Is There Any Hope At All For Psychopaths?

If you have ever met a psychopath, you are already familiar with the fact that they are selfish, narcissistic, and violent. These antisocial personality traits have been confusing and offending the rest of us for so many years, so is there any explanation for this? And also, are these hardwired differences helping them or hindering their treatment?

Killers Or Businessmen?

There are some psychopaths who become killers while some of them turn out to be great businessmen, claim researchers. Psychopathy is basically a personality disorder. Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) does not suggest that psychopathy is a standalone condition, it files it under the wider “antisocial personality disorder.”

Definition Of Psychopath

So then what exactly is a psychopath? What exactly makes for a person to be a psychopath? Back in 1993, Canadian psychologist Robert Hare, who is responsible for coming up with the famous Hare Psychopathy Checklist, has described psychopaths to be “social predators who charm, manipulate, and ruthlessly plow their way through life.”

Further Explanation

“Completely lacking in conscience and feeling for others,” he further explains psychopaths as “selfishly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.” This seems like a typical representation of psychopaths in media, for example, Hannibal Lecter, or serial killers Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer. 

More Psychopaths In Prison

Many argue that there are many psychopaths that live among us. Recent research reports that 1 percent of non-institutionalized males in the United States are psychopaths. Even with this very meager percentage, psychopaths are 20–25 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-psychopaths, and the majority of the crimes committed in the U.S. are done by psychopaths.

More Than You Think

After hearing about these statements, you must have thought about the possibility of your boss or neighbor being a psychopath right? Well, you could most definitely be right about this. In his book Snakes in Suits, Hare suggests that psychopaths are way more abundant that we may imagine. He claims that many psychopaths are there in the free world, doing good in the corporate world.

Any Scientific Explanation?

“[N]ot all psychopaths are killers,” Hare describes. “They are more likely to be men and women you know who move through life with supreme self-confidence — but without a conscience.” We hope through this article, that we may find the reason for some people being so conscious and remain confident. Can they be cured and is there a scientific explanation for their behavior?