I may or may not be a psychopath.

[DarkZero]

Psychopathy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm something of a hypochondriac, so I can't be sure. But I do know that nearly every single thing I do is to raise my comfort level. Any outwardly appearances of being social and compassionate is merely just to get other people on my side, so they can do things for me like have a conversation, or maybe a favor. Being socially accepted is comfortable, hence the reason I strive for it. The ties to sexual deviancy are also present, as the list of things I find arousing are numerous and unusual. I also just do a lot of things for attention (i.e. this thread).

Well, anyway, I'd like to get your opinions on this. Again, can't be sure I really have it or if I've just led myself to believe I have it.

[heh]

your not a psychopath until you've been diagnosed one. trust me. theres a reason people make fun of people who suffer from self-diagnosed asperger syndrome. people in general are pretty crazy about thinking there is something wrong with them, either because they want something to blame their problems on or because they worry too much.

basically your fine.

[Red]

So when you said "Corn bread is always good" you didn't actually mean it? :(


Seriously though I think at least the socially acceptable thing is normal. I know there are things I do/don't simply because of if they're socially acceptability.

Who doesn't want to be comfy?

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

Those are all pretty much normal reasons to do anything. It's just the the majority of people lie to themselves about why they do anything. If we're just being honest, you're doing everything in life because it makes it easier for you, or makes you feel good. Even doing nice things for other people makes YOU feel good (alternatively, you feel guilty if you don't, so you're just fulfilling a sense of obligation so you don't feel poorly about your actions). That's not exactly psychopathic. Don't stress about it.

[Apollo the Just]

I know that in the recent past, I had a constant desire to find something wrong with ME. So I began looking at things that might POSSIBLY apply to me and decided I had one [or even several] of them.

In the end, I don't have any of them. Nothing about me [including the fact that some characteristics I possess do fit with the THINGS THAT ARE WRONG I was looking at] has changed, however... just the fact that I stopped trying to find some label that told me exactly who I was.

I don't mean to sound presumptuous, so if you're reading this going "wtf u talkin about lady that has nothing to do with my situation" I apologize. It's just that, if you ARE like recent past me, this information might sound useful. Because if you ARE thinking along the lines that I used to, it's good to know that these illnesses/labels/what have you are just words, used to encompass a general idea of stuff that might apply to you and might not.

The only thing you need to know is that you act in a certain way, and that's just who you are-- some words might fit it, some words might not, but that doesn't matter as much as the fact that you recognize and accept them.

tl;dr: you're probably just searching for a label of things you've recognized in your behavior when you really don't need to. Just accept them, because most of them are, like SD said, very normal. :{D

[Bad Dragonite]

I know plenty of crazy people; you're not that bad so far as I can tell.

[Deepfake]

1. What you're describing is in line with Sociopathy. Psychopaths are even more along the lines of not seeing things through to the end, as are Sociopaths, only even moreso to the point where what their impulses demand, short term, are what they want and they don't see past that to the point of inflicting violence on others for the most immediate satisfaction.

2. Really, you just read a wikipedia entry. It's going to miss important qualities about the "illness" you're looking at, and it's not going to actually provide you a decent basis for comparison.

3. Pretty much every child is a fringe sociopath, by adult standards. You'll get older and feel differently about these things later on. Just do what you feel is fair and accomplishes a more universal good and don't worry about the "why" you're doing it - that part's all abstract and it doesn't affect what kind of person you are, because actions speak a **** load louder than ideas.

4. The only difference between you and all the other good people is you're not bull****ting yourself about why you do what you do.

5. As CL already pointed out, if something's not normal, that doesn't make it "bad" because "bad" is subjective. Normal means average. Whether or not you buy into communist or democratic bull****, agreeing with more people does not make you more correct. When you're dealing with something subjective like good, bad; right, wrong; etc, the only thing you're determining is what context you're using.

6. The "symptoms" you just described are all features of a rational, intelligent person. You'll be more comfortable with yourself as long as you allow yourself to be comfortable.

[Bomby]

Wikipedia is the best way to make you think you have a disorder you don't have.

Then sometimes, you do have that disorder.

But that was a special case.

[DarkZero]

Mostly came about because I was talking to my mom about it and she was disturbed that I didn't have an automatic sense of empathy.

So this is basically an extension of that other topic I made where my mom thought something was wrong with me.

[Deepfake]

Admittedly, when I said Sociopathy, I goofed - I meant ASPD. Sociopathy and Psychopathy aren't even accepted diagnosis anymore, and I should have mentioned that.

No offense to anyone's parents, but they're usually a contributor to the cause of people's misconceptions about normality. Empathetic behavior is always a choice and often a habit, and there might be a skew towards a higher level of habitual empathy taught to women according to societal and genetic predispositions.

A lack of consideration to the amount of automation in your behavior only indicates a lack of consideration - such as in your mother's case - it's not an illness to actually consider the root mechanism for your learned behavior.



Of course, this is all keeping in mind that behavioral "disorders" are actually an abstract label invented through the communication of the medical and mental wellness communities. It is entirely reasonable to consider that it is a normal state of human society as a whole to give rise to subversive behaviors, even in extreme cases. That sort of extreme, or fringe behavior that borders on violence is simply another case of human behavior - the people who behave in "irregular" fashions might otherwise be society builders in the case where a societal pretext does not already exist. The target of the study of the standard mental health systems is typically to enable patients to become further compatible with existing societal standards, because success is subjective.

[Kil'jaeden]

You sound normal to me, whatever that means. It's just that your image of "people" is flawed. You'd be fooling yourself if you think other people don't act like you described yourself. And if you don't make an attempt of blending in because you don't care if you are accepted, I am pretty sure you would be labeled "anti-social" or "schizoid" anyway.

If you were a psychopath, you would blend in socially, but not really care about conforming except where it benefits you (by not alerting the others to your nature), according to all the descriptions of psychopathy I have seen. Of course, it begs the question about all the normal people too. People do conform because it benefits them. When you get a person or group above the others by wealth or force, they tend to run on their own standards because they don't benefit by pretending to be "normal", especially among their own kind. They might change their image for the common people, but that's what a psychopath would do anyway. In other words, we may have spent a great deal of our history as a species with our crazies leading the majority of us.

But, the majority of decent, normal people are not really innocent either. Anything the worst psychopath can do, you can get a normal person to do if you give them the right pressures and the go ahead from society. It happens again and again. And even in everyday activity, lies, impressions, and blending in are essential. The most important thing you learn as a child is how to lie to other people with a straight face. You can call it politeness, sociability, but it's still manipulating people for your benefit in the end. You see this at work, in romance, with friends, with parents, and we've all done it. So is that insanity?

Looking at the list, I'd imagine most people would fit some of those. For me it hinges on empathy. It's the only redeeming trait humans have, and without it all the other things on that list will have no restraint.

[Apiary Tazy]

Is sanity not subjective?

To the howling man afraid of the FBI that are after his teeth, are we not all insane in his eyes, ignorant to his truth?

[heh]

an "automatic sense of empathy" is a myth. the only thing human being automatically know how to do is be selfish. everything else is learned through positive or negative reinforcement.

that doesn't mean that empathy is a bad thing or a false thing but anyone calling you psychotic because you realize the bottom line motivation of people is to make themselves feel better is being dumb.

[CaptHayfever]

Two things.

Mostly aroused because I was talking to my mom

Stop right there. Reread your first post. Now change one of these verbs to something that you didn't already establish under a different meaning.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Dux is not you]

"arose"?

[CaptHayfever]

^Much better.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Rainbow Dash]

To the howling man afraid of the FBI that are after his teeth, are we not all insane in his eyes, ignorant to his truth?

majority rules

[CaptHayfever]

Well, if the FBI makes no effort whatsoever to obtain his teeth, then I think we know who's in the right on that one.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"