The Psychopath’s Trade Mark

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`“Good people are rarely suspicious; they cannot imagine others doing the things they themselves are incapable of doing...Then, too, the normal are inclined to view the multiple killer as the as the one who’s as monstrous in appearance as he is in mind, which is about as far from the truth as one could well get...these monsters of real life usually looked and behaved in a more normal manner than their actually normal brothers and sisters: they presented a more convincing picture of virtue than virtue presented of itself—just as the wax rosebud or the plastic peach seemed more perfect to the eye, more what the mind thought a rosebud or a peach should be than the imperfect original from which it had been modeled.” ― William March, The Bad Seed Psychopaths. Vicious social predators who charm, deceive, and manipulate. They hammer their way through life leaving a long trail of broken promises, empty wallets, shattered expectations, and flustered victims. Utterly deficient in conscience and empathy they greedily seize what they want and do as they wish, violating laws and social norms without the slightest trace of remorse. The psychopath’s trade mark is a stunning lack of conscience; his thrill is self- gratification at the expense of others. Many are locked in prison, but many more roam free (“Focus…”). Together, these traits form an image of an arrogant, callous, and remorseless person short of empathy and the ability to form heartfelt relationships with others, a person who operates without the restraints imposed by a moral compass (Hare 15). If pondered on, one will realize that what is lacking is the very elements that devise our human essence. It is no revelation that humanity is fascinated by the subject of evil. So much th... ... middle of paper ... ...ies. According to Fallon, psychopaths have a version of the MAO-A gene, also known and the “Warrior Gene,” with a short promoter, resulting in aggressive behavior (Fallon 58). Also compared to a healthy brain, Fallon discovered that, there is a decreased of activity in the orbital cortex in psychopathic brains. This part of the brain is credited for preventing impulsivity and enabling emotional memory, social behavior, ethics, and morality making psychopaths unflappable and prone to unethical behavior (Fallon 47). Additionally, psychopaths have a normal dorsal system, allowing for the cold planning and execution of predatory behaviors to become finely tuned without the bother of conscience. Also, because psychopaths’ dorsal systems are normal, they are able to learn to appear caring making them experts in manipulation, enhancing their dangerous nature (Fallon 49).

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