http://www.psychopathicwritings.com/2011...art-5.html <Here is the link

Please read the entire post! :p

"Dr. Robert Hare writes ('Without Conscience'):

Many people find it difficult to deal with intense, emotionless, or "predatory" stare of the psychopath. Normal people maintain close eye contact with others for a variety of reasons, but the fixated stare of the psychopath is more prelude to self-gratification and the exercise of power than simple interest or empathic caring."

"As I've mentioned, psychopaths are not all alike, and intelligence level differs. Most who are familiar with psychopaths have met the simple, petty thieves types who have no self understanding and who walks like elephants all over the place (I'm often surprised at how these folk manage to succeed at anything at all)."




One thing I noticed is that the person writing in the blog uses the word "neurotypical" to describe "normal" people that do not have psychopathy. He has psychopathy, not autism. I thought it was pretty interesting- I haven't found the myth or truth part yet as I'm typing this.

"What's more, neurotypicals - those we call 'normal people' - can have a peculiar stare as well!...

Sometimes when I'm talking with someone, exchanging courtesies, I notice that even though they smile and say nice things and are clearly very interested in me, they have this unblinking gaze that follows my every move. I imagine some people would feel uncomfortable when somebody looks at them like this. In a way it's not unlike the way I sometimes look at people. The difference is only that they make sure to signal good will, and I sometimes do the opposite, or I don't signal anything. But I generally have the impression that those who look at me like this are merely being very anxious. It's not a controlling or soulless stare, it's a slightly frightened stare. I have no idea if it is me personally who make them uncomfortable or uneasy, or if it's how they generally feel when they meet new people. It's most likely a little bit of both."

That's one example of him using the word on his blog. It reminds me of a time I was in the grocery store and this man with icy blue eyes and a short (this cute asian woman) wife would keep staring at me with a pretty creepy stare :p I was commenting to my mom before we left and she said to hurry up and quit lagging because he could really be dangerous xD. Sadly I am more likely to stay and wonder than get away if it's the truth that some psychopaths have a certain stare like described in the blog. I'm not very flightly when it comes to dangerous people or weird people (weird people as in suspicious OR just people described as weird. Fleeing seems boring to me. And if it's because the person is simply quirky, really lame and not very understandable to me. I don't get why someone would honestly want to run away from Interesting! Sometimes I think people just act that way on purpose and it was also their wish to stay. I don't know how to describe the motive of fleeing on purpose but I can say they are more likely if they have people to remark to about it.

Anywayyy... "So don't try to label or judge people by their stare or lack of stare... Because, it's basically not possible and you won't succeed. The way someone stares at you is not in itself useful as a basis for determining whether s/he is a psychopathic individual. You need to take the whole context of the situation in which you notice it into consideration.

.....

I didn't want to use Ted Bundy as an example of the psychopathic stare, but he remains the best example that I can find without having to do extensive searches, and I'm late. I really didn't want to include him, for he annoys me, I don't like the fact that he does look like me as I looked on that picture when I was 16, and as I no doubt still look from time to time. I didn't want to include him because he happens to be a serial killer, and that is far from 'typical' for a psychopath." (He's referring to the number of psychopaths that are actually violent or have issues like this)

He also remarks that he notices he has this particular "creepy" stare himself sometimes

I came across the link trying to look something up for this dude on YA who asked a question related to that blog

I'd say myth.

A common sensory issue among psychopaths is a poor sense of smell. Be wary of people who regularly use too much perfume or after shave. My first girlfriend had almost no sense of smell. I don't think she was a psychopath but at times she wasn't far off being one.

A psychopath has a curious relationship with the truth. To me that is the defining characteristic, along with being manipulative.

I have a creepy stare sometimes, btw.

How could those two things define what they are? too often you could do that without being one. There is at least one thing I'd think you'd have to have (because I think things where its not the traits on a piece of paper themselves but rather "something" that causes those traits have a trait(s) that it always causes), though. One thing that confuses me is the whole facial expressions thing. In a fiction book I was reading the character sometimes had trouble with facial expressions and I thought "this is wrong- this isnt the empathy they lack" and assumed that perhaps didn't research on psychopaths right or assumed something or misunderstood. But I've got a real and diagnosed one in my face saying he sometimes has trouble as well or they go over his head and he makes mistakes about it. Before the only empathy (the not-understanding/seeing kind I mean) I thought they lacked was when it came to emotions they didn't experience... like they may be curious about behaviors people have when theyre experiencing empathy or love or real caring.

I don't think they are missing the whole package though because in order to be very good at manipulating others you have to predict and calculate.

Another thing he talked about was that he does not recognize facial expressions of disgust and repulsion naturally specifically/in particular. He phrased it "as a psychopath". I wonder why that is.

How could those two things define what they are? too often you could do that without being one. There is at least one thing I'd think you'd have to have (because I think things where its not the traits on a piece of paper themselves but rather "something" that causes those traits have a trait(s) that it always causes), though. One thing that confuses me is the whole facial expressions thing. In a fiction book I was reading the character sometimes had trouble with facial expressions and I thought "this is wrong- this isnt the empathy they lack, its only that other kind theyre writing about" and assumed that perhaps the author didn't research on psychopaths right or assumed something or misunderstood. But I've got a real and diagnosed one in my face saying he sometimes has trouble as well or they go over his head and he makes mistakes about it(he said this about irony in particular. Before the only empathy (the not-understanding/seeing kind I mean) I thought they lacked was when it came to emotions they didn't experience... like they may be curious about behaviors people have when theyre experiencing empathy or love or real caring.

I don't think they are missing the whole package though because in order to be very good at manipulating others you have to predict and calculate.

Another thing he talked about was that he does not recognize facial expressions of disgust and repulsion naturally specifically/in particular. He phrased it "as a psychopath". I wonder why that is.

This post was last modified: 05-08-2012 03:52 PM by mels8780.