By Joyce Alexander, RNP (Retired)
Psychopaths sometimes don’t know enough about how the rest of the world thinks to tell a “good” lie. I saw the following article about North Korea’s soccer team and how they had been apparently caught in a doping scandal, but were claiming that it was really an herbal medication that made them test positive for steroids.
The excuse given was that the team members had been struck by lightening and they had decided, heroically, to compete anyway. The steroids were accidentally taken with traditional Chinese medicines.
I have recently found other articles about the “stories” of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-II, that made me laugh out loud. In one article, he supposedly played his first round of golf and scored a 38, including five holes-in-one.
One of the things I have noticed about many psychopaths, and others who frequently lie, is that their lies are so “off the wall” that no one over three years old would believe a word of them. They will “lie when the truth will fit better” is a saying I’ve heard all my life. This seems to be especially true with pathological liars and psychopaths.
Dr. Robert Hare, well-known psychopathy researcher, says that psychopaths have difficulty realizing that their lies are unbelievable, even when the evidence that they are untrue is literally in front of them. In some way, the two sides of their brains can’t connect the evidence in front of their eyes.
An example of this are the lies told by Casey Anthony when she led the police to the place she supposedly worked, even going to a cubical, when she knew that she didn’t work for that company. She also lied about leaving her daughter with “Zanny the Nanny,” when such a person didn’t exist. Anthony even led the police to the door of the empty apartment with the police in tow.
Not all liars are psychopaths, but all psychopaths are liars. Liars signal that they are not to be trusted. But if you hear a lie that is so outrageous that it makes you laugh out loud, or have the feeling that the person telling it must be “crazy—”look out! You very well may be dealing with a psychopath.
Twice Betrayed
Sky: I agree, I would like to know more about the McCanns since we have someone here that is a friend of a friend and is closer than the media to the actual truth. That would be a great help in understanding these people, especially since the Anthony trial which was televised [media].
Katy: could you fill us in on the concrete facts?
Ox Drover
Guys, to me, for what it’s worth…..the McCanns left the VERY YOUNG children ALONE IN A HOTEL ROOM OUT OF EAR SHOT….they admit that, and that is such POOR JUDGMENT that whatever happened to that child is in my opinion THEIR FAULT and THEIR RESPONSIBILITY….they were not doing their job of properly caring for their child.
A child that young should never be out of ear shot of the parents, especially in a strange place.
I don’t presume to know what happened to the child—was she kidnapped or did she die by accident and they hid the body? Doesn’t make any difference to me, the fact that they were poorly supervising parents whatever happened is their RESPONSIBILITY because if they had watched their child like any good parent would do rather than put their own desire for a kid free dinner before their responsibility to their children, she would be alive today. They had plenty of money to hire a SITTER, that is what parents do when they want a night out.
Twice Betrayed
Ox: you are right and that is the main point!
*However, that info came from media-they all said the children were alone, including the McCanns themselves via media.
Ox Drover
TB, I can come up with lots of “what ifs” that happened to the little girl, but NONE of them take the fault/blame/responsibilitiy off the parents. The bottom line is that THESE PEOPLE DID NOT TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILD LIKE RESPONSIBLE PARENTS SHOULD. Therefore, whatever happened to the child is on their heads.
I think at this time it is very unlikely that the child will be found alive but Jaycee Dugard gives home to every parent of every lost child, but her body may turn up some day….maybe not. In the event that her body turns up possibly the truth will turn out.
moveingon
Louise, Liverpool ..not a great advert for the UK, or Manchester, although the countryside around is lovely. My spath is from Liverpool a breeding ground, they are called ‘scallies’. I live in the countryside in Wiltshire, and this morning I was awoken very early by the cows ..crying as they do!!
With regards to the McCanns, sorry no one leaves 3 children under 4 (all by IVF) on holiday to have a meal with friends ..ever. Many years ago, I went to Devon, my son only 20 months and my daughter 3 (same ages), were tired after playing on the beach. We were in a very nice hotel, I was dozing off with both of them I heard the door to the room being opened ..I woke up ..my camera, purse etc all gone. The camera was security coded and 6 years later (yes 6 years) I received a phone call from pc plod in Surrey (200 miles away), it had turned up after they had arrested a fence (stolen goods handler). The photos were still inside!
The only reason these 2 were given any empathy was because they were middle class and doctors. Had that been a single mother on benefits ..the world would have condemned her. The mother even chronicled her ‘upset’ talking about when she finally had sex with her husband after the abduction, serialised in the ‘Murdoch rag the Sun’ ..and who wants to know that???
Whatever happened to that poor child, they have to look into the mirror everyday and think ..why were we so selfish? No ‘normal’ parent would leave 3 children all under 4 in a strange apartment on holiday ..it is not normal. They made their choice, and they have milked every bit of empathy going, tv appearances, visits to the Pope, ‘books’, interviews ..all in the name of finding Madeline ..
Its called ‘responsibility’ .. severely lacking in the UK, see this article ..I hope she covers her face because she is ashamed ..somehow I doubt it ..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2020464/Emily-Harbour-Mother-avoids-jail-leaving-baby-son-squalid-Newbury-house.html
Being forced to watch Murder She Wrote ..is anyone still alive in Cabot Cove ..and everyone looks to glam in that 80’s way!
Hugs ..smile, its free!
candy
Hi moveinon – I love the murder mysteries. Same plot different location. Big shoulder pads, big hair, oh yes, it’s very glam.
moveingon
Forgot to say, watching old Harry Potter last weekend at the cinema ..that bit with the ‘dementors’ ..sucking out your life force. On reflection that is a spath ..although in my case, the dementor was way better looking! Warm but still sun hiding ..weather forecast, over and out from the UK
Take care everyone and avoid those dementors, if only I had a wand ..
behind_blue_eyes
moveingon;
Interesting that three of us here have x-spath’s from Liverpool. When I first learned of sociopaths, prior to coming here, I remember reading that something like 1/3 of the fathers in UK city public housing were sociopaths. I am not certain my x-spath was raised in public housing, but I am sure his father was since from what I understand in the 1960s, 1970s and well into the 1980s, Liverpool was not a very nice city.
Twice Betrayed
Ox: Yes, you are right: that is true!!!!! And money did not seem to be the issue, since they were on a holiday at a resort. Wonder why they didn’t hire a nanny?
Guess tabloids were rampant on this in the UK. Being in the US, I had never seen any tabloids on the McCanns. The info I researched was all on news sources and they quoted investigators/friends/family.
moveingon: I think we all agree on leaving children this young alone is irresponsible. You are so right! Wow…opened the door and took your items. Oh my: the mother told that about her personal life after the loss of her child? Wow. Good point on milking publicity.
That is so sad on those little babies in that filthy house!!!!! I do not understand why these people have children if they don’t want/care for them?!
Thanks for sharing from across the pond, so we have a better understanding on what the news was/is!
moveingon
Behind blue eyes/Candy ..I can assure you they are called ‘scallies’ short for scally wags ..is because they are con artists, atlak the talk and the walk. Liverpool is (in my opinion) a dump ..once Europe’s ‘culture city’ ..it is horrible ..full of orange tangoed drunks with tatties ..i.e. tattoos. Like half of the UK ..gosh ..I am sounding like my dad ..must stop.
Dreadful woman leaving 2 children ..and look what she got ..she will get her children back, the state don’t care ..sadly ..x