Am I a psychopath, or do I just play one on ILP?
I thought about this question, and decided that I wasn’t sure. I thought it might be a good idea to take a poll.
Just a simple survey. Because I need to know.
Thank you,
Scott
Well, the main thing about the psychopath is they don’t really have a conscience. I mean… you can “know” something is “bad” because you have been told it is, and you know society looks down on it. But do you feel “guilt”? Do you feel empathy for others?
If you haven’t really experiences feelings of remorse or guilt for the things you have done, then yes, you are (at least) a little psychopathic.
cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath.htm
Too be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out you were an “Antisocial”. A psychopath is really just an individual with an extreme form of antisocial personality disorder. I dunno if I’d go so far to call you a psyopath though; I don’t know all that much about you.
But there is something… not right… in my opinion.
But who knows, years of substance abuse affects a diagnosis (antisocial personality is very, very likely to have a substance abuse problem).
So I put “other”.
I don’t know you enough to make such a position.
I will say that many times I wonder the same about myself.
I like the old saying:
“There is a fine line between insanity and genius.”
or
" You say psychopath as if it is a bad thing."
I don’t think this saying applies to antisocial personality disorder.
How so?
Conformity doesn’t create greatness as it is found within instead.
Philosophy is a discipline that, for the most part, promotes rationality over empathy. Empathy is a trait more closely linked to what we would instinctively recognize as human than is rationality, so it would seem to follow that a ‘completely’ rational human would find it easy to make decisions and undertake actions that to the less polarized human would seem psycho- or sociopathic.
ie: Rationally I can say that the best way to cure many of the world’s problems, particularly the third world’s problems, would be a program, or rather pogrom, of population depletion. From an energy saving/risk POV, demographics which would be unable to mount vigorous defence, for example: the poor, disabled and extremes of age should be targeted first.
As an ‘Empathic’ human, I can maintain just enough commonality of feeling to nominate these measures as ‘evil’.
ASPD does not = nonconformity.
For the most part, I think the blurred line between genius and insanity relate more to the cluster A, or “thinking” personality disorders (at least in terms of philosophy):
paranoid
schizoid
schizotypal
A main characteristic of the ASPD (part of the cluster B-dramatic, emotional, erratic peroanlity disorders) is erratic, impulsive behavior. I think this is a downfall when it comes to “genius” behavior (in the form oh philosophy).
Can those with ASPD be (some kind of) geniuses? I suppose so (depends on one’s opinion of genius too, of course)… but I really don’t think it is along the lines of what that phrase refers to.
Is not philosophy built upon the instinctual or what you call empathetical?
It is instinct,intuition and faith that drives us or motivates us.
How do we contrast ASPD with um…whatever the properly conjugated form of psychopath would need to be in order to contrast them in a gramatically correct fashion?
I’m not exactly sure what you are asking.
There isn’t really an official diagnosis for “psychopath” (and so no… Psychopathic Personality Disorder/PPD)… the closest is Antisocial Personality Disorder (unofficially referred to as a sociopath).
Some use/think of a “psychopath” as one with extreme symptoms of antisocial personality disorder.
I say you forget about the “psychopath” comment from Aporia; what he meant was a sociopath/one with ASPD. The word “psycho” is way too mixed up.
Excuse me if I didn’t answeer your question; time for bed.
I see what you’re saying.
To give you guys some context, here’s a quote of what it was that I said which evoked this response.
If they look down on it they despise it; if they look up to it they hate it. Often it is society that is despicable.
Sounds like “psychopathy” is another word for “greatness”.
Yes, excellent. And very “psychopathic” for a good citizen to hear (did you notice the evil smiley?).
I suppose - but then my very nice house, with its big TV and a microwave etc. is built on what used to be a pile of mud. When does the latest-tech watch stop being a sun-dial…?
Absolutely, in the short-term, but it is reason, will, if you like, that plays the one off against the other to promote a longer view of things. The thumb on the scales; the evil dwarf amongst its larger but stupid henchmen.
Er-why do you think you’re a psychopath? Have you no idea what a psychopath is? That’s kinda scary. have you the potential to -say-murder a random being and feel no remorse for it?
I just wrote the following in Satyr’s “The Feminization of Man” thread:
Health is relative. But in our society, the mediocre man takes his health as the standard - the measure of health is the health of the mediocre man. So whoever departs from that standard - whether upwards or downwards - is classified as “unhealthy” (Latin insanus). Those who depart from that standard upwards are evidently physiologically healthy, so there must be something wrong with them psychologically! - thus judges the mediocre man. But preoccupation with morality is a symptom of physiological decadence. “Atonement” is a spasm, to speak with Nietzsche.
I think real greatness does not lie in not feeling these emotions, but in not being overcome by them: the great man can feel great empathy (indeed, he puts himself in the place of others, and he is more susceptible to subtle and deep suffering than most others) and still hurt people if a higher cause demands that.
I saw the evil smiley. I know it wasn’t being said in a mean way or anything. The question just made me sort of wonder. I have feelings, they just have very little bearing on my actions. I understand humanitarianism, I’m just not a hippy. I’m not sure if I could murder a random person and feel no remorse, because I haven’t done it yet. I do sometimes drift off into thoughts about thoughts about thoughts to where I’m no longer making any sense to myself, but that may just be the pot. Who knows?
You seem perfectly normal to me.