Psychopathy: Advice, discussion, and Q&A

Hey there.

First off, I want to add a little disclaimer here to let everyone know that this post... Nah. Look, this isn't some desperate bid for attention or any other nonsense like that. Everything I’m laying out here is the absolute truth. Any slight variations you might find are purely down to my personal perspective, and honestly, those differences should be negligible at most.

Also, I really hope this thread isn't breaking any rules or anything, because I'd hate to see it get nuked by the mods.
I really want to lay out every single detail and give you guys the full picture, but at the same time, I don't want to bore everyone to death with a massive wall of text. It’s a fine line, right? So, I’m going to try and find that sweet spot—a middle ground where the story actually flows and stays easy to read. Also, just a heads-up: I'm keeping my personal business to a bare minimum. Privacy matters, and I'm not looking to broadcast my entire life here.

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Alright, let's get this rolling. I’m a guy in my early twenties, and honestly? I have every reason to believe I possess psychopathic traits. In fact, at the end of the day, I’m convinced I’m a psychopath.

So, I just spent some time spiraling down a rabbit hole and knocked out three different online psychopathy tests. Results? Well, they’re all over the place, but consistently unsettling. On the first one, the algorithm basically flagged me as a potential psychopath and told me I should probably go see a professional. Then, on the second one, I scored a 76%. But the third one was the kicker—I pulled a 4.6 out of 5, which apparently puts me way above 95.74% of everyone else who has ever taken the damn thing. Just an interesting little afternoon activity, I guess.

Don't go thinking I’m just basing my assumptions on some random online quiz—that would be absolute madness. Instead, what I'm actually going to do is scour the web to find as many specific psychopathic traits as possible. Then, I’ll map out exactly where I land on that spectrum. See, nothing in life is strictly black or white; every single trait exists on a sliding scale where one person might lean heavily into a characteristic while another barely registers it. Once I’ve laid all that out, you'll actually get a real sense of who I am.

I pull all my data from sites written in the English language, so I’m going to be taking some liberties with how I translate certain traits and characteristics. It won't be a word-for-word thing—I'll be doing a bit of creative interpreting to make sure it actually makes sense.

Fake charm is such a deceptive little trap. You meet someone who seems absolutely magnetic—they’ve got that effortless charisma, that polished way of speaking that makes you feel like you're the only person in the room—but it’s all just a performance. It’s a veneer. They aren't actually connecting with you; they're just running a highly optimized script designed to manipulate your perception. I see this happen all the time in corporate circles in places like Chicago or New York. People walk into a boardroom with this manufactured warmth, acting like your best friend within five minutes, only to turn cold as ice the second they get what they want. It’s exhausting to deal with because you spend half your time questioning whether the interaction was even real. Was that person actually being kind, or were they just practicing their "likability" routine? It’s fundamentally dishonest. True character isn't about how smooth you can make a conversation go; it's about consistency when nobody is watching. If someone's charm disappears the moment the social incentive is gone, then that charm was never a personality trait—it was just a tool. Honestly, I have zero patience for it. Give me someone blunt and authentic over a silver-tongued phony any day of the week. At least with the blunt person, you know exactly where you stand. - 85%
I’d say this describes me pretty accurately. A few years back, my social skills were basically non-existent—I was a total recluse. But over time, I’ve actually learned how to fake charm, charisma, and being outgoing so well that it’s become second nature. Now, I don't even have to try anymore; it feels like those traits are just baked into my personality. Then again, that’s not really anything out of the ordinary. Most people eventually grow out of their shell and learn how to actually talk to others as they get older.

Let’s talk about this whole "inflated ego" thing—what people love to call narcissism these days. Honestly, it’s everywhere. You can't walk down a street in New York or sit in a Starbucks without bumping into someone who acts like they’re the protagonist of a movie that nobody else is watching. It’s exhausting. There is a massive difference between having a healthy sense of self-worth and being a full-blown narcissist. A healthy person knows their value; they have confidence, sure, but they don't need to step on everyone else to feel tall. But these narcissists? They crave that constant stream of validation like it’s oxygen. If you aren't constantly feeding their delusions, they turn on you faster than a shark in deep water. It’s more than just being "full of yourself." It’s a fundamental lack of empathy. They view other people as props or tools rather than actual human beings with their own lives and feelings. It’s a hollow way to live, really. You spend all your energy building this massive, fragile monument to yourself, and the second someone points out a crack in the foundation, the whole thing collapses into a tantrum. I see it in corporate offices and social circles all the time. People who think their opinion is the only one that carries weight, regardless of the facts. It’s not just annoying; it’s destructive. It poisons the well for everyone else involved. We need to stop coddling this behavior and start calling it what it is: a desperate, transparent grab for importance that most people see right through anyway. - 99%
Most of my entire personality is built around this one specific trait, and honestly, almost everything else about me is just a byproduct of it. I have an incredibly high opinion of myself, and at the end of the day, I am the most important person in my own life. Period. Now, don't get me wrong—I’d step up and risk everything, or even sacrifice my life, for my family. Blood is thicker than water, after all. But when it comes down to my own desires and needs? They always come first. Always.

The constant craving for stimulation and that nagging tendency to drift into boredom—it’s a real struggle. Honestly, I feel like we're all just constantly hunting for the next hit of dopamine, aren't we? It’s like our brains are wired to demand something new, something loud, something *exciting*, every five minutes. If things get even slightly quiet, the restlessness starts creeping in. I was reading this thread where stormybadger4 was talking about how hard it is to stay focused when everything feels too predictable, and I totally get it. It’s that itch under your skin. You try to sit down and actually do something productive, but within ten minutes, you’re scrolling through your phone or looking for a distraction because the silence feels heavy. It’s not even that you don't have things to do; it's that nothing feels "enough" anymore. And then you have people like darkcanyon10 who seem to suggest that we should just "embrace the stillness," which sounds great on paper, but let's be real: for most of us, being alone with our own thoughts without a screen or a podcast is borderline torture. We've conditioned ourselves to expect constant input. We've become addicted to the noise. placidorca16 mentioned something similar the other day regarding how modern life is basically designed to prevent us from ever feeling bored, which sounds like a win, right? Wrong. It's a trap. Because if we never experience boredom, we never develop that mental muscle required to sit with ourselves, to think deeply, or to actually create anything meaningful. We're just reacting to stimuli like lab rats hitting a lever. It’s a cycle. We seek stimulation to escape boredom, but the more we seek it, the lower our threshold for "fun" becomes, making boredom feel even more intense when it inevitably hits. It’s frustrating, it’s exhausting, and frankly, I think we’re all a little bit broken by it. - 90%
Look, this isn't about me sitting around staring at the wall, sighing my life away because I'm bored. That’s not it at all. It’s more that certain tasks—just certain types of mental heavy lifting—drain my battery almost instantly. I hit a wall, my brain shuts down, and suddenly I'm unable to finish what I started. Call it a lack of discipline if you want; I don't care. But honestly, the sheer boredom of dragging through those things is soul-crushing. That’s exactly why I always keep a rotation of different activities on deck. I need options ready to go at a moment's notice just to keep my head above water.

Pathological lying. It’s one of those things that just gets under my skin because it’s so fundamentally broken. We aren't talking about a little white lie to save someone's feelings or a tiny exaggeration to make a story sound more exciting at a bar. No, this is different. This is a deep-seated, compulsive need to distort reality, regardless of whether it helps them or hurts them. It’s honestly exhausting to be around. You start noticing the patterns—the way they build these elaborate, cinematic narratives out of thin air, only to have the whole thing crumble when you look at a single fact. And then, instead of owning up to it, they just pivot. They weave another layer of deception right on top of the first one. It’s like watching someone try to build a skyscraper out of wet tissue paper; eventually, gravity wins, and the whole mess collapses. What really burns me up is the sheer audacity of it. There’s a complete lack of respect for the truth and, by extension, a total lack of respect for anyone listening. They expect you to just nod along and accept their version of the world, even when it’s clearly absurd. It’s manipulative, it’s draining, and quite frankly, it’s pathetic. Once you realize someone is a pathological liar, the trust is gone. Period. You can't negotiate with someone who doesn't believe in the concept of objective reality. It's a lost cause. - 30%
Look, I’m not some pathological liar. Let’s get that straight right now. I don't just spin yarns for the hell of it or because I think it's funny to mess with people—that’s just childish. If I lie, it’s tactical. It’s purely situational. I only do it when it's absolutely necessary and when there is a clear, tangible benefit to me. That is the extent of it.

Manipulation. It’s everywhere, isn't it? Honestly, it’s becoming impossible to navigate daily life without running into someone trying to pull the strings behind the scenes. You see it in politics, you see it in corporate boardrooms, and—god forbid—you see it in your own social circles. People don't just communicate anymore; they strategize. They weave these elaborate little webs of influence, twisting facts and playing on emotions just to get their way. It’s exhausting. I’m convinced we’re living in an era where "being persuasive" has become nothing more than a polite euphemism for being a sociopath. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, and half the people out there think the only way to get it is to cheat the system or guilt-trip their way into a win. It’s blatant, it’s shameless, and frankly, it’s insulting to anyone with a shred of integrity left. You can't just go about your day without feeling like someone is trying to sell you a version of reality that doesn't actually exist. It's constant. Constant! - 95%
I’ll be straight with you: I manipulate people, but only when there’s something in it for me. Honestly, I’ve gotten pretty damn good at it because I spend my time observing everyone—watching how they react and studying how other people pull their strings. For those of you who aren't quite sure what manipulation actually entails, let me clear that up: it’s simply using someone else's emotions against them to influence their behavior. You trigger a specific feeling to steer a person toward a different outcome than they would have reached on their own. My definition might not be textbook perfect, but it works. We’re talking about the whole spectrum here—empathy, sadness, joy, anger, you name it. Think back to when you were a kid and you’d tell your mom how much you loved her right before dropping some bad news or begging for a favor; yeah, that was manipulation. I have to say, I’m incredibly successful at it. Most people end up doing exactly what I want them to do. In fact, in about eight out of ten cases, I can talk just about anyone into doing whatever I have in mind.

The lack of guilt. -85%
Also, I’ve finally mastered the art of completely detaching myself from shame, guilt, or any of that conscience-driven nonsense. It just doesn't touch me anymore because I simply refuse to give those feelings any power. I won't let them win. But hey, I'll get into the weeds on that later.

Lack of empathy - 90%
For the most part, I don’t feel much for other people or the bad things that happen to them, mostly because they usually have themselves to blame. It’s pretty simple. I also don't expect anyone to pull my weight or do the same for me. Instead, I just view those people as idiots for letting things get to that point (assuming there was a way to stop it). The only extreme exception where I actually feel empathy is in the case of death. Seeing someone genuinely suffering from the loss of a loved one isn't easy to watch, and I’ll always feel for those people. On the flip side, if someone dies due to their own stupidity, I don't feel a shred of pity. You guys can grab your stones and start throwing them at me all you want, but I cannot bring myself to mourn someone who chose to do something incredibly moronic that ended in their death. "Rest in peace"? I don't buy it. If some guy gets drunk, gets behind the wheel of his Ford, and dies, why should I care? Not only do I not care, I'm actually pissed off at him because he could have taken an innocent life down with him.

Poor impulse control - 5%
Not even close. I never let my emotions hijack my common sense. Or, to be more accurate, my "sense"—I'm not entirely sure how "common" or "healthy" it is. Quite the opposite, actually; I believe I control my behavior extremely well. This means I can act one way in a certain moment, and then act completely differently when that person isn't around. My emotions are barely expressed, which makes them very easy to manage. I can be laughing and joking a minute after something terrible happens. Since I lack empathy for others, I lack it for myself too; if I screw something up, I won't sit around wallowing in self-pity—I'll just think I'm a complete idiot for letting it happen.

Promiscuity and inability to bond - 75%
I'm not saying this to brag, but it's true: I can't commit to anyone long-term. It's probably because I can't trust anyone 100%, and I refuse to ever fully let my guard down. There are people out there who, like me, only look out for themselves and their own needs, so I see no reason to take the risk or let emotions take over just to end up getting screwed over. I have zero desire to get married one day, and I don't see my feelings on that changing.

Early childhood issues - 1%
I didn't have any issues whatsoever growing up. I was an incredibly intelligent, quiet, and well-behaved kid—everyone told me so. It was only a few years ago that my behavior and personality started shifting. If you want to take being withdrawn as an early sign of psychopathy, go ahead, but there were no problems.

Lack of realistic, long-term goals - 83%
In my early twenties, I never figured out what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do with my life. Honestly, I envy the people who knew from a young age that they wanted to be, say, a firefighter, went to the academy, and now spend every day enjoying their career. If you're one of those people, consider yourself lucky. I never found my calling. I'm interested in psychology (which is how I stumbled upon this subforum), but I never pursued it as a dream for personal reasons. Who knows, maybe I would have grown cold toward psychology very quickly if I had actually given it a shot.

Impulsivity - 80%
I originally wrote 50%, but once I read the definition of impulsivity on the site I'm using, I changed my mind. The definition says: "The existence of behaviors performed without foresight, lacking planning or consideration of consequences. An inability to resist temptation, frustration, and urge." After reading that, I realized it describes me perfectly. I never have plans and I'm always improvising situations in the hopes that they turn out okay.

Irresponsibility - 80%
It's true, I'm irresponsible. I don't keep my word, and I'm always late. I neglect my obligations (in fact, I have obligations right now, yet here I am writing this post). The thing is, I only want to do things I actually want to do. When it comes to stuff I don't want to do—but have to, for whatever reason—I either do a terrible job or I don't do it at all. Otherwise, the situation is totally different. I'm a perfectionist, and everything has to be flawless to meet my standards and make me satisfied. I'll probably end up reading this post three times just to make sure there aren't any typos and that the formatting looks good. Also, it really annoyed me that this forum doesn't have a dedicated horizontal rule option to make a line like the one I made above. I used an underscore (_), but it bothered me that the spacing between the line and the paragraphs wasn't even. So much for my attention to detail.

Delinquency, run-ins with the law... - 1%
I’ve never once had any issues with the police or anyone else holding authority over me.

(more to come...)

Shallow emotions - 95%
Like I already mentioned up there, my emotional range is pretty much nonexistent, and I have almost total control over them (at least when it comes to the negative stuff). Nothing can offend me or make me angry because I simply don't put myself in those situations. I barely feel sadness or grief; it’s more like viewing bad events as a mere nuisance. If I could teach you one thing, it would be how to master your emotions. You can disregard everything I've said, but just understand this: letting your emotions take the driver's seat is a massive mistake. You all know how differently you act when you're pissed off—and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Having absolute control over your feelings means having ultimate power in life. Once you start controlling your emotions instead of letting them run your life, you'll see all kinds of positive changes. "But how do I control my emotions?" There are probably several ways, but the best and simplest method (even if it feels counterproductive at first) is ignoring them. "But if I ignore my emotions, won't I just bottle them up until I explode at someone?" Wrong. You are vastly underestimating the strength of the human brain and the power of willpower. If you're depressed and spend every single day telling yourself how depressed you are, you're going to get better and better at being depressed; your brain will believe it, and you'll just sink deeper. On the flip side, if you start telling yourself that you're doing great and everything is awesome, you actually will be. Nonsense? Scientifically proven. In a way, it's like a placebo; you have to believe in it to get the maximum effect.

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So, that's the deal regarding my personality. It's up to you to make your own final judgment on me.

I should also mention that I am not an unstable person. I am highly functional in society, and everyone thinks I'm a great, wonderful guy—even though I've manipulated many of them to my advantage quite a few times. Leave your thoughts and comments below. Ask whatever you want; I'll answer honestly. Questions like "How did I notice I'm a psychopath?", "How can you recognize a psychopath?", "What kind of threat do they pose?", or "How do you protect yourself from one (if you even need to)?" are all fair game.

I don't have canned responses ready for these questions, and I've never really sat down to think about them. But if anyone is interested, I'll put it together.

I don't mince words (or in this case, since I'm typing this rather than speaking, I don't mince keystrokes), so feel free to ask anything. Don't be afraid; I won't bite (or anything worse than that).

The stuff you just laid out isn't psychopathy, if you ask me.

darkcanyon10 said:The stuff you just laid out isn't psychopathy, if you ask me.

Seriously, if you happen to come across a better breakdown of psychopathic symptoms, send it my way.

Honestly, I feel like we might be looking at psychopathy here—just not the movie villain kind of malicious. Not all psychopaths are out to get you... some are definitely better than others. This guy wouldn't be the worst case scenario.😒

placidorca16 said:Honestly, I feel like we might be looking at psychopathy here—just not the movie villain kind of malicious. Not all psychopaths are out to get you... some are definitely better than others. This guy wouldn't be the worst case scenario.😒

The problem is that most people hear the word "psychopath" and immediately picture some violent maniac hell-bent on destroying your life. But if you actually take a second to read up on the clinical side of things, you'll realize that's just not how it works. Psychopathy is really defined by a total lack of empathy rather than just being physically aggressive or whatever else people assume.

And yeah, I'm with you there. Mental health disorders aren't binary—it's not like a light switch that's either on or off. It's a spectrum, and it's all about the degree to which someone experiences those traits.

You’re just a person. Any label you attach to yourself is pure fiction. No one cares about your identity; they care about what you bring to the table. And you actually have the potential for massive empathy, support, and love because you understand contrast. You just don't realize it because you're too caught up in your own head.
Psychopathy isn't a real thing.
There is only you and what you choose to become through conscious intent. Have you ever heard of consciousness? Start using it. It's much healthier than these mindless little tests.

stormybadger4 said:The problem is that most people hear the word "psychopath" and immediately picture some violent maniac hell-bent on destroying your life. But if you actually take a second to read up on the clinical side of things, you'll realize that's just not how it works. Psychopathy is really defined by a total lack of empathy rather than just being physically aggressive or whatever else people assume.

And yeah, I'm with you there. Mental health disorders aren't binary—it's not like a light switch that's either on or off. It's a spectrum, and it's all about the degree to which someone experiences those traits.

Have you ever actually screwed someone over in your life? Like, stolen from them or trashed their reputation without feeling a single shred of guilt because you felt entitled to do it...? Do you think it's okay to just steamroll over people to get what you want...? Or like, would you pull the lever on that trolley problem to kill one person just to save five...? What kind of moves are you actually capable of making to get your way...? Do you even have real friends in your life...?

Honestly, I think you've watched way too many movies and now you're just trying to make everything about yourself...

Donna White50 I see your posts all over this board. You seem like a decent enough person, really, but since you’re constantly bringing up psychopathy, I feel like I have to push back on a few things you've said:

Donna White50 said:Have you ever actually screwed someone over in your life? Like, stolen from them or trashed their reputation without feeling a single shred of guilt because you felt entitled to do it...? Do you think it's okay to just steamroll over people to get what you want...? Or like, would you pull the lever on that trolley problem to kill one person just to save five...? What kind of moves are you actually capable of making to get your way...? Do you even have real friends in your life...?

Honestly, I think you've watched way too many movies and now you're just trying to make everything about yourself...

Would you step on people if it meant making life better for your own kid?

Do you think it's right to, say, divert a train that's about to hit five people on the tracks just so it kills one person on a different track instead?

What if that runaway train is carrying 100 passengers toward a cliff, but it's headed straight for your child? Would you switch the tracks then?

Do you actually have friends in your life?

Can you say with 110% certainty that you have even one "real" friend out there (setting family aside)?

And finally, since you love playing these games with questions you think reveal psychopathic traits—based on the answers to my questions, are *you* the psychopath?

Andrew Price3 said:You’re just a person. Any label you attach to yourself is pure fiction. No one cares about your identity; they care about what you bring to the table. And you actually have the potential for massive empathy, support, and love because you understand contrast. You just don't realize it because you're too caught up in your own head.
Psychopathy isn't a real thing.
There is only you and what you choose to become through conscious intent. Have you ever heard of consciousness? Start using it. It's much healthier than these mindless little tests.

Like I said earlier, I'm not trying to hunt for attention or prove to anyone that I'm some kind of psychopath. I reached this conclusion simply because I recognize I possess most of those traits. Whether psychopathy is an official diagnosis or not doesn't matter; people just invented a term for a specific type of person—someone I happen to belong to—and that's the relevant part here. I don't consider myself a bad person, and I don't have any weird ego trips where I try to prove how "edgy" or "different" I am just to look cool. I don't care about that stuff. What I actually care about is understanding myself and seeing how people perceive my character. That's why this post is useful. I can't exactly walk up to someone I know in real life and start dumping this kind of stuff on them; I wouldn't say it to anyone.

Thanks for the comment.

Donna White50 said:Have you ever actually screwed someone over in your life? Like, stolen from them or trashed their reputation without feeling a single shred of guilt because you felt entitled to do it...? Do you think it's okay to just steamroll over people to get what you want...? Or like, would you pull the lever on that trolley problem to kill one person just to save five...? What kind of moves are you actually capable of making to get your way...? Do you even have real friends in your life...?

Honestly, I think you've watched way too many movies and now you're just trying to make everything about yourself...

No, I've never done anything like that to anyone. Part of the reason might be that I just haven't had enough life experience yet. I'm young, and I haven't had the opportunity or the need to screw someone over.

Donna White50 said:Have you ever actually screwed someone over in your life? Like, stolen from them or trashed their reputation without feeling a single shred of guilt because you felt entitled to do it...? Do you think it's okay to just steamroll over people to get what you want...? Or like, would you pull the lever on that trolley problem to kill one person just to save five...? What kind of moves are you actually capable of making to get your way...? Do you even have real friends in your life...?

Honestly, I think you've watched way too many movies and now you're just trying to make everything about yourself...

Absolutely. I came into this world alone and I'll leave it alone. No one else lives my life but me, so I always prioritize my own interests first. On the flip side, I think everyone else should look out for themselves too; that seems perfectly fine to me. I don't worry about other people's needs, and I don't expect anyone to go out of their way for mine.

But nothing is ever purely black and white. I wouldn't ruin someone's life just for some tiny, insignificant "reward." There are always exceptions.

Donna White50
Do you think it's okay to say, for example, divert a train that's about to crush five people lying on the tracks just so the train kills one single person on a different track instead?

It all depends on who those five people are versus who that one person is. If I don't know any of them personally, then yeah, I think sacrificing one person is fine. It’s just simple math.

Donna White50 said:Have you ever actually screwed someone over in your life? Like, stolen from them or trashed their reputation without feeling a single shred of guilt because you felt entitled to do it...? Do you think it's okay to just steamroll over people to get what you want...? Or like, would you pull the lever on that trolley problem to kill one person just to save five...? What kind of moves are you actually capable of making to get your way...? Do you even have real friends in your life...?

Honestly, I think you've watched way too many movies and now you're just trying to make everything about yourself...

Well, it depends on what you mean by "like that." If we're talking about some massive, ultimate life goal, I'd pretty much do almost anything—as long as it doesn't break the law. But if we're talking about smaller stuff, I'm willing to do something proportionally "lesser" or harmless, though again, it depends on the risks, the fallout, and all that.

Donna White50 said:Have you ever actually screwed someone over in your life? Like, stolen from them or trashed their reputation without feeling a single shred of guilt because you felt entitled to do it...? Do you think it's okay to just steamroll over people to get what you want...? Or like, would you pull the lever on that trolley problem to kill one person just to save five...? What kind of moves are you actually capable of making to get your way...? Do you even have real friends in your life...?

Honestly, I think you've watched way too many movies and now you're just trying to make everything about yourself...

Yeah, I do. I have plenty of friends, and most of them see me as the joker or the "entertainer" type. I'm definitely one of those guys who's always cracking jokes and keeping everyone laughing.

Donna White50 said:Have you ever actually screwed someone over in your life? Like, stolen from them or trashed their reputation without feeling a single shred of guilt because you felt entitled to do it...? Do you think it's okay to just steamroll over people to get what you want...? Or like, would you pull the lever on that trolley problem to kill one person just to save five...? What kind of moves are you actually capable of making to get your way...? Do you even have real friends in your life...?

Honestly, I think you've watched way too many movies and now you're just trying to make everything about yourself...

Fair enough.
As for the movies, I don't think I'm "lost" in them because I haven't actually sat down to watch a movie in ages. The last one I saw on this kind of topic was *American Psycho*, and that was probably a year ago.
Regarding the attention-seeking bit... This is a brand new account on this forum. Seeking attention would make sense if I had been here for years, if people actually knew me and I wanted to stir up some "breaking news" scandal to show my true colors or whatever. After this post, I won't even be using this account or hanging out on this forum anymore, so the only "attention" I'm getting is just having the chance to reply to a few posts.

Hope you're satisfied with the answers. Thanks for the comment.

Donna White50 said:Have you ever actually screwed someone over in your life? Like, stolen from them or trashed their reputation without feeling a single shred of guilt because you felt entitled to do it...? Do you think it's okay to just steamroll over people to get what you want...? Or like, would you pull the lever on that trolley problem to kill one person just to save five...? What kind of moves are you actually capable of making to get your way...? Do you even have real friends in your life...?

Honestly, I think you've watched way too many movies and now you're just trying to make everything about yourself...

Yeah, that's pretty much the textbook definition of a psychopath—manipulating others for personal gain regardless of the fallout, and honestly, usually ignoring the law entirely. To them, the law isn't some barrier... it's just an inconvenience. And of course, the smarter they are, the better they get at masking it and crafting the perfect alibi.

I think you've watched too many movies and you're just trying to make this about yourself...

Not necessarily... maybe it's just a "soft" version.😁 It doesn't have to be full-blown psychopathy—that kind of behavior actually isn't nearly as rare as people like to think.

My apologies for jumping in late—to be honest, I’m a little unsure about how the admins are managing this specific sub-forum, but it seems to me that this entire thread is actually just a continuation of a newer post (if not several others where the author decided to branch out):

http://www.americanforum.com/showthread.php?t=870061

Best regards!

God, anything under the sun. It’s perfectly logical that there's a "soft" version of a psychopath; not everyone goes around carrying a knife looking for trouble🙄, most don't. I don't get why anyone who starts a thread like this gets immediately attacked for being "too obsessed with movies." It used to be the other way around—people would mock you because they thought every psychopath was some horror movie serial killer or a total maniac.🤦 It's almost as if being a psychopath is some kind of badge of honor. Same goes for narcissism; the moment someone admits they see themselves in those traits, a crowd gathers just to tell them, "No, you definitely aren't a narcissist." Why is that?

Quentin Tarantino

Olivia Roberts7 said:God, anything under the sun. It’s perfectly logical that there's a "soft" version of a psychopath; not everyone goes around carrying a knife looking for trouble🙄, most don't. I don't get why anyone who starts a thread like this gets immediately attacked for being "too obsessed with movies." It used to be the other way around—people would mock you because they thought every psychopath was some horror movie serial killer or a total maniac.🤦 It's almost as if being a psychopath is some kind of badge of honor. Same goes for narcissism; the moment someone admits they see themselves in those traits, a crowd gathers just to tell them, "No, you definitely aren't a narcissist." Why is that?

Exactly that! 😁 People seem to genuinely believe they’re some kind of extraterrestrial beings—honestly, what are they thinking?
And honestly, who’s to say how many of those people claiming to be experts actually belong to that same group of "aliens" themselves?

I’m not entirely certain on the exact percentage—I really can't be bothered to dig through the data and search for it all over again right this second—but if my memory serves me correctly, roughly a quarter of people within the ASPD group fall into that category. In any case, that number is significantly higher than what most people might assume upon their first glance at the statistics.

The reason people tend to assume that being part of a tight-knit team is some sort of ego trip—as if it were a compliment to their self-importance—is likely due to the massive influence of characters like Dr. Gregory House, Sherlock Holmes, and Dexter Morgan. We’ve become obsessed with these television archetypes who act like quasi-sociopaths, and for some reason, society has decided they are "cool." Consequently, people either try to emulate that detached persona or mistakenly believe that others are simply acting superior by being socially unconventional. Of course, this entire trope is complete fiction and has absolutely zero basis in actual reality, but that is a whole different conversation altogether!

stormytinker40 said:Donna White50 I see your posts all over this board. You seem like a decent enough person, really, but since you’re constantly bringing up psychopathy, I feel like I have to push back on a few things you've said:

Would you step on people if it meant making life better for your own kid?

Do you think it's right to, say, divert a train that's about to hit five people on the tracks just so it kills one person on a different track instead?

What if that runaway train is carrying 100 passengers toward a cliff, but it's headed straight for your child? Would you switch the tracks then?

Do you actually have friends in your life?

Can you say with 110% certainty that you have even one "real" friend out there (setting family aside)?

And finally, since you love playing these games with questions you think reveal psychopathic traits—based on the answers to my questions, are *you* the psychopath?

Personally, I wouldn't hurt others just to give myself or my kid an edge. In those extreme, life-or-death moments, I’d do whatever it takes to protect my family... and honestly, I think anyone else would too. It feels like a basic survival instinct where we start looking for the "beast" inside us just to stay safe. A parent might jump under a train to save their kid or veer a vehicle off a cliff without even thinking about it. But man, those are heavy topics... everyone sees them differently...

That whole thing about choosing to save one person versus five strangers is basically a classic trick question designed to catch people who lack empathy or awareness of others. See, if you choose to save five people by deciding to kill one, you're essentially taking the weight of human destiny onto your own shoulders. That’s usually where the line is drawn between psychopathic and "normal" behavior. A psychopath will rationalize the math and decide killing one is better than losing five, whereas a normal person struggles because they can't just accept the weight of making a conscious choice that decides someone else's fate. 😉
Basically, people with psychopathic traits don't really get haunted by their conscience when they have to fire employees, send people off to war, let them suffer in harsh conditions, overwork them, or—in darker historical contexts—treat people like fuel for a furnace... they prioritize personal goals or cold logic over empathy. They'll just do whatever serves their interests, their tasks, or the company's bottom line...

stormybadger4 said:Like I said earlier, I'm not trying to hunt for attention or prove to anyone that I'm some kind of psychopath. I reached this conclusion simply because I recognize I possess most of those traits. Whether psychopathy is an official diagnosis or not doesn't matter; people just invented a term for a specific type of person—someone I happen to belong to—and that's the relevant part here. I don't consider myself a bad person, and I don't have any weird ego trips where I try to prove how "edgy" or "different" I am just to look cool. I don't care about that stuff. What I actually care about is understanding myself and seeing how people perceive my character. That's why this post is useful. I can't exactly walk up to someone I know in real life and start dumping this kind of stuff on them; I wouldn't say it to anyone.

Thanks for the comment.

No, I've never done anything like that to anyone. Part of the reason might be that I just haven't had enough life experience yet. I'm young, and I haven't had the opportunity or the need to screw someone over.

Absolutely. I came into this world alone and I'll leave it alone. No one else lives my life but me, so I always prioritize my own interests first. On the flip side, I think everyone else should look out for themselves too; that seems perfectly fine to me. I don't worry about other people's needs, and I don't expect anyone to go out of their way for mine.

But nothing is ever purely black and white. I wouldn't ruin someone's life just for some tiny, insignificant "reward." There are always exceptions.

Donna White50
Do you think it's okay to say, for example, divert a train that's about to crush five people lying on the tracks just so the train kills one single person on a different track instead?

It all depends on who those five people are versus who that one person is. If I don't know any of them personally, then yeah, I think sacrificing one person is fine. It’s just simple math.

Well, it depends on what you mean by "like that." If we're talking about some massive, ultimate life goal, I'd pretty much do almost anything—as long as it doesn't break the law. But if we're talking about smaller stuff, I'm willing to do something proportionally "lesser" or harmless, though again, it depends on the risks, the fallout, and all that.

Yeah, I do. I have plenty of friends, and most of them see me as the joker or the "entertainer" type. I'm definitely one of those guys who's always cracking jokes and keeping everyone laughing.

Fair enough.
As for the movies, I don't think I'm "lost" in them because I haven't actually sat down to watch a movie in ages. The last one I saw on this kind of topic was *American Psycho*, and that was probably a year ago.
Regarding the attention-seeking bit... This is a brand new account on this forum. Seeking attention would make sense if I had been here for years, if people actually knew me and I wanted to stir up some "breaking news" scandal to show my true colors or whatever. After this post, I won't even be using this account or hanging out on this forum anymore, so the only "attention" I'm getting is just having the chance to reply to a few posts.

Hope you're satisfied with the answers. Thanks for the comment.

I'm telling you again, I think you're just fishing for attention. You can't really claim to be a psychopath if your actions don't back it up. A psychopath isn't exactly going to start a thread on a forum just to let everyone tear them down—they're usually huge charmers who stay laser-focused on their own needs and success.
You've got some skewed values when it comes to how you judge others—whether that's just personality quirks or just unexpressed feelings and old wounds, I don't know—but I really don't think this whole story fits you at all.
Think about your actions for a second, especially that whole trolley problem scenario... we can't just decide to kill or hurt another living being for our own sake, because conscience actually matters. We all have flaws; nobody is perfect. People either show symptoms of an illness or they don't, but everyone's got a few screws loose in their head. If you had actually killed or intentionally hurt someone and felt zero remorse, you'd probably pass a psych eval and show actual psychopathic traits. You'd be confused why everyone else is horrified by your actions, because to you, it would have made perfect sense... but right now, you're just talking, and that's probably for the best.😉>