Urban survival: How to defend against psychopaths

[NeonSamurai]

Originally Posted by DarkFish

What are the statistics?

Estimates are about 1% of the general population, possibly higher. We have a reasonable idea of population % for the non-socialized/criminal type, but only very rough estimates for the socialized type.

How can they find things amusing or entertaining if they can't experience emotions?

Being entertained isn't exactly an emotion (neither is boredom) but more of a state of mind or level of arousal.

Does that mean there are no sadistic psychopaths? That's a relief

That would be debatable. Also sadism is technically a sexual dysfunction which means the person derives sexual pleasure from sadistic behavior. What I am more driving at is that psychopaths do not experience pleasure in the same way normal people do. So while we may call them sadistic due to behavior, I don't feel they are truely sadistic given how they seem to experience pleasure (at best they experience a very shallow version of pleasure, most don't seem to show it at all, at least in a way normal people would understand).

Also, how do you know all these things? Are you a psychiatrist or something?

Currently 4th year honors psychology student (career number 3) with plans to go on to clinical social work, though I have a lot of other experience in the field. I am pretty familiar with this particular condition, have met a few diagnosed psychopaths, and done a fair amount of reading on the subject in addition to courses that have dealt with the topic in varying levels of detail. I am also a cognitive science researcher (scholarship).