Psychopath
noun
A person having a severe mental disorder with violent social behavior.
His erratic behavior led people to believe he was a psychopath.
Often appears as...
- violent psychopath
- diagnosed psychopath
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A person who behaves in a dangerous and unpredictable way.
According to a psychologist, a psychopath often has no understanding of right or wrong.
Often appears as...
- clinical psychopath
- high-functioning psychopath
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
Academic
noun
A person who commits cruel acts without any feeling of guilt or remorse.
He was a psychopath who felt no remorse for his cruel acts.
Often appears as...
- cold-blooded psychopath
- suspected psychopath
Usage tips
Negative
noun
A person having a severe mental disorder with violent social behavior.
His erratic behavior led people to believe he was a psychopath.
Often appears as...
- violent psychopath
- diagnosed psychopath
Usage tips
Disapproving
noun
A person who behaves in a dangerous and unpredictable way.
According to a psychologist, a psychopath often has no understanding of right or wrong.
Often appears as...
- clinical psychopath
- high-functioning psychopath
Usage tips
Formal, Disapproving
Academic
noun
A person who commits cruel acts without any feeling of guilt or remorse.
He was a psychopath who felt no remorse for his cruel acts.
Often appears as...
- cold-blooded psychopath
- suspected psychopath
Usage tips
Negative
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/2Violent Connotation
The term 'psychopath' implies dangerous behavior, not just mental illness.
That movie villain is a classic psychopath, cunning and violent.
Pro Tip 2/2Social Perception
'Psychopath' can stigmatize individuals; use it with caution in social contexts.
Calling someone a psychopath in an argument can be very offensive.
Pro Tip 1/2Violent Connotation
The term 'psychopath' implies dangerous behavior, not just mental illness.
That movie villain is a classic psychopath, cunning and violent.
Pro Tip 2/2Social Perception
'Psychopath' can stigmatize individuals; use it with caution in social contexts.
Calling someone a psychopath in an argument can be very offensive.
Pro Tip 1/2Violent Connotation
The term 'psychopath' implies dangerous behavior, not just mental illness.
That movie villain is a classic psychopath, cunning and violent.
Pro Tip 2/2Social Perception
'Psychopath' can stigmatize individuals; use it with caution in social contexts.
Calling someone a psychopath in an argument can be very offensive.
Compare with
abusivedeceitfuldelusionimpulsivemachiavellianmanipulativepsychoticsociopath
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Video examples
Are you a giver or a...
the more worried we should be that you're a taker. Of course, not all takers are narcissists. Some are just givers who got burned one too many times. Then there's another kind of taker that we won't be addressing today, and that's called a psychopath. I was curious, though, about how common these extremes are,
Video examples
Which country does the...
I don't mean to be rude, but you know what a psychopath is. A psychopath is a person who, unfortunately for him or her, lacks the ability to really empathize with other human beings. When they look around, they don't see other human beings with deep, rich, three-dimensional personal lives
Video examples
The Psychology of Game...
In real life it can be hard to study. We know that in experiments that watching violence produces short-term effects on someone's behavior. But it's hard to study in the long run. If you have an idea that this can turn someone into a violent psychopath, it's not exactly ethical
Video examples
Danny Trejo Ziplines...
- And then when you get used to that taste and you don't taste it anymore, that's when you're screwed up, because you're becoming somewhat of a psychopath, and you just don't care about anything, you know, any life whatsoever, you know? That's what-- I mean, you have to be
Video examples
Strange answers to the...
is exactly the kind of cunning and manipulative act of a psychopath. It's on the cunning, manipulative. So, faking your brain going wrong is evidence that your brain has gone wrong. And I spoke to other experts, and they said the pinstripe suit -- classic psychopath --
Video examples
Paul Bloom: The origins...
as an amicable psychopath. But you could feel sympathy for the reaction he had when he was told that his favorite painting was actually a forgery. According to his biographer, "He looked as if for the first time he had discovered there was evil in the world."
Video examples
Why some people are more...
I actually started from the opposite end, with psychopaths. A common approach to understanding basic aspects of human nature, like the desire to help other people, is to study people in whom that desire is missing, and psychopaths are exactly such a group.
Video examples
Exploring the mind of a...
and what's the most important part of the brain. So we've been looking at the interaction of genes, what's called epigenetic effects, brain damage, and environment, and how these are tied together. And how you end up with a psychopath, and a killer,
Video examples
Strange answers to the...
that's leadership and I said shallow effect an inability to experience a range of emotions he said who wants to be weighed down by some nonsense emotions so he was going down the psychopath checklist basically
Video examples
What I learned about...
I saw people dying and dead on the streets. I felt nothing. Not because I'm a psychopath, but because I never learned the concept of compassion.
Video examples
Are you a giver or a...
the more worried we should be that you're a taker. Of course, not all takers are narcissists. Some are just givers who got burned one too many times. Then there's another kind of taker that we won't be addressing today, and that's called a psychopath. I was curious, though, about how common these extremes are,
Video examples
Which country does the...
I don't mean to be rude, but you know what a psychopath is. A psychopath is a person who, unfortunately for him or her, lacks the ability to really empathize with other human beings. When they look around, they don't see other human beings with deep, rich, three-dimensional personal lives
Video examples
The Psychology of Game...
In real life it can be hard to study. We know that in experiments that watching violence produces short-term effects on someone's behavior. But it's hard to study in the long run. If you have an idea that this can turn someone into a violent psychopath, it's not exactly ethical
Video examples
Danny Trejo Ziplines...
- And then when you get used to that taste and you don't taste it anymore, that's when you're screwed up, because you're becoming somewhat of a psychopath, and you just don't care about anything, you know, any life whatsoever, you know? That's what-- I mean, you have to be
Video examples
Strange answers to the...
is exactly the kind of cunning and manipulative act of a psychopath. It's on the cunning, manipulative. So, faking your brain going wrong is evidence that your brain has gone wrong. And I spoke to other experts, and they said the pinstripe suit -- classic psychopath --
Video examples
Paul Bloom: The origins...
as an amicable psychopath. But you could feel sympathy for the reaction he had when he was told that his favorite painting was actually a forgery. According to his biographer, "He looked as if for the first time he had discovered there was evil in the world."
Video examples
Why some people are more...
I actually started from the opposite end, with psychopaths. A common approach to understanding basic aspects of human nature, like the desire to help other people, is to study people in whom that desire is missing, and psychopaths are exactly such a group.
Video examples
Exploring the mind of a...
and what's the most important part of the brain. So we've been looking at the interaction of genes, what's called epigenetic effects, brain damage, and environment, and how these are tied together. And how you end up with a psychopath, and a killer,
Video examples
Strange answers to the...
that's leadership and I said shallow effect an inability to experience a range of emotions he said who wants to be weighed down by some nonsense emotions so he was going down the psychopath checklist basically
Video examples
What I learned about...
I saw people dying and dead on the streets. I felt nothing. Not because I'm a psychopath, but because I never learned the concept of compassion.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Annie Parisse
American Actress
Psychopaths are actually, really, really, really rare in our culture, are people who don't... Or in society, in the world. They're people who don't feel guilt. They're people who don't feel fear. I think that most of us feel those things. There's a kind of... They're almost like superheroes. Not to glorify them, but you know what I mean?
Quote examples
Alan Schaaf
American Businessman
Entrepreneurship, to me, means that you're a psychopath. The world doesn't work in the way you want it to, and you have a vision for how it should work. Unlike everyone else, this isn't OK with you. You have to go out, against every possible odd, and do something about it. That's what makes you crazy.
Quote examples
Robert D. Hare
Canadian Psychologist
Language and words for psychopaths are only word deep; there is no emotional colouring behind it. A psychopath can use a word like, 'I love you' but it means nothing more to him than if he said, 'I'll have a cup of coffee.
Quote examples
Jeffrey Kluger
American Writer
Psychopaths know the technical difference between right and wrong - which is one of the reasons their insanity pleas in criminal cases so rarely succeed; they just fail to act on that knowledge.
Quote examples
Eliza Scanlen
Australian Actress
I think the weird thing about playing a psychopath is that you really have to believe that you, as the character, did nothing wrong.
Quote examples
Reg E. Cathey
American Actor
The world is being destroyed by psychopaths, so of all the things to be concerned about - acting, it's not really up there, is it?
Quote examples
Nick Frost
English Actor
I always think I could play a fantastic psychopath. I'd like to play a psycho. With a heart, you know. A caring lunatic.
Quote examples
Jocko Willink
American
I'm not a complete psychopath. Am I partially? Sure. I'll accept that. But I'm not a complete psychopath.
Quote examples
Finn Wolfhard
Canadian Actor
I mean if anyone's comfortable being famous, they're a psychopath.
Quote examples
Kangana Ranaut
Indian Actress
If a woman is super-successful, she is called a psychopath.
Quote examples
Annie Parisse
American Actress
Psychopaths are actually, really, really, really rare in our culture, are people who don't... Or in society, in the world. They're people who don't feel guilt. They're people who don't feel fear. I think that most of us feel those things. There's a kind of... They're almost like superheroes. Not to glorify them, but you know what I mean?
Quote examples
Alan Schaaf
American Businessman
Entrepreneurship, to me, means that you're a psychopath. The world doesn't work in the way you want it to, and you have a vision for how it should work. Unlike everyone else, this isn't OK with you. You have to go out, against every possible odd, and do something about it. That's what makes you crazy.
Quote examples
Robert D. Hare
Canadian Psychologist
Language and words for psychopaths are only word deep; there is no emotional colouring behind it. A psychopath can use a word like, 'I love you' but it means nothing more to him than if he said, 'I'll have a cup of coffee.
Quote examples
Jeffrey Kluger
American Writer
Psychopaths know the technical difference between right and wrong - which is one of the reasons their insanity pleas in criminal cases so rarely succeed; they just fail to act on that knowledge.
Quote examples
Eliza Scanlen
Australian Actress
I think the weird thing about playing a psychopath is that you really have to believe that you, as the character, did nothing wrong.
Quote examples
Reg E. Cathey
American Actor
The world is being destroyed by psychopaths, so of all the things to be concerned about - acting, it's not really up there, is it?
Quote examples
Nick Frost
English Actor
I always think I could play a fantastic psychopath. I'd like to play a psycho. With a heart, you know. A caring lunatic.
Quote examples
Jocko Willink
American
I'm not a complete psychopath. Am I partially? Sure. I'll accept that. But I'm not a complete psychopath.
Quote examples
Finn Wolfhard
Canadian Actor
I mean if anyone's comfortable being famous, they're a psychopath.
Quote examples
Kangana Ranaut
Indian Actress
If a woman is super-successful, she is called a psychopath.
Example 1 of 10
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