Korean Job Discussion Forums

[drkalbi]

After watching one psychological thriller too many, I realized I had no idea what the real difference is between sociopaths, psychopaths, serial killers, and anti-social personalities. Some casual Internet research only yielded psychobabble. One Website mentioned that one percent of the population is psychopathic. Does this have anything to do with "natural born killers"? How many of our friends and neighbors will potentially hack us to bits with axes?

[RACETRAITOR]

Serial killers have killed at least three people, for starters. Other than that they're not particularly mutually exclusive.

[Ukon]

It's been a while since I've taken some psyche courses so somebody feel free to correct me.

Sociopaths are people with little to no conscience....usually childish and short sighted despite the inaccurate media portrayals(Hannibal Lecter). A Sociopath would kill if the costs outweighed the benefits.....not just because he can....many a sociopath is a hoot to be around...they can be fun guys...just don't trust them with ANYTHING.They're concept of morality, Justice, and loyalty are non-existent....they can lie pretty well so I've heard.

A excellent portrayal is Forest Whitaker in the film "last king of scottland". Mr. blonde from reservoir dogs is another. A more recent example would be most of the bandit gang in the film 3:10 to Yuma.....infact many films with gangsters have a sociopath or a couple...

Psychopaths are the crazy killers you usually see films made about.

Anti-social personality disorders folks are the types who pull a columbine...usually weird, shy, not very friendly, and just unpleasant to be around....

That Korean kid who shot up Virginia tech is an example of anti-social personality disorder...

[Ya-ta Boy]

My old psych text books said sociopaths and psychopaths were just alternative terms. Some of them are killers, but most are just con men and all around bad guys, but not necessarily dangerous. Serial killers are a different story. The typical serial killer has straight black hair and dark brown eyes. Many wear glasses.

[jajdude]

I've heard a few times that some experts say around 4% of people are sociopaths, lacking conscience, empathy, a sense of guilt or regret for acting poorly towards others, and various other qualities that make people actually give a damn about others.

4% is a lot! I have no doubt that at least 1% of people are sociopaths though. So many people are just damn nuts.

This book looks interesting after reading the intro..

http://www.ebooks.com/ebooks/book_display.asp?IID=210219

Also, here is an interesting article:

http://www.youmeworks.com/sociopaths.html

Read that and there's a chance one or two people will come to mind.

Finally, here's a website: www.lovefraud.com

Interesting and scary.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Wouldn't you consider your garden variety troll a sociopath?

[EzeWong]

If I remember correctly a Sociopath lacks a sense of right and wrong.

Whereas a physchopatch CAN posess morals, but it may be the wrong ones.

So for example, a sociopath will kill someone for no reason.

Whereas a physchopath can kill because in their mind, killing young children is the "right" thing to do in his/her mind.

[Justin Hale]

A sociopath is someone who has no consideration for the feelings of others.

A psychopath is someone who takes deliberate pleasure in having no consideration for others.

A serial killer is someone who murders more than 3 people, with the victims often having something in common and the motivation for the killings being for their own sake (or for the psychological gratification of the killer) - as opposed to murders for some external motivation (money, drugs) or assassinations.

[ernie]

i think that psychopath and sociopath are usually synonymous, with the distinction that a psycho is unable to choose the correct means to an end, i.e. they can't learn from past mistakes.

[friendoken]

A psychopath doesn't know the difference between right and wrong.

A sociopath does, but doesn't give a damn.

[jajdude]

Apparently no one knows the difference between sociopath and psychopath. Originally, I think, they were intended to have the same meaning, though I think sociopath is a newer word. Some experts use them interchangeably; others differentiate. Part of the confusion arose from words like psychotic, which often gets mistaken for violent, though it rarely is. Also, movies like "Psycho" have made one sound worse than the other. Understandably, the public's ideas about these pathologies and the reality are far apart.

[GreenlightmeansGO]

It's weird that you should ask that just after I saw this article:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2815/whats-the-difference-between-sociopaths-psychopaths-serial-killers-etc

[DaveMcK]

I'd like to know what the voices are all about.

[Cheonmunka]

[Cornfed]

Sociopaths are people whose behavior is harmful and found morally repugnant by most people but is normal within their own subculture. So for example the corporate goons currently pillaging Iraq and Afghanistan are sociopaths but not necessarily psychopaths. Psychopaths are relatively shallow people with a lack of empathy and emotional connectivity with other people which causes them to behave like assholes in various ways. Just think in your typical Western woman.