The Psychopath Inside Read Free

also be made by someone who knows the subject well, without his being present.
    The traits can be sorted into four different categories, or “factors.” The interpersonal factor includes the traits of superficiality, grandiosity, and deceitfulness. The affective factor includes lack of remorse, lack of empathy, and refusal to acceptresponsibility for one’s actions. The behavioral factor includes impulsivity, lack of goals, and unreliability. And the antisocial factor includes hotheadedness, a history of juvenile delinquency, and a criminal record. Antisocial personality disorder is related to psychopathy but is much more common and is a measure of outward disruptive behavior rather than an underlying personality problem. Psychopathy scores are actually a better predictor of criminal recidivism, severity, and premeditation.
    Psychopathy is not something one can just casually assess, although there are versions of the test that can be self-administered and are not “officially” diagnostic. A typical statement on a self-administered checklist might be, “I can be shrewd, crafty, sly, and clever—if needed, I can also be deceptive, unscrupulous, underhanded, manipulative, and dishonest.” Two other sample statements would be, “At times, I feel a strong need for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; I get bored easily. This might result in me taking chances and doing things that are risky. Carrying tasks through ‘to the bitter end’ or staying in the same job for a longer time can feel very difficult for me,” and “Significant amounts of the money I have made, I have made by intentionally exploiting or manipulating others. With ‘classic’ forms of work, I often feel a lack of motivation, a problem with my self-discipline, or an inability to complete my responsibilities.”
    To illustrate the degrees represented on the PCL-R, I like to point to pop culture, which is full of portrayals—some accurate, some less so—of psychopaths. The most extreme and ridiculous examples can be found in horror films featuring foul-toothedcharacters with one foggy eyeball who exude danger and immediately evoke chills. Think Freddy Krueger or the family in
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
. Even Patrick Bateman, Christian Bale’s self-loving, unhinged character in the film adaptation of
American Psycho
, is not representative of a true psychopath, as he is too violent to be realistic. These are caricatures—even the most violent criminals are rarely so obviously insane.
    Some reasonable characterizations include Tommy DeVito, played by Joe Pesci in
Goodfellas
,
and Frank Booth, played by Dennis Hopper in
Blue Velvet
. Both of these are relatively normal-looking guys—guys you might pass on the street and not think twice about. But they are deeply disturbed individuals who ultimately cannot control their innate aggressiveness and show little regret or sympathy for their violent actions. Tommy and Frank would score high on the PCL-R. Tommy in particular expresses the interpersonal aspects of glibness, charm, and manipulation. He’s entertaining, and he can go in and out of character. In the “Do I amuse you?” exchange, he has the other guy pinned—there’s no right answer. Psychopaths can put people into untenable positions. There’s also a scene in which Tommy shoots a guy in the foot, then curses him out for making a big deal of it and goes back to playing cards. After a murder, psychopaths often say they feel like someone else did it, or the victim precipitated the pulling of the trigger. They feel detached, impelled to action by forces out of their control. Tommy calls the foot-shooting incident an “accident.” Not all psychopaths are impulsive or physically violent, but some are, as in the cases of Tommy and Frank.
    My favorite example comes from the 1986 film
Manhunter
, starring Brian Cox and William Petersen. Cox plays