Are you a Psycho?
Clearly, I am not a psychopath. Which is amazing. Because I actually share quite a few traits with many of them:
- Bedwetting as a child (and adolescent)
- Was a wee bit experimental and unkind to animals as a child
- Lied a good bit as a child
I don’t have in interest in pyromania, though (not even a bit- and never have), which is a major characteristic of many psychopaths/sociopaths. For starters, I think it’s wrong to destroy someone else’s property. I used to wonder about sharing several traits with psychopaths, understandably, seeing how I was grossly abused as a child. I remember my thoughts being “abnormal” growing up- at best.
However, I was raised to acknowledge right from wrong and was always hyper-aware of my conscience. This is what distinguishes a “normal person” from a psychopath; knowing right from wrong and choosing to remain within those non-impulsive and non-reactionary boundaries.
I’m learning some fascinating things in my classes. One of the most interesting things I’ve learned is that most people have a good bit of activity going on in their prefrontal cortexes. The prefrontal cortex (located in the frontal lobe of the brain- behind the forehead) regulates impulse, aggression, judgment- and fear, most importantly. A “normal person” ‘s brain shows activity in this brain area; a psychopath’s does not. Psychopaths and sociopaths show little to absolutely no activity in their prefrontal cortexes- at all. That’s some pretty solid evidence that psychopaths are genetically hard-wired for long-term sociopathy, including the development of becoming a serial killer.
There are 3 main traits that serial killer’s share, according to academicians and researchers:
- Childhood (physical, emotional, psychological, and/or sexual) abuse
- A brain injury of some sort (whether developmental or congenital)
- Mental illness
When a person has two or more of these characteristics in childhood, the chances of developing the third one is pretty great. If a person exhibits all three of these characteristics, the chances are that much greater that a serial killer is in the making. That’s not to say that all people who share these three characteristics are or are going to be serial killers. But interestingly enough, the majority of all serial killers do have these three key characteristics in common.
I took this psychopath quiz a few minutes ago: it’s certainly not standardized and it’s not APA-affiliated or approved; it’s a 25 or so question quiz that sheds some insight into what percentage you fall into when compared to the national median. If you score 30% or more, chances are, you’re a psycho!
I scored 5%. I can sleep tonight. 😉
Results
You scored 5. Scores above 30 indicate psychopathy, of course only a professional, which this test is not, can make a true assessment. This test was made just for fun.
Below is a graph of how other people who have taken this test have scored:
5.5% of people score higher than 30.
You can take the quiz here- (results are immediate):
m o n o c h r o m e j u n k i e † 
I could make a wise-ass comment such as “it takes one to know one” but I will refrain. The image perfectly illustrates the post.
July 14, 2015 at 7:20 am
Well, Maggie, it DOES. Heheh… x
July 14, 2015 at 11:31 am
haha I don’t need to take the quiz and I wouldn’t expect you to score Psycho. :)) The other thing I have seen with really dark wounded people is a sort of ability to detach from any empathy. It is like they are cold and unreachable, no doubt a survival skill. Glad God intervened. Onward and upward. xx
July 14, 2015 at 4:55 pm
Exactly! If there’s anything that guts me regarding humanity, it’s a person who cannot (or will not) have or feel compassion toward others. I’m pretty sure that’s my #1 driving force regarding humanity, in general- particularly the disadvantaged.
On another note entirely, we all have some levels of damage and darkness. (Hence, the “flesh”.) Some people just don’ know it. 😉 But yes, thank God for God! x
July 14, 2015 at 6:16 pm
‘I don’t have in interest in pyromania’.
me either, but I have several of the others….
July 15, 2015 at 12:22 am
I used to be perplexed as to why a person would be interested in starting fires. It just seems really dangerous (and anxiety-inducing) to me. Not an “awesome” one at all. I’m interested in that other test. ;0)
July 15, 2015 at 12:59 am
i shall take the test….and get back to you.
July 15, 2015 at 12:25 am
21. but the test was a bit too obvious.
I took a better one once (don’t know which one it was)….I scored higher on that one 😦
July 15, 2015 at 12:31 am
My son also scored a 21. He’s one of the most thoughtful, articulate, and awesome people I know. :0) You have to take these tests with a grain of salt sometimes. In contrast, I’m shocked I didn’t score at least a 15 (or higher)!
July 15, 2015 at 12:58 am
Yes. Grain of salt is good. Even if you qualify, it doesn’t mean you will hurt other people. G.
July 15, 2015 at 1:23 am
I’ll share something really neat with you. I saw a show once where a scientist/doctor was running tests on what does and doesn’t make someone a “psychopath”. He looked like a nice, calm, considerate, smart man- but he himself was categorized as a “clinical psychopath”- just based on his DNA and inherent personality traits and characteristics in which he had no control over. Had he turned into a homicidal maniac- he would have lived up to everyone’s “ideals”. But he is proof that just because your DNA has some “baddies” encoded in there, or in our cases- just because “extremely bad things happened to us as children”- it doesn’t mean that we’ll conform to “society’s expectations” of what we “should have become”.
😉
July 15, 2015 at 12:51 pm
Wow. Very cool.
July 15, 2015 at 8:06 pm
Yep. :0)
July 15, 2015 at 10:21 pm
I’mnotpsycho!WhosaysI’mpsycho?I’llkillthemiftheysaythat!!!
July 15, 2015 at 12:07 pm
Cl;aude, we all know that you ARE a psycho. You’re not fooling anyone!
Hehehe…
July 15, 2015 at 12:52 pm
Hey last year, I did a study at IU, where they took MRI’s of my brain while firing questions and sounds at me. I have a CD of my burrrrains!! Anyway, I never looked at it. I am wondering if it shows the actual pre-frontal stuff.. When I was done, the test person said, ” don’t show anyone this, they will be jealous.” Pretty sure that was a joke. Hope the summer session hasn’t melted your synapses. Have fun!!!
July 17, 2015 at 7:40 pm
Hey, you never know. You may have like- the most amazing brain scan EVER…heheh. And really, it wouldn’t be surprising. Have you seen your art? 😉
July 18, 2015 at 6:20 pm
I treated the whole experience with the MRI as an art and music critique, responding to the images and sounds, as a yeah or neah response.. 🙂
July 19, 2015 at 2:27 pm
That’s funny. 🙂
July 19, 2015 at 11:57 pm
🙂
July 20, 2015 at 4:02 am
Damn interesting stuff, any of us that find ourselves, for one reason or another, poking and probing our grey matter start to wonder where, and just how, these frontal cortex (mis?) functions differ from our own. Many of us (well me for bloody sure) might be thinking “there but for …., goes myself”. We might be missing only one ingredient, and one that was so much just chance.
Almost mirroring you post I was captivated by the following link, just the other night…
July 20, 2015 at 5:48 am
Exactly. “But for the grace of God…” Even so, predisposed encoded-DNA and yes, the hard-wiring of the prefrontal cortexes (and other areas) do play some role in the creation of a primitive. instinct-driven, animalistic human. Growing up as a child- with much prayer and Bible studying as I participated in- there was still a major disconnect with other areas that should’ve been connected. I thought I just needed to “pray more” and stuff, and that all of the necessary pieces would eventually fall into place. But that’s not what happened. I was a basket case for a good many years; I just didn’t have the necessary tools given to me (as a child) to be able to work through trauma and tragedy, etc. Not until my 4th year studying psychology did I begin to feel any REAL help. But I do think a lot can be said for “spiritual intervention” for psychopaths and sociopaths in general; it would allow them to connect to some type of moral compass that they otherwise don’t have.
Yes, interesting stuff. I so appreciate you weighing in here, and by all means, please do stop by anytime, Doc! x
July 20, 2015 at 5:37 pm
I have an interest in spicy food, BBQ and warmer weather. 😀
As a left leaning Canadian who is a retired teacher ( SP ED ) my prefrontal cortex must be crazy with activity ( summer ‘s longer days ).
July 24, 2015 at 9:02 pm
Spicy food, BBQ and warm weather? Yep. You’re a psycho.
;0)
July 25, 2015 at 3:20 pm