[ZeroOneInfinity]

<--------- Not the type of person who offers a lot of ego gratification to others



Hopefully that confers some benefit.

I guess it's impossible then for you to fall in love?

[nadjasix]

I guess it's impossible then for you to fall in love?

Jury's still out on that one...

You mean because I avoid ego buttressing? I don't think that has anything to do with love. Emotional support is one thing. Ego stroking is another.

[ZeroOneInfinity]

Jury's still out on that one...

You mean because I avoid ego buttressing? I don't think that has anything to do with love. Emotional support is one thing. Ego stroking is another.

Right. I guess I misunderstood what you were saying. I thought you were trying to claim immunity from a psychopath because you would not be one to boost their ego.

[nadjasix]

Right. I guess I misunderstood what you were saying. I thought you were trying to claim immunity from a psychopath because you would not be one to boost their ego.

That's my hypothesis and I'm gonna hope I'm correct.

[ZeroOneInfinity]

That's my hypothesis and I'm gonna hope I'm correct.

I hope so too. So, just don't fall in love with one you'll be fine. The problem is you wouldn't know until it's too late. Guess it's silly, all things considered, as we can't prepare for every single bad thing that might happen to us with a slim chance of actually happening. Oh well.

[Chrysantheist]

Still though, I'm pretty sure I've only been around one psychopath in my entire life. We didn't know each other. He frequented a hangout of mine and everyone around this dude reacted the same way I did, he wan't even being violent. You could just tell that something was very wrong and that he would invade your boundaries very easily if you talked to him, I saw him approach a lot of women and from the first minute I laid eyes on the guy, even before that really...I could just feel that he was off all the way across the room.

He might not have been a psychopath. He was probably dangerous though. I have been trying to find a research study I read once with little luck -- essentially the researchers got someone who was a psychopath and created a fake meet-&-greet scenario with a bunch of people. Then after the party they asked everyone who they thought was a psychopath and no one identified him.

Here's another article about the prevalence of psychopathy, particularly in higher status jobs.

[OMG WTF BRO]

He might not have been a psychopath. He was probably dangerous though. I have been trying to find a research study I read once with little luck -- essentially the researchers got someone who was a psychopath and created a fake meet-&-greet scenario with a bunch of people. Then after the party they asked everyone who they thought was a psychopath and no one identified him.

Here's another article about the prevalence of psychopathy, particularly in higher status jobs.

Yeah, I definitely don't think it's impossible but the thing is that both sociopaths and psychopaths are diagnosed with ASPD.

The term is used interchangeably and I'm almost sure I wouldn't detect a sociopath either(at first).

[364unbirthdays]

Psychopaths frankly terrify me. If the term "evil" has any meaning, psychopaths are it, and the most scary part is that they're not necessarily cruel. I feel it does say a lot about the way our society is structured how likely, as she mentions, they are to enjoy material and social success and power.

Edit: And I quite hate it when people mention INTx's seeming "sociopathic". Really? INTx's are assertive, charming, great at reading and mimicking people, and have no intrapersonal intelligence or capacity for self-reflection? Didn't think so.

I feel the same way. I've always been terrified of psychopaths (and psychopathic children are the creepiest). It also sort of translates into everyday fears, as well. I'm not great at reading people, and I hate not knowing if someone is being genuine or fake and manipulative.

It's weird how people think quiet people act like sociopaths... Sociopaths are the type of people who are friendly and charming on the outside, but completely empty on the outside.

Although, I don't seem them as evil. Amoral, which is different.

[kikikins]

Haha exactly. It was actually with the help of a close INFJ girl-friend that I was able to completely find closure. The only thing I'd caution you with is this notion that people "fall" for psychopaths. I really hope you never run into a psychopath who's more intelligent than you. If they feel you have something to offer them, you will lose. That's the key I guess. Don't have anything to offer a psychopath and they won't target you. :P

Edit: One does not "fall" for someone who's very nature is to deceive and manipulate and be better at it than any feeling person.

If you are insecure, the smarts sociopaths figure it out quickly. If you tend to give people the benefit of the doubt in general, a sociopath can see this and they take advantage of it. As long as the sociopath has figured you out and your motivations, they can mold into whatever you want them to be. Their general motivation is to be self serving because they don't really understand any other reasons to walk the Earth. Like you said, if they find someone who can give them what they want than they will act and say whatever is necessary to keep that person around.