Psychopaths: What Is A Psychopath?

Thousands of undiagnosed psychopaths are roaming the streets of society. A psychopath, by dictionary definition, is a mentally unbalanced individual who is inclined toward antisocial and criminal behavior. Whether those abnormalities trigger an inner serial killer is all a matter of psychology. Statistically, most serial killers are white males in their twenties to thirties coming from a low to middle class background. In America, one in one hundred people are psychopathic and only 20% of them are in prisons. Successful businessmen and political and religious leaders have a great chance of being psychopathic. Narcissistic and manipulative characteristics are key aspects of a psychopath’s personality. Considering all aspects of psychopathology,
though, are these people really evil monsters or are they actually victims of a mental disease? Medical tests have proven that psychopaths are born, not made.
DNA patterns create psychopaths, but the defect is not necessarily genetically passed down. A father and mother could be completely normal, functioning members of society, but have a mentally unstable child. Symptoms to look for include lack of remorse, frequent lying and or cheating, manipulation and charm, easily bored, lack of empathy, impulsiveness, and shallow or superficial characteristics. They are the people who are always interested in what is in it for themselves, the ones that cannot maintain steady relationships with others. The part of the brain that aids in producing and expressing emotions is the amygdala. The amygdala is connected to the autonomic fear response as well. In psychopaths, the amygdala is shown to not be as active as it should be. This defect causes an infinity for risk taking and spontaneity, making psychopaths fairly dangerous. One could argue that the only aspect of humans that is different from
other

living things is the ability to feel and express emotion. Psychopaths do not have that capability, so what does that make them? Various mental instabilities create various types of psychopaths.
Undoubtedly, there is a “monster-type” psychopath, but there is also the “victim-type”. Serial killers can actually be either type of psychopath. The monster type serial killers are organized, they plan out murders methodically and precisely according to a specific fantasy. The victim type serial killers usually have some sort of underlying problem like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The victim type psychopaths tend to be the more disorganized killers; a fine line between psychopath and psychotic is drawn in these serial killers. Contrary to popular belief, the disorganized killers are more dangerous than the organized because they are more spontaneous and do not worry about making mistakes. Organized killers are cold-blooded and heartless, but once the specific method of killing is discovered and the fantasy is unraveled, they are easier to catch. Understanding the psychopathic brain is just one small key of catching a criminal. Genetics have such a small role in what makes a serial killer tick. The environment and experiences of the individual have more than 50% to do with transforming a psychopath into a serial killer. Abuse, divorce, and death are just a few hardships that can turn a serial killer loose. Normal, average people go through hardships everyday, the difference is the psychopathic personality. Mental instability added to bad experiences is going to equal a ticking time
bomb. All talk and no action would be the ideal situation when referring to serial killers. Talking about murderous behavior is one thing, but it is a real life occurrence that has affected the lives of many. Serial killers have been a problem for centuries, but a few of the most infamous and recent in America are Jeffery Dahmer (1960-1994), Ted Bundy (1946-1989), and Charles Manson (1934-present). Dahmer grew up in a seemingly normal household with parents who had high expectations for him. His father had a science background so Jeffery grew up loving animal dissections. He would find roadkill and take it home with him, continuing to learn basic anatomy from his experiments. Dahmer eventually grew into a strong antisocial personality and isolated himself from family, friends, and society in general. Obviously troubled, he started out getting charges for indecent exposure and got caught during molestation attempt. Once he got released from jail, the killing spree began. His known victims were young boys of Asian and African decent. His killings were brutal because of extensive torture; they involved sodomy, necrophilia, dismemberment of limbs, and cannibalism. After being caught and arrested, he was beaten by a fellow inmate and died of severe head trauma. Ted Bundy was similar to Dahmer in that he engaged in necrophilia; unfortunately for his victim of choice, a young woman, he was charming and attractive. Bundy was what professionals would call an organized killer. He had several methods in which he would lure women and gain their trust. In one method, Bundy faked a broken arm injury and asked various women for help getting items into his car. Bundy killed several women based on a fantasy involving an old girlfriend. She had left him and he did not handle grief and loss the way most people do. Records of all the victims show slight resemblance to his former girlfriend. He was later arrested and executed, confessing to a total of forty murders. Dahmer and Bundy were undoubtedly mentally unstable, but Charles Manson said to be the most feared man of the 1960’s because of his psychotic behavior. He believed that he was an all-powerful being who was sent to control other women. Manson was troubled from a young age, being charged with rape, assault, and stealing by the time he was twenty-six. Being the religious man that he was, he used that to manipulate young women into joining his “family”. He then continued to use drugs to alter their personalities to his satisfaction. Manson started having people killed by the members of this group. When he finally helped and took matters into his own hands by killing the wife of a famous director and another well-known family, he was caught and arrested. The death penalty was temporarily removed in California at the time, however. Manson is actually still alive; he is seventy-eight years old, rotting away in a prison cell in California (America’s Famous Serial Killers, The Directory Journal). Being murdered is one of the most prevalent fears among those who are considered average and normal in society. Truthfully, one has a better chance of getting devoured by a shark than facing a serial killer. Scientists go out of their way to prove to people that sharks do not voluntarily choose to kill, but it’s a matter of circumstance. If the surfer happens to be riding a wave in an area with a hungry shark near by, should it be the shark’s fault for simply attempting to satisfy it’s needs? Most times, a serial killer is just trying to satisfy twisted needs. It all comes down to the hunt, the execution of the intended action, and capability to carry out the attack. Sharks and serial killers are not going to disappear anytime soon; it is best to study the behavior of the attacker to avoid being attacked.