I would like your opinion on something. I’m having a bit of trouble with believing this whole ‘psychopathy diagnosis’. Why is it that the world has taken on the notion of this diagnosis without trying to objectively evaluate it?
Personally I do believe there is a distinct personality type that is different to other personality types (ASPD,BPD etc.),which has some of the features of Psychopathy. However I don’t think it is as black and white as some people suggest. I’ve met people in my life who have certain features of psychopathy, and I also wonder whether ‘psychopathy’ is subject to change.
WARNING: I’m GOING TO BE A LITTLE MEAN NOW. Dr Robert Hare is full of bullshit. The man has tried to sensationalise this whole concept. He makes around $35,000 a year just because people believe the drivel that comes out of his mouth. I’m saying this all independently to my thoughts around the existence of the psychopathy diagnosis. Whether the man is right or not, he still talks a lot of bullshit. He has tried to stop people publishing work because it goes against his measure, which is food for thought.
Also I work in mental health and originally wanted to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology. Now though I am starting to question the whole profession (e.g. I don’t like the concept of depriving people of their liberty ,say for example, just because they believe they might be Jesus etc.). Does the concept of a ‘psychopath’ serve a morally cleansing purpose i.e. there is no way someone ‘normal/non-psychopathic’ could possibly commit such a heinous crime?
Anyway to sum up these are my thoughts on the topic. I could be entirely wrong, and I am quite open to adapt my beliefs if I’m presented with new evidence. I am simply contemplating the topic. Nonetheless ,whether psychopathy is a static, black and white diagnosis or not, we can’t deny the amount of money that is to be had from such a concept.
P.S: I hope you find some relief from the knee pain, as someone who suffers from arthritis I can empathise a little (I am in my early 20s).
……….
PS. I would have posted this Reader’s text in it’s entirety, but it came up on a white background like we saw a recent article do. The text can be viewed under the article named ‘A Psychopath Begins To Tell His Story‘ in the comments section.