A model psychopath? Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs.
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A professor explains why many psychopaths are very successful, how to spot them even when they’re in good disguise, and why they’re worse than narcissists.
Mr. Schwarzinger, you are a professor and expert in personnel psychology and together with a colleague you have just published a book on the “Masks of Psychopaths”. What makes a typical psychopath, how do you recognize them?
Psychopathy is an antisocial personality disorder. A psychopath always focuses only on his own benefit and needs, and in enforcing them he ignores all the rules of social interaction; he exploits other people. Psychopaths also have a severely limited emotional life, they have no compassion, know no remorse and are not afraid of punishment. That’s why they can act so antisocial in the first place. Their typical lifestyle is impulsive, they constantly seek gratification, severe cases are aimless and live for the day. An above-average number of psychopaths become violent offenders. It is typical for psychopaths to break norms of decency as well as rules and laws.
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