we borrowed a book from the library. “The Psychopath Test” by Jon Ronson (616.8582 RON).
ever thought that an OC of yours is psycho, and can’t actually pinpoint why? Want to create a realistic psychopathic character?
The Psychopath Test, Chapter 4, Page 97.
- Glibness / Superficial charm
- Grandiose sense of self-worth
- Need of stimulation / Proneness to boredom
- Pathological lying (Lying is a part of interaction with others)
- Conning / Manipulative
- Lack of remorse or guilt
- Shallow affect (Unable to experience a normal range and depth of emotions)
- Callous / Lack of empathy
- Parasitic lifestyle (Habitually relying on or exploiting others)
- Poor behavioural controls
- Promiscuous sexual behaviour
- Early behavioural problems
- Lack of realistic long-term goals
- Impulsivity
- Irresponsibility
- Failure to accept responsibility for own actions
- Many short-term marital relationships
- Juvenile delinquency
- Revocation of conditional release (Does not change ways after punishment)
- Criminal versatility (Able to commit range of crimes)
The test is scored upon 40. Each point is scored on a scale of 0 (does not apply), 1 (applies somewhat), 2 (fully applies). Having a score of above 30 is psychopathic, normal people score less than 10.
endnote:
If you recognize some of those traits in yourself, if you are feeling a creeping anxiety about it, that means you are not one.
— The Psychopath Test, Chapter 4, Page 114.
basically, a psychopath has no ability to feel fear or anxiety: their brain’s amygdala is screwed up. (That’s why threats/punishment are ineffective on them.)
