How to Spot a Psychopath

Like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, psychopaths can be intelligent and charming, while hiding a lack of empathy.

So given their ability to manipulate others, how easy it is for you to spot one?

Self-professed psychopath Jacob Wells has revealed how he behaves in different situations and has listed questions that may help others identify whether they have any psychopathic traits – as well as recognise them in others.

These include superficial charm, a grandiose notion of self-worth, the need for stimulation and impulsiveness, pathological lying, the ability to manipulate others and a lack of remorse and empathy.

Of course, not all psychopaths are criminals and murderers – in fact, many hold important positions in businesses thanks to their ruthless and impulsive attitude.

The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is used as a diagnostic tool to determine where someone lies on the psychopathy spectrum, as not all psychopaths display all the traits. Without Conscience: Th... Robert D. Hare Best Price: $5.82 Buy New $12.15 (as of 08:55 UTC - Details)

There are 20 items on the checklist, which score between zero and two points depending on whether someone matches a trait, to give a score out of 40.

In the UK, users are deemed psychopathic if they score above 25, but in the US it is 30.

Writing on question and answer website Quora, Mr Wells, who claims to score 34 on the Hare checklist, said he deliberately changes how he acts depending on the situation.

However, there is no way of confirming he is a psychopath as he claims.

He wrote: ‘I usually present myself as normal at first.

‘Some exceptions being academic settings where I try to present myself as either or a good student or a genius (the first of which I am not, at all), dating settings where I present myself as being perfect, but unaware of it (both lies), or competitive settings where I act humble but intimidating (neither is true in this case either)’.

Read the Whole Article

The Psychopath Test: A... Jon Ronson Best Price: $2.50 Buy New $8.75 (as of 10:50 UTC - Details)

American Psycho (Uncut... Best Price: $0.79 Buy New $3.99 (as of 09:55 UTC - Details)

Amazon.com $25 Gift Ca... Buy New $25.00 (as of 11:45 UTC - Details)