Ever wondered what can tell you whether you’re standing next to a psychopath or not? Read on…
A psychologist has revealed that there’s one way you can be sure, and it’s not something you’d ever think to check.
Susan Krauss Whitbourne, a former professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has opened up about psychopathic traits in her article with Psychology Today.
She explained that research has proven that her theory might be true, and it’s scary if it’s really a fact.
That’s because if true, you’ll be able to spot a psychopath a mile off, and it could be someone you know.
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Can you spot a psychopath? (Lionsgate Films)
Krauss Whitbourne explained that the McGill University in Canada noted in a study of 608 adults found that there was one common denominator between psychopaths and non-psychopaths when asked to strike different poses.
She said that while the test can’t tell you exactly what’s going on in their noggin’, it can give you some clues.
It found that those who had an open or a large pose were more likely to try to take advantage of you, and those who were more extravagant scored higher for traits of ‘psychopathy, manipulativeness, competitiveness, and belief in the existence of social hierarchies.’
On the opposite end of the spectrum, those who slouch or change their stance multiple times quickly were found to have lower self-esteem.
Another revelation was that those who had a straight spine were more likely to have a naff personality.
So, loosen up, but not too much because your stance could reveal that you’re a psychopath.
It’s all in one simple test (Getty Stock Image)
Abigail Marsh, a psychologist and neuroscientist as well as a Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University, US, also has her telltale signs.
In a video for Big Think she listed ‘certain things’ she looks for that suggests a ‘person is genuinely psychopathic’, and they are pretty scary.
Marsh says she sees the sign that a person tends to be ‘anti-social across’ a variety of domains, which isn’t limited to relationships.
“They’ve cheated on romantic partners, they’ve cheated in professional settings or maybe in school, or in a sports setting,” she explains.
“It’s not just one thing or one domain – you see unethical and anti-social behaviour across domains.”
She also shared that psychopaths tend to ‘show signs they think they’re better than other people’.
“Other people are dumb, other people are ignorant, other people are easily duped,” Marsh added.
London-based Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Jaleel Mohammed also shared common signs of antisocial personality disorder, aka, ASPD and impulsivity was right up there on the list.
Traits such as impulsivity, reckless and criminal behaviour could be common in those with antisocial personality disorder.
“Whereas most people may hesitate or think twice about their actions, psychopaths can be dangerously impulsive and make reckless decisions without considering the risk to other people,” Dr Mohammed explained.
It’s hard to know if someone really is a psychopath, as only the licenced criteria can prove that, but it’s good to know what the traits are to steer clear of people who could be bad for your life.Featured Image Credit: Getty stock/Lionsgate Films
Topics: Community, Mental Health, Science
Britt Jones
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Published 20:50 20 Dec 2024 GMT
Expert shares the three tell-tale signs that you are with someone psychopathic
The doctor explained the characteristics she sees in psychopaths
An expert has shared the three tell-tale signs that you are with someone who is psychopathic.
Calling someone a ‘psycho’ has become an insult thrown out in anger at people just to get back at them for acting ‘crazy’.
But, in reality, being a psychopath stems from a mental health condition.
Psychopaths are considered to have a severe form of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
Typically, the NHS say this shows in someone as them being manipulative, deceitful and reckless with no regard for other people’s feelings.
Abigail Marsh is a psychologist and neuroscientist as well as a Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University, US, and is known for her research in psychopathy.
In a video for Big Think she listed ‘certain things’ she looks for that suggests a ‘person is genuinely psychopathic’.
Cheating in various ways can be a sign according to Marsh. (Getty Stock)
Displaying anti-social behaviour
Marsh says she often sees the sign that a person tends to be ‘anti-social across’ a variety of domains.
“They’ve cheated on romantic partners, they’ve cheated in professional settings or maybe in school, or in a sports setting,” she explains.
“It’s not just one thing or one domain – you see unethical and anti-social behaviour across domains.”
The idea you’re better than everyone else can be a sign. (Getty Stock)
Believing they’re better than others
The expert says psychopaths tend to ‘show signs they think they’re better than other people’.
For example, they will tend to believe that problems in the world are always the fault of others.
“Other people are dumb, other people are ignorant, other people are easily duped,” Marsh added.Play
Believing everybody is the same
And finally, the psychologist sees in psychopaths that they really seem to believe ‘everybody else is just like them’ underneath it all.
So, if they think it’s true of people in general that ‘everybody is actually fundamentally selfish’ then realistically, what the psychopath is ‘really telling you is what they’re like’ themselves. i.e., they are the fundamentally selfish ones.
Signs of ASPD according to the NHS
A person with ASPD may:
· Exploit, manipulate or violate the rights of others
· Lack concern, regret or remorse about other people’s distress
· Behave irresponsibly and show disregard for normal social behaviour
· Have difficulty sustaining long-term relationships
· Be unable to control their anger
· Lack guilt, or not learn from their mistakes
· Blame others for problems in their lives
· Repeatedly break the lawFeatured Image Credit: YouTube/bigthink / Gettystock
Topics: Mental Health, YouTube
Jess Battison
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Published 12:42 7 Jan 2024 GMT
Psychologist shares how to spot if someone you live near is a psychopath
You probably live close to several psychopaths
Someone near you is apparently a psychopath, and it’s very possible that you’ve had what you would have thought to be normal and likely even pleasant interactions with them.
According to awareness group PsychopathyIs, around 30 percent of people have some level of psychopathic traits, though only about 0.6 percent of Brits could actually be classed as a psychopath.
Psychopath facial expression
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That doesn’t sound like many, but stick you in a room with 100 people and there’s going to be a decent chance that there’s a psychopath among you.
Then think of all the people you pass when out and about and the chances of you having an encounter with one are almost inevitable.
You might even live very near a psychopath and you probably never knew it all this time.
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Writing in Psychology Today, psychologist Professor Kurt W Ela, of the Georgetown University School of Medicine, explained how you might be able to spot a psychopath living near you.
He first stressed that psychopaths were not necessarily violent, so anyone fearing that Tim from two doors down is going to come and murder you while you sleep can rest easy.
Some of the signs Professor Ela explained you could watch out for included someone asking you for favours or special treatment in the neighbourhood and not being willing to return the aforementioned favour.
He explained that you could also get a gut feeling about people if their emotions seemed ‘off’ or you just felt uncomfortable around them without knowing exactly why.
A neighbour who just didn’t show any interest in you or your life might also be a psychopath, though as always with these things it’s best not to go diagnosing the entire neighbourhood because your cheery wave was not met with an equally enthusiastic greeting.
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As for what to do about it, the psychologist recommended that you set out clear boundaries which leave no room for manipulation.
He also suggested you didn’t share personal information if you were getting a bad feeling from someone as that might have given them ammunition against you.
Another thing to try was to simply avoid confrontation with them, just leave them in peace and don’t interact with them as getting on their bad side can lead to the situation escalating very rapidly.
Other psychologists have come up with signs that you might be interacting with a psychopath, while a diagnosed psychopath said he thought it helped him be a life coach.
Whether your neighbour is a psychopath or not it’s probably for the best not to get into too much drama with them, your neighbour doesn’t have to be a psychopath to get p***ed off at you for parking in front of their drive.Featured Image Credit: Orion Pictures/Paramount
Topics: Weird, Mental Health
Joe Harker
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Published 17:28 16 May 2024 GMT+1
There’s one simple physical sign that suggests someone is a psychopath, according to study
People with higher levels of psychopathy tend to show this sign more often
When someone says the word ‘psychopath’, you may have an image of what that might be in your head, from Jeffrey Dahmer to Ted Bundy. But it isn’t as black and white as you may think.
The Psychopath Life Coach: Trailer
Credit: Netflix
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What is a psychopath?
All psychopaths are thought to have a severe form of antisocial personality disorder, which is explained by the NHS as a ‘particularly challenging type of personality disorder’ that can be ‘characterised by impulsive, irresponsible and often criminal behaviour.’
The NHS further explains: “Someone with antisocial personality disorder will typically be manipulative, deceitful and reckless, and will not care for other people’s feelings.”
It also explains that someone with the disorder may exploit, manipulate or violate other people without any concern or regret about their feelings, while dealing with anger control issues and blaming other people for their own problems.
Basically, they are deeply and unequivocally unpleasant.
Ted Bundy might spring to mind when you think of a psychopath. (Bettmann/Contributor).
The one tell-tale sign
Although, there is a way to identify a psychopath through one specific action, and almost anyone can pick it out if you look hard enough.
A study that was published in the 200th Personality and Individual Difference journal back January suggested there was one physical sign that could indicate someone is a psychopath.
Apparently, the one sign to look out for is to do with head movements.
A study has suggested that head movements are key. (Getty stock photo)
The study’s authors found that people with the condition move their heads less when speaking to those with lower levels of psychopathy.
It was discovered that this form of communication was common in men with antisocial personality disorder, but it was also found to be just as common in women as well.
As stated previously by IFLScience: “Prior work has identified a number of surprising tell-tale signs in the body language of psychopaths.”
According to the study, men with high levels of psychopathy also use more hand gestures than those with lower scores, and short bursts of blinking have also been found in those with higher levels.
However, as expected, there are a number of other signs linked to psychopathy that can be spotted in adults.
There are a number of signs. (Curt Borgwardt/Sygma via Getty Images)
What are the other main signs of psychopathy?
- Care-free responses to others’ suffering or distress
- Does not show remorse after hurting others or breaking rules
- Pathologically lies
- Manipulates people to get what they want
- Often engages in risky or dangerous activities
- Tends not to plan ahead, leaves things until the last minute
- Fails to keep promises or follow through with plans as they are irresponsible
- Superficially charming
- Doesn’t seem to care about performance at school or work
- Frequently brags
- Struggles to maintain relationships, such as friendships and romantic relationships
- Possibly engages in violent or illegal behaviour
It’s important to not, however, that there are other reasons why people choose to be violent or part-take in illegal/criminal activities and simply displaying a couple of the traits doesn’t mean your mate is a psychopath.Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate/Getty Stock Images
Topics: Mental Health, Crime, Science, Education
Joshua Nair
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Published 12:43 16 Jul 2024 GMT+1
Diagnosed psychopath reveals the common human action that might show someone is one
M.E Thomas discussed the one human action that she’s ‘never been comfortable with’
A diagnosed psychopath has revealed the common human action that might indicate someone has a psychopathic personality.
M.E Thomas is a lawyer, author and a diagnosed psychopath, and regularly discusses her experiences.
The common human action that could indicate someone is a psychopath (Getty Stock Photo)
The NHS explains that a ‘psychopath’ is someone with an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) which means they lack empathy, are manipulative and ‘often have a total disregard for the consequences of their actions’.
They add: “People with an antisocial personality can sometimes pose a threat to others because they can be violent. Most people with psychosis are more likely to harm themselves than others.”
According to awareness group PsychopathyIs, around 30 percent of people have some level of psychopathic traits, though only about 0.6 percent of Brits could actually be classed as a psychopath.
The Psychopath Life Coach: Trailer
Credit: Netflix
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Speaking about her experience, Thomas appeared on the What It Was Like podcast where she discussed one human emotion that she’s ‘never been comfortable with’, explaining that she often wondered if it was simply a method of manipulation.
Most of us feel empathy when we see another person in tears, but Thomas explained: “I’ve never felt comfortable with people crying. So people would cry and I’d be like, ‘is this kind of a manipulation tactic?’
“And then if it kept going and it kind of seems serious, I thought ‘wow, I did not see this coming, they have definitely jumped off the tracks of what I projected them to say or do today.'”
Discussing how she felt when her own sister would cry, she added: “My sister cried a lot too and I would just be like, ‘I don’t understand why she’s constantly leaking from crying’ it’s like everyday there’s a new leak from her, like mouth and nose, even her eyes, you know.”
At this point, podcast host Julian Morgans, interrupted and said: “Even that language there you know, you’re so far removed from this experience of crying.”
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Thomas said she’s never been comfortable with crying (Getty Stock Photo)
Thomas, who wrote the book Confessions of a Sociopath, A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight, has previously explained how she struggles to ‘relate to [her] own emotions’.
Writing in Newsweek in 2022, she said: “I also have traditionally struggled to relate to my own emotions, much less the emotions of other people.
“I had learned as a very young child that people were often repulsed by me—by my chronic need to know which they labeled ‘nosiness,’ by the way I could read their minds and use their hidden fears and insecurities to manipulate them, and by the way I showed no empathy to those whom I guiltlessly used.”