An obsession for psychopaths

[Nomendei]

I was scrolling through the “why do girls love entps so much? “ thread, and ended on two posts about Izaya Orihara and the obsession many people have to him. You Tube is full of those AMV praising him, despite the fact that he is the main villain, manipulative and malevolent. The same goes for the joker. He is probably the most loved villain ever written. What makes them so charming? The joker made some of the most atrocious acts imaginable. What do you think of it? Are there studies explaining this?

 

[The Cat]

yes, I would imagine there are as many studies on it as there are people with an interest.

ime tv and movies dont really do a good job portraying the condition, and its an actors job to make their role as engaging and accessible as possible for folks. Same for fiction writers and their characters. You're trying to elicit an emotional response that leads to more people want to purchase more of your work, so its in your best interest to have charming characters, even if theyre monsters.

 

[The Cat]

That is not to say that psychopaths are inherently monstrous, I believe most are just folks trying to get by in the world same as anyone else. The need to make this disclaimer: That's an unfortunate byproduct of life imitating art while believing the inverse.

 

[Red Memories]

I think there is a difference between romanticizing and obsessing.

I could say I am obsessed with psychopaths in the sense of psychology. I want to know why they are the way they are and how they function so in a sense these kinds of people are interesting case studies.

I cannot explain however, why people to a degree may "romanticize" a villain. Perhaps it is the nature of being a socio/psychopath. They have a charm which they use to entice people to them. If it works, I'd say the characters represent the conditions well.

 

[Population: 1]

It’s simple. We live in an increasingly judgmental world where every little thing you say is put under a microscope. You have an oppressive atmosphere of people waiting to pounce on your every word and twisting them to fit a personal agenda.

The Joker, for an example, is the embodiment of zero restraint. He doesn’t care what others think- at all. He’s unbridled impulse and instinct. We look at him and wish at times we could just let fly our most base desires, completely unhindered by social expectations. As things become increasingly suffocating the Joker is admired for saying fuck you all, I will not be forced into your mold.

Of course if everyone was like him society would crumble, but the call of the wild has it’s appeal. He is the fantasy of absolute personal freedom, of individuality gone off the rails.

 

[Earl Grey]

As for charming, do you mean their actual charm, or the very concept of psychopaths themselves?

They are socially charming due to lacking empathy and fear, so they can get to what they have to do to achieve or acquire something. If you think about it, there are many things humans can do without having to employ empathy- it may be that way for psychopaths. We smile when someone else smiles, we feel pain when someone else feels pain. We do not treat objects the same way. We're used to seeing living, sentient beings as things worthy of or requiring empathy, it is a given; while psychopaths just do not.


The concept of psychopaths may be charming because a psychopath is the embodiment of everything people want to do, but are just too afraid to.

Psychopaths do not feel fear. They don't feel the pressure of conformity, nor do they particularly require the approval of others as a need.
If we did not feel the impact of consequences, be it pain, fear, or shame, we'd probably do a lot more.
The separation is a very thin line, at the basic level. The only thing limiting a psychopath is their ability to get away with or to bear with the consequences of whatever they do.


Why are either of those that attractive? I do not know. Maybe at some deep level, we just wish for that kind of freedom.

 

[Coriolis]

They are socially charming due to lacking empathy and fear, so they can get to what they have to do to achieve or acquire something. If you think about it, there are many things humans can do without having to employ empathy- it may be that way for psychopaths. We smile when someone else smiles, we feel pain when someone else feels pain. We do not treat objects the same way. We're used to seeing living, sentient beings as things worthy of or requiring empathy, it is a given; while psychopaths just do not.

I have pointed out the highlighted several times in other threads. Empathy is overrated. No one requires my empathy, just my basic courtesy, and if I can give it, my help.

The concept of psychopaths may be charming because a psychopath is the embodiment of everything people want to do, but are just too afraid to.

Psychopaths do not feel fear. They don't feel the pressure of conformity, nor do they particularly require the approval of others as a need.
If we did not feel the impact of consequences, be it pain, fear, or shame, we'd probably do a lot more.
The separation is a very thin line, at the basic level. The only thing limiting a psychopath is their ability to get away with or to bear with the consequences of whatever they do.

Why are either of those that attractive? I do not know. Maybe at some deep level, we just wish for that kind of freedom.

Most people do indeed allow their fears too often to hold them back. There is nothing to be gained by conformity for its own sake, and the approval of others is necessary mainly to the degree that it leads to their cooperation. Even the majority who do feel fear can learn to act in spite of it. That is true courage.

 

[Peter Deadpan]

The real question is why do sociopaths like me so much?

I do know the answers, and to an extent, I don't mind them, but that's because I don't reciprocate. When they serve the ball to me, it just slowly bounces to a stop in front of my feet. Most of them are okay with that.

I'm too lazy to actually answer this question right now. Maybe I'll return.

 

[Maou]

I think people are just attracted to dominant people, and psychopaths being that dominance with more drive, charisma, and being true to themselves. It really is the embodiment of human nature unrestrained.

 

[rav3n]

Heath Ledger did an outstanding job with the Joker, never mind that there was excellent scripting, cast and directing.

People research what they fear. The odd person has Hybristophilia.

 

[Yuurei]

Ugh. God I hate those type of fangirls. Mostly because they can’t just like those characters; that would be fine, they areentertaining.
But they have to run around squealing in all their vapid idiocy declaring “ OMG I am SO like him11!!1”
Nah bitch, not even a little.

They want to be “unique “ but are not mature enough to understand the difference between “ so random” and a severe fucking psychosis.

I have a few personal tangents about this myself.
Take the guy in my avatar. I like him partly because I find him relatable for a few serface reasons (WHY is it so much easier for people to believe that I’m making up the past decade of my life JUST to imitate a fictional character than it is to believe that just maybe I am happy to see my own college major/interest represented to a group of people who have never heard of and can’t even pronounce it? Projection, I imagine. They all cling to interesting characters to make up for own their own lack of personaly, so I must be too...)

Then you get these dumbass fangirls:
“ OMG!! I am totes just LIKE him!!?!!

“ HOW ?”
Lol. Ima serial killer too!11!And I’m PSCHYO!!!1 We’d be freinds”

“ You’d be freinds with a killer who’s MO is to murder girls he likes?”
“ Well not me! I’m crazy too!”

“You’re saying that you are dangerously unstable and belong in a mental facility far removed from civilized society?”

“ Yeah! I like to play with knives!! LOL!! and OMG I’m SUPER weird too!”
“ Oh yeah, Like incest weird?”
“Eew No! But I did read 50 shades of Grey once!! I was only 14 but it didn't effect me at all because I’m VERY mature for my age. lawl buttsex fuzzy handcuffs!”
* shoves into on coming traffic*

See, I like this character, in theory. I missed his presence after he died. But in reality, I’d love to be the one to throw the switch fry his ass and so would they. No insanity plea, no rehabilitation, to hell with’ him.
There seems to be some disconnect to reality with these people. They cannot seperate “ entertainment” in a game from absolutely unacceptable behavior in the real world. If they met anyone in the real world like these psychopaths they would see them for the morally reprehensible people they are- as they should. Yet, put it in a cartoon and they will imitate it with zero understanding why everyone finds them abhorrent ir just annoying as all hell.

I know that just sounds like an excuse to make fun of supid fangirls...


Really, I don’t think it’s much different than the “ Why do girls only like bad guys?” argument. Just more....weeby. And yes, that makes it worse.

 

[Coriolis]

I know that just sound like an excuse to make fun of supid fangirls...

You don't need an excuse. They deserve it. They need to get a life. Ugh.

 

[Lark]

That is not to say that psychopaths are inherently monstrous, I believe most are just folks trying to get by in the world same as anyone else. The need to make this disclaimer: That's an unfortunate byproduct of life imitating art while believing the inverse.

That's a BIG thing, which I think could accurately sum up any pop cultural obsessions.

I remember a long time ago when this topic came up before saying that I didnt get it, it would be a little like people deciding they wished they had autism or OCD as psychopathy was a pathology, or why did psychopathy appear more attractive than being an empath for instance, I still dont get it really.

The better renditions of criminally psychopathy in fiction actually depict that there is no way anyone else can be anything other than contingent for a psychopath, perhaps Kalifornia or Wolf's Creek (is that the right title of that? I cant be sure right now) are the best depictions of that, its way different to Moriarty or other "criminal genius" or "super villain" ideas.

Sometimes I think its to do with a lot of pretty adolescent ideas about invulnerability to emotional disturbance or hurt felt as a consequence of rejections or other stuff which leads to the romanticism of psyhopathy. Its a bad mistake.

 

[I Tonya]

Because they're hawt asf, and maybe the same reason Harley Quinn fell for the Joker... so as Misa for Light no matter how messed up he was. Maybe its the obvious that they're crazy as well and the dude is accepting of it?

 

[The Cat]

It is hard to go out in public sometimes, what with everyone wanting to either fuck or fight you.

This guy gets it.

 

[misfortuneteller]

I'm not attracted to psychopaths but I often gravitate towards people that are morally ambiguous. It could be because birds of a feather flock together.

 

[Smilephantomhive]

Is this in real life or in movies/tv shows? I think there's a difference.

For media bad people are interesting and can challenge your mind. '

In real life those who like psychopaths were maybe abused as kids and see those behaviors as normal. Maybe there are other explanations as well. Some want to try and fix the psychopath. Some are just intrigued, want adventure.