# Do psychopaths actually exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 28, 2014, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychopaths-actually-exist/691849 "2014-06-28T08:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![protoboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychopaths-actually-exist/691849/1 "2014-06-28T08:57:07Z")
Are there actually people who are _entirely_ devoid of empathy and goodwill? That seems nearly as hard to believe as someone who is entirely devoid of bad will. Even Hitler loved his dogs after all, right? Call me woefully naive but I think you could find something good about the very worst people who have ever lived, and something evil about the best people who have. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychopaths-actually-exist/691849/2 "2014-06-28T09:59:04Z")
If -by some genetic defect- a person can be born without pinky fingers, what makes it so hard to believe that somebody could also be born lacking a rather high-level cognitive function like empathy? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychopaths-actually-exist/691849/3 "2014-06-28T10:03:42Z")
You could take a copy of Mein Kampf and praise the quality of the binding, if you wanted. If you’re of the mindset that everyone’s got something good about them, you’ll probably find something. It’s more a question of how hard you want to squint than how worthwhile they are. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychopaths-actually-exist/691849/4 "2014-06-28T11:32:27Z")
It’s possible for someone devoid of empathy to go through social routines in order to function. Those can involved things like smiling and being polite to other people, even if there’s no empathy involved. (Heck, don’t we all say, “How ya’ doin’?” or “Have a nice day,” by rote, with no real feeling in it?) ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychopaths-actually-exist/691849/5 "2014-06-28T12:53:21Z")
[Psychpaths can feel empathy too.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/psychopaths-empathy-_n_3652792.html) Yes, I think psychopaths exist. I don’t think reduced empathy is the only thing that separates them from everyone else, though. I have found myself in plenty of situations where I couldn’t relate to the emotions around me. Many times I’m downright suspicious of people’s emotions…because sometimes they seem so over-the-top and fake. But I have never killed anyone before or scammed anyone out of their life savings. I’m not an angel, but I’m not evil just because I don’t weep along with everyone about everything. One thing I am is very conscientious, though. I hate getting in trouble. I hate being yelled at. I hate the idea of having privileges taken away from me. I think I \*would \*be a bad person if I didn’t have this fear. But you don’t have to have empathy to be afraid of negative consequences. I don’t think the two are related at all. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychopaths-actually-exist/691849/6 "2014-06-28T14:55:54Z")
There’s no shortage of people with narcissistic personality disorder (I work for one), though I am not sure if they are considered “psychopaths.” ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychopaths-actually-exist/691849/7 "2014-06-28T15:31:10Z")
Yes. But not all of them are murderers and rapists. There is a large body of evidence that many (most?) that succeed in Business and Politics are psychopathic to some degree. Check out The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. Great book on the topic of psychopathy.