thoughtful, but I look back and see his intent to wreck. It was as if I was, at great cost using huge human capital, laying down the track for a railroad, and he was rushing in, bringing sandwiches and lemonade, and hurrying off around the corner so that he could dynamite everything we’d built.
I wrestle with the power addiction, only in this way. You would think that a power addict would have some sort of goal, some organizing intelligence. Instead it was like the joking description of the ADHD kid, “Oh, here’s a shiny ball. Oooh, pretty lights. Oh, let’s run around in circles. Oh, I want to watch this show on TV!” But instead this guy was drawn to little exercises in destruction and drama. Taking his young daughters to the pet store so they could bond with the puppies, knowing that he had no money, time, or desire to get a dog. Encouraging a workman to pull a thermostat out of the wall, knowing that the action created huge cost to fix and gained absolutely nothing — other than chaos and wreckage.
When I found that “Moral Insanity” was an early term for this N/S/P type of behavior, it really rang true for me.
I’m curious about Grant’s professional measurement of NPD vs. ASPD, but I lean toward Liane’s description of psychopathy as analogous to “tall.”
The term “megalomaniac” is better, in my own view, for a “power addict”, than Psychopath.
I do agree that many people (Joe Plummer) think that the term “Psychopath” means “crazy”–i.e. out of touch with reality. I have found that the average “person on the street” has LITTLE TO NO ideas about anything except depression (meaning sad all the time) or ADHD (a rowdy kid that needs his butt beaten a time or two to straighten him out.)
A few people may know about anxiety attacks, and a few may know about manic-depressive (or bi-polar) and a few have heard of schizrophrenia, but they think it means has “multiple personalities” or “split personality.”
Education the public about psychopaths or ANY disorder or mental illness is a “grass roots operation” and needs to start from the “ground up.” A BIG job that may take generations to accomplish, if we started a decade ago. LOL
I don’t care if they call it a Kumquat, but the professionals NEED TO QUIT BICKERING AND CALL IT SOMETHING! AND STICK WITH IT.
The Borderline Personality disorder was named back when they thought it was “on the border of psychotic” (out of touch with reality) and thename stuck, your average Joe thinks it means “on the border of” a personality disorder and they are not sure what a personality disorder is. Any time I discuss BPD with someone not a professional I take time first of all to DEFINE it since the name itself is confusing.
While I realize all of the medical sciences are evolving and names for things change. “Bright’s disease” is now called Kidney disease, etc.
I think the POWER ADDICTION is one of the definite (if not THE definite) hallmarks of psychopathic.
There is also the debate about the socio vs the psycho/path. Are they the same, or is one caused by ONLY environment and the other genetics PLUS environment?
Where does Anti-Social Personality disorder come in vs socio/psycho-path?
I do agree though that ANYONE WHO HAS A PATTERN OF POWER ADDICTION AND/OR VIOLENCE AGAINST OTHERS is a psychopath (My choice of word, along with Robert Hare)
I also agree that ALL CHILD MOLESTERS are psychopaths. One of the things that convinces me of this is that they are about IMPOSSIBLE TO REHABILITATE and they have NO REMORSE about it. Do not see it as wrong, but only something that needs to be hidden from society so they are not sanctioned for the behavior. Some even see their abuse as a “loving service” to the child and they seem to “think” that the child of 4 or 5 has a RIGHT to “sexual expression.”
I think that narcissistic personality disorder is “Level one” of a scale of 1-10 that leads to “psychopath, level ten.”
All Ps are Ns but, not all Ns are Ps.
I think in the lower levels there may be a vestige of conscience or bonding, but not within normal levels. The “Level ten” would be someone like Ted Bundy or Bernie Madoff. Totally without any reguard to the horrific damage they do to others for their own pleasures.
I agree on the continuium of fron tall to short analogy. There are varying levels of “evil” in the N to P (1 to 10) scale I divised. BTW that helped me to visualize the various ranges. I’m not sure some are actually more evil than oters, but at least some are more VIOLENT physically than others, more controlling than others.
Also I think we need to take into consideration the OTHER DIAGNOSES that go along with PPD–are they also bi-polar, ADHD (or God forbid, all 3?) How about substance abuse in addition to the two additional dx to PPD ?
IQ and education as well as other social skills influence what type of “control” they go after. Bernie Madoff obviously didn’t rob liquor stores, or Bill Clinton wasn’t robbing liquor stores, but I have no doubt that either of these men is a psychopath on some “level.”
What are they “addicted to” in addition to control? Sex, money, position, etc. What are they willing to risk to gain advantages in these things. Are they also perverts, liking to strangle and/or kill their sexual partners, or do they prefer children?
I’m not sure how a “scale” for the would work along a continuium.
There is so much stuff that is EVIL that they do that society in general more or less accepts. Cheat repeatedly on his/her spouse, “sewing their wild oats.” Date rape, “well, she was acting like she wanted it, she was just a slut, screwed every guy o n campus, why not him?”
One thing that society accepts way too much, though in law and other ways it is “bad” (but people still laugh about old Joe driving home drunk) is IMPAIRED DRIVING.
Even people who drive impaired REPEATEDLY and kill or injure folks seldom are appropirately (IMHO) for this crime. They have friends at the court house, or the judge “gives them another chance.” etc. To me, CRUCIFICTION for FIRST OFFENSE is appropriate. One of my grandfathrs and two close friends were all killed by drunk drivers who were not put in jail for even one day. There are tens of thousands of deaths and serious injuries caused in the US alone every year by impaired drivers. On any Friday or saturday night in Arkansas ONE OUT OF TEN drivers is legally DRUNK.”
ONe of my son’s prison buddies is the only man I know who is serving 60 years for drunk driving. I have no idea who or how many he killed or how many times he killed people driving drunk, but I bet-ya it was a bunch on both counts.
BAck when I lived in Florida and worked as an RNP for an orthopaedic doc I had a father come in to request that we write a letter to the judge for his son, who was one of o ur patients with a “bad back.”The man was to go to prison for drunk driving and the father wanted us to say that his back was so bad jail beds would be horrible for it.
I assured the man I would be GLAD to write a letter to the judge, and I did, but the letter said that we could see NO MEDICAL REASON for him not to go to jail. (and there wasn’t)
Yea, I’m on my SOAP BOX here, but I bet none of you find that surprising! LOL
This is a great discussion Liane, and one I wish would eventually solve something with the lack of education among the general public and a great many of the professionals. Thanks for your article. A good one as always!
Oxy … Where I live … our main newspaper ran full paged articles with BIG headlines … page after page pertaining to the street walkers in the capital city (photos, videos and interviews with the prostitutes along with the John’s. They discussed in detail who the hookers were (men and women street walkers) exactly what blocks they conducted business and out-ed the John’s … names, towns they lived in, occupations, make of car, marital status. These articles ran for over a month discussing the statistics of AIDS, all the STDS, how rampant it is, how it is transmitted . They discussed all the anti-social terminologies and explained these men (many prominent business men and/or professionals, come into the city where they work, picked up these prostitutes on a daily/weekly basis … so wake up wifey doodle in the burbs, don’t think you are safe and that hubby is faithful… for you too are at risk and hubby Dear’s addiction is playing Russian roulette with your health and life.
Definitely wasn’t a GRASS ROOTS campaign to me. This was major, big time … on the front page as well as 10 – 20 additional pages (daily) of our major newspaper in our state.
Did it work? I don’t know.
Did it help? I would think it did. Anyone that lives in our state read and knows those series of articles.
Do people know about anti-social personalities in our state … yes they do.
Now for my question, why did they all play stupid when it came down to me and my co-workers being persecuted? Oh, I forgot, politics.
I think the average person knows about anti-socials … but, like all horrific situations … it happens in other states or another town or to other people, not us … it doesn’t happen in our own back yard.
Peace.
Oxy: I think in “Women Who Love Psychopaths,” Liane and Sandra discuss the level of damage done by Ns and Ps in society. Huge. Absolutely huge.
I agree that the bickering just adds to the confusion. Grant may have some comments, but, dangerous is dangerous, and we don’t need to care how we got there when we’re trying to limit the danger.
On the next level, can we help “Dangerous” become “Les Dangerous”? (Joke!) That would mean a shot at rehabilitating the dangerous by as-yet-unknown means. I hold out hope, but as of today, I don’t believe we have that magic bullet.
As to educating society, I think that psycho/sociopathy is more dangerous than any other STD out there. The children, born of such a union, into a guaranteed unstable environment, are so vulnerable to themselves becoming predators or acculturated victims. Even to educate high school students about psychological disorders, and personality disorders in particular, would be a big deal. But that might be even more controversial than sex-ed that included advise on birth control. If we knew about S/Ps, how would we vote in the next election?
I do believe that in this community we are on the forefront of understanding major issuees that affect society. So, “Yeah, Team!” Let’s keep educating ourselves and spread the word around us.
Dear Dr. Leedom,
I always enjoy your writing. You are raising some very important questions. Here are some points I would like to make.
1 – You quote an expert saying most violence is not caused by sociopaths/psychopaths. Well, who does create most of the violence, then? I don’t think it’s fair to say, most violence is not sociopathy and then leave no explanation for the rest. If not sociopathy, then what? Is he implying that regular violence is “normal”? I agree with you, the quote as it stands makes no sense It is much more logical to say that if someone regularly commits violence and sadistic acts, that person is a psychopath.
2 – You suggest psychopathy is an addiction to power. I question the use of the word, “addiction.” After all, Joseph Fritzl in Austria, who carried out the most heinous acts over a period of decades, excused his behavior by labeling it an addiction for which he had no control.
If sociopathy is an addiction, then can it be controlled with a 12-step program?
If the sociopathic “addict” wants to quit his habit, so to speak, should he have that opportunity?
My problem with the addiction framework is that it seems to make the sociopath powerless and a victim as well.
Notwithstanding all that, I have this feeling that you may be correct after all.
3 – If sociopathy is not an addiction, then what is it? Obviously it is a relentless drive to power without compassion for others. But is it based on an addiction, an impulse, or habitual wilfulness, or hidden, structural disordered drives from childhood, or all of the above?
I personally think violence springs from all of the above. One does not have to be sociopath to be violent. Many narcissists and borderline personalities are violent, too, in my experience. The difference is that sociopaths are habitually indifferent to others. So perhaps we should look at it as emotional autism with outward manifestations harmful to society and no cure. Certainly these people should be locked up and removed from society.