TypoC Psychopaths

[Salomé]

Arclight was a psychopath?

 

[Jonny]

This thread manage to accumulate some tepid air, I see.
I don't think you understand psychopathy.

I don't; not really. I haven't spent much time studying the disorder myself, but looking at the wikipedia article I see that:

Psychopathy (/saɪˈkɒpəθi/[1][2] is a personality disorder that has been variously described as characterized by shallow emotions (in particular reduced fear), stress tolerance, lacking empathy, coldheartedness, egocentricity, superficial charm, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, impulsivity, criminality, antisocial behaviors such as lacking guilt and living a parasitic lifestyle.

There is no consensus about the symptom criteria and there are ongoing debates regarding issues such as essential features, causes, and the possibility of treatment.

In what ways does my thought regarding "internet psychopathy" miss the mark?

Are you serious? I can never tell. But I've seen you be remarkably rude - it's why I still have you on ignore, it's why you were banned - so I'm not sure you deserve those back pats you're giving yourself.

Yes, I was being serious. I haven't ever been banned from TypoC, and I was banned from INTPc not for being rude, but for being annoying and creating a dupe account (to make a long story short). As I've mentioned previously, during the time of the INTPc debacle I had just lost someone very close to me in a car accident, and my life was quite tumultuous. In many ways I used INTPc as an outlet for my inner turmoil, and for that I'm sorry. I do concede, however, that my posts can be quite offensive in a general sense, mainly because I'm outspoken about my beliefs, and tend to phrase things in very harsh ways. But, I do not direct this harshness toward anybody, and try to be courteous in my conversations with others.

On a side note, this has to be one of the worst ignore features in existence, since I think we've communicated several times in the last few weeks. What, exactly, does the ignore feature do? Grey out my text so it's easier to miss? haha

 

[Salomé]

I don't; not really. I haven't spent much time studying the disorder myself, but looking at the wikipedia article I see that:

In what ways does my thought regarding "internet psychopathy" miss the mark?

AKA, "cyberpath".

You described a troll, not a psychopath. People vary in their capacity for empathy, but most trolls are just trying to get a rise out of someone, rather than seeking to exploit or harm them. Psychopathy is a darker art and a personality disorder - I.e. not something you can switch on and off at will.
In fact, psychopaths are "superficially charming" in order to get what they want, so not necessarily troll-like at all.

I do concede, however, that my posts can be quite offensive in a general sense, mainly because I'm outspoken about my beliefs, and tend to phrase things in very harsh ways. But, I do not direct this harshness toward anybody, and try to be courteous in my conversations with others.

You've directed it at me once or twice. Enough (in the absence of more edifying discourse) for me to grow tired of it. I draw the attention of a lot of fuckwits and wannabe bullies (not suggesting you're either) and my patience for such behaviour has largely been exhausted.

On a side note, this has to be one of the worst ignore features in existence, since I think we've communicated several times in the last few weeks. What, exactly, does the ignore feature do? Grey out my text so it's easier to miss? haha

I have to click on your posts to see them and I do that sometimes, especially given that a) this is my thread and there haven't been many responses b) I am a fan of benefit of the doubt and believe people can and do change c) I'm hopelessly curious.

 

[violet_crown]

Based on the list linked in the OP, I'm having a hard time distinguishing a psychopath/sociopath from a garden variety douchebag.

 

[Jonny]

AKA, "cyberpath".
You described a troll, not a psychopath. People vary in their capacity for empathy, but most trolls are just trying to get a rise out of someone, rather than seeking to exploit or harm them. Psychopathy is a darker art and a personality disorder - I.e. not something you can switch on and off at will.
In fact, psychopaths are "superficially charming" in order to get what they want, so not necessarily troll-like at all.

I wasn't suggesting that these people turn it on or off, only that they don't have regard for others when those "others" are people over the net. If a person's objective is to get a rise out of someone without having regard for that person (essentially using them as a source of entertainment), that strikes me as psychopathic behavior. I'm not classifying them as psychopaths, only noticing the extent to which the internet facilitates psychotic behavior (people have an easier time being superficially charming over the net, and lying, and using people, etc). I make a distinction between individuals who exhibit these behaviors over the net only vs. those who don't exhibit them in any venue vs. clinical psychopaths.

You've directed it at me once or twice. Enough (in the absence of more edifying discourse) for me to grow tired of it. I draw the attention of a lot of fuckwits and wannabe bullies (not suggesting you're either) and my patience for such behaviour has largely been exhausted.

That was likely not my intention. I apologize.

I have to click on your posts to see them and I do that sometimes, especially given that a) this is my thread and there haven't been many responses b) I am a fan of benefit of the doubt and believe people can and do change c) I'm hopelessly curious.

Ahh, that makes sense. Good to know you have to work a bit to read the gifts that are my written words.

 

[Glycerine]

If that was me I really mean to stop telling people that story, it was years ago

Nah, you just outed yourself, buddy. It was someone else.

 

[Glycerine]

Based on the list linked in the OP, I'm having a hard time distinguishing a psychopath/sociopath from a garden variety douchebag.

There is typically a lack of empathy for others/lack of remorse, lack of boundaries, superficial charm, overvaluation of self worth, stimulation seeking, impulsivity, pathological lying and antisocial behaviors (not all get in trouble with the law). They are usually highly manipulative to get what they want. A good chunk of them are successful in the higher ranks of power positions (business, military, law enforcement.) and blue-collared jobs. Only the extreme end, become serial killers and such.

I am betting there are some on here because 1% of the general population are psychopaths (http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/p...ic-concept-for-the-21st-century#disablemobile).

I like how this is in the "Welcomes and Introductions" section.

 

[Totenkindly]

What, exactly, does the ignore feature do? Grey out my text so it's easier to miss? haha

Just makes the fires of infatuation burn more brightly, I suppose. HA!

... I still read some of the people on my Ignore list, I just like having the option of choosing to read or not depending on whether I want to deal with it that day. And you never know. I've had some exchanges with Ignored folks that were actually decent from time to time. I'm just generally wary.

Nah, you just outed yourself, buddy. It was someone else.

Another successful tag and bag!

 

[Jaguar]

Arclight was a psychopath?

Since his ex is still a member, and she's a sweetheart, I think I'll just say he had serious issues and leave it at that.

 

[Salomé]

I like how this is in the "Welcomes and Introductions" section.

Lol. I want to believe I was being ironic, but I was probably just being dumb.

If a person's objective is to get a rise out of someone without having regard for that person (essentially using them as a source of entertainment), that strikes me as psychotic behavior.

Nope. Psychotic indicates a break with reality.

Psychosis and psychopathy are unrelated.

Comedians do it all the time. Are you suggesting all comedians are psychos?

 

[RaptorWizard]

Lol. I want to believe I was being ironic, but I was probably just being dumb.

This over-confidence displayed in your own point of view seems more like INTJ-arrogance than INTP-reason.

It seems I was wrong about you being an arrogant and over-confident INTJ!

 

[Patches]

I think diagnosing someone with a disorder over the internet is borderline impossible.

And maybe this is a product of me reading biographies about too many serial rapist and serial killers but... Some of the most 'notorious' psychopaths in history were so very successful at getting away with their crimes long-term because of how normal they appeared on the surface - their acquaintances and neighbors usually never had a clue. Given their manipulative nature... Especially with a medium like the internet to hide behind? I'm convinced you'd never know.

I think a lot of the people who 'act like' sociopaths on the internet are just in it for attention.

 

[garbage]

Have I been a victim of a psychopath only via an online medium? No.
Have I been a victim of a psychopath who used an online medium as one of a few ways to try to get to me? Yes.

I like how this is in the "Welcomes and Introductions" section.

It's clearly to caution new members

 

[miss fortune]

I had assumed at first that someone new was joining the forum after having lurked while observing our interactions for a while...

 

[Lark]

I think diagnosing someone with a disorder over the internet is borderline impossible.

And maybe this is a product of me reading biographies about too many serial rapist and serial killers but... Some of the most 'notorious' psychopaths in history were so very successful at getting away with their crimes long-term because of how normal they appeared on the surface - their acquaintances and neighbors usually never had a clue. Given their manipulative nature... Especially with a medium like the internet to hide behind? I'm convinced you'd never know.

I think a lot of the people who 'act like' sociopaths on the internet are just in it for attention.

I've known two guys who I'm highly suspiscious of Patches but I've never been able to get proof or evidence beyond the suspiscions.

Evil fuckers, one of them tried something on me while I was drunk once and I'm a big guy, I wasnt as drunk as they thought I was thankfully and its one of the reasons I dont drink alcohol like that any longer, it happened some years ago now but I've not forgotten it. This guy is a strange character whose messed with drugs and alcohol and joked about how if he was going to molest and kill someone how he'd go about it. He was one of two guys who talked with some authority about the length of time to restrict someones breathing by holding their nose and mouth shut in order for it to result in brain damage and how much longer for it to result in death.

The other guy is a complete and utter menace, engages in lots of head games with people, lots of power struggles which are quite calculated and long term in their unfolding, while all along lots of other malicious or criminal actions, stealing copper piping from a workplace for instance, pretty sure of that one, poisoning someone or causing others to get sick, pretty sure of that one too, petty theft of a sat nav, swapping worn tires or batteries from his car into other peoples vehicles, things like that and on each of these occasions I think that they've been pretty devious, setting others up or attempting to do so, this guy has done things which not just myself but others have witnessed and I believe its almost enticing others to try and catch him. Like I did it, you know I did it, try and prove it now sort of thing. I'm as careful as I can be of the guy and dont believe that's any real protection what so ever either.

The later case, the one which I think is the worse guy, I've seen exploit any perceived weakness in others and despise any sort of emotional vulnerability, this can play out in telling people who've got cancer or something that they are not going to get better, that they'll only get worse, there's no God, there's no hope, stuff like that but, interestingly, those who're most like him but not as clever are special targets for him and I've seen him report one or two guys usually with applause from others, which results in temporary changes in his "ratings" with them.

One of them of them is a younger guy and the other is an older guy, in some ways I would consider each of them, largely by their associations, as legacies of the Irish troubles, I'm not sure if they've paramilitary backgrounds or if they were the sorts of criminal element which used to operate or thrive in the kind of atmosphere the battles between the paramilitaries and authorities created.

Those kind of guys are scary and I've got to say that while one of them I'm pretty sure is a hacker neither of them would be interested in the internet, definitely not anything so mundane as targetting people on a forum or winding people up or trolling, unless it was a minor spring board to off line stalking or something like it. Something I found interesting about each of them is that they're incredibly techno saavy but the motivation in being techno saavy is about power in each case, not knowledge or curiousity or competence or anything like that but power, ie others are not techno saavy and being techno saavy provides opportunities to take advantage of others.

Knowing those guys and then reading books on sociopathy or other theories, whether its pop publishing or text books, I'm always left thinking "that's them", "that's them aswell" when I'm reading them but I'm also aware that its possible to engage in confirmation bias that way too.

 

[ptgatsby]

Psychopathy is a darker art and a personality disorder - I.e. not something you can switch on and off at will.
In fact, psychopaths are "superficially charming" in order to get what they want, so not necessarily troll-like at all.

Just for thread in general... there is no definition of 'psychopath'. It's a catch all ranging from emotionless to very emotional, from anti-social behavior (the better clinical term) to smooth talking manipulator.

Based on the list linked in the OP, I'm having a hard time distinguishing a psychopath/sociopath from a garden variety douchebag.

The terms are generally interchangeable in today's world. The historical separation/definition, if there ever was one, could be paraphrased as "psychopath = emotionless" and "sociopath = attributes wrong emotions to events". So, pop-psychology versions could range from "cold killer (behavior drives him to kill)" to "violent killer (enjoys killing)". Can replace killing with manipulating/etc. There is no agreement on definition and never will be.

There is no cut-off point for these behaviors, even under the proper anti-social behavior definition. Trolls, online, just have one less social mask; everyone tends to edge closer to anti-social behavior online. It's all relative.

It's also important to note that there is a difference between acting in an anti-social way and existing with it. A lot of trolls are acting out for attention; children act out negatively because attention is valuable regardless of the source. They can rationalize the behavior, or exist in a state of denial about it's impact (to avoid any kind of moral triggers), but they are not the really far edge cases. You could point out the behavior to most trolls and have an impact; the need for it (whatever it may be) is just stronger. The far edge cases cannot even comprehend why it would have an impact. It's not just biological either. These traits come out deeply for abused children. A lot of the information about these conditions comes from children growing up in war zones. Those extreme conditions set in a worldview that is almost unshakable and can be shockingly devoid of emotion and pathologically violent.

--

(I'd use various examples, but it'd probably ruin the thread. Racism is a good analogy though; there are those that are racist just because they are insecure, angry, scapegoating, etc. They have to manage their superiority/inferiority, hatred, etc. However, there are also those that believe it in a deeper way, one that is taken as truth in their worldview. It's not really emotional, it just *is*. Neither is the public immune to it - social conditioning leaves us all slightly racist, no matter how conscious we are of it.)

I guess the question I would ask you/everyone; pretty much all of us have watched people die on screen. Hundreds of people. We enjoy it, if we are truthful to ourselves. Where do we fit in the definition?

 

[Jonny]

Nope. Psychotic indicates a break with reality.

Psychosis and psychopathy are unrelated.

Comedians do it all the time. Are you suggesting all comedians are psychos?

Yeah, sorry, I meant psychopathic not psychotic; I'm aware of the difference.

As for comedians, I'm not suggesting that they are psychopaths. Displacement plays a role in whether a particular behavior is more or less psychopathic. For example, causing someone’s death by the push of a button or wave of the hand is very different than causing someone’s death by strangling them. In the case of comedians, Bill Maher making a joke at the expense of Sarah Palin is very different than a stand-up comedian heckling an audience member to the point of tears. I think a central component of displacement is a lack of feedback. A person may say or do something very hurtful, but would readily change that behavior if made aware of its negative effects. When there is little feedback from the person being hurt, it is much easier to persist with an action that is hurtful/harmful.

Tying this into my point about internet psychopaths*, more generally, I think that those individuals who resist psychopathic behaviors even as they become further and further displaced from others represent a different sort of people than those who readily pick up such habits. Internet psychopaths might simply be a subset of the population who are more susceptible to these behaviors, perhaps due to the fact that they do not readily sympathize or empathize with people who aren’t right in front of them.


*I distinguish internet psychopaths from cyberpaths simply because the term cyberpath, according to google results, refers to “an individual with a pathological disorder who has access to the internet and uses the internet as a medium for acting out his or her pathology. Another definition is that a cyberpath has come to mean a psychopath who uses the internet to find, stalk, and exploit others either online or in real life.” By internet psychopath I mean a person who tends to exhibit psychopathic behavior on the net, but who doesn’t otherwise fit the bill.

 

[Mole]

We wouldn't know a psychopath if we meet one in RL let alone online. They are social chameleons. the nicest person we meet in RL could be the most dangerous psychopath. But eventually he/she would get caught. But online??? Oh almost never.

So Riva the Lionheart could be a psychopath and we would never know, or Victor the .... the .... oh something, could also be a psychopath and you would never know. I mean Riva's charm precedes him and Victor follows in his footsteps - and all the time the footsteps of a psychopath pad behind you.

 

[WALMART]

[MENTION=15886]jontherobot[/MENTION]

 

[ReadingRainbows]

I'm sure we have one lurking somewhere.