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The psychopathic hero at some point became a popular cliché in movies. But due to the interest of popular culture, the meaning of this term has blurred, and the image of a psychopath from films and TV shows has little to do with reality.
Who are psychopaths
In April 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold attacked Columbine High School. They killed 13 people and injured 23. The incident launched a massive discussion about the tightening of gun control and the importance of monitoring the psychological state of teenagers. Both perpetrators of the tragedy were psychopaths, which none of their friends, classmates and teachers noticed.
So who are these psychopaths? In science, this is the name for those who suffer from antisocial personality disorder (ADD). Prakash Masand, an American psychiatrist at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, points out: “Most people assume that psychopaths are reserved, withdrawn, unsociable, etc. However, this does not apply to ARL. When we say that a person suffering from it is anti-social, this means that he goes against society and its rules.
How to spot a psychopath
It is worth noting that “psychopath” is not an official medical diagnosis. Scientists prefer to say “a person with APD”. Signs that a person has antisocial personality disorder include:
- violation or disregard for the rights of others;
- narcissism;
- inability to distinguish the generally accepted “good” from the “bad”;
- lack of responsibility and guilt for misconduct;
- behavior that does not fit into the standard social framework;
- constant problems with the law;
- neglect of one’s own safety;
- Difficulty showing empathy or empathy.
Psychopaths and sociopaths
In the cult BBC series Sherlock of the 2010s, the protagonist likes to describe himself like this: “I’m not a psychopath, I’m a highly active sociopath.” In fact, these two terms mean about the same thing: they are both included in the ARL. Dr. Masanda adds: “Some people like to make an artificial distinction based on the degree of personality disorder, but this is wrong. They will say that psychopathy is a more serious form of sociopathy, but that is also incorrect.” However, Michael Tompkins, a psychologist at the California Mental Health Center in Sacramento, is convinced that the difference lies in the presence of a conscience. In psychopaths, it is completely absent, while sociopaths may feel guilty for their misdeeds, but it still does not stop them.
Why the image of psychopaths from movies and TV shows is far from reality
Yale University researcher Ariel Baskin-Sommers writes that TV and movies simplify images of psychopaths and form common characteristics that only a subset of people with APD actually have. For example, they include a commitment to violence. In fact, it is not inherent in all psychopaths. In addition, those often suffering from APD are shown as robots that have no emotions at all. In a stereotypical scene, they may stand over a lifeless body and stare into the distance with a stone face. This is also only partially true: most psychopaths can not only show emotions, but also use them for manipulation.