Identifying Psychopathic People

Covert operatives are trained at identifying and assessing psychopathic / sociopathic tendencies with the people we work / engage with as well as target.

Psychopaths are often ambitious, focused and driven, making them very successful in their chosen fields. Along with that they are naturally skilled at tradecraft, manipulation and deception, all this making them potentially formidable adversaries.

Initially we look for signs of a lack of empathy, guilt or remorse; shallow or lacking emotions; impulsivity; grandiose sense of self-worth; controlling behavior; and a lack of concern for the rights of others.

The also tend to be charming and charismatic, but they are also often callous, deceitful and violent. If you suspect that someone you know may be a psychopath, it’s important to be careful. Psychopaths are notoriously manipulative and can be dangerous.

      Identifying Psychopaths

Psychopathic personalities are often described by symptoms that manifest early in life and affect every area of their personality, including relationships with family members friends and coworkers. Studies estimate 12 out 100 people has this condition.

Psychopaths are often portrayed in the media as violent criminals or deranged killers, but the reality is that most of them lead normal lives. In fact, many are successful professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, CEOs and of course, spies and operators.

So how can you tell if someone is a psychopath? It’s not easy but there is a method. Psychopaths are often magnetic and personable, and they can be very good at hiding their true nature – whereas sociopaths have difficulty hiding. However, there’s many tell-tale signs that may indicate that someone is one.

      The Tradecraft Method

  Signs of a Psychopathic Person:

            Lack of Empathy

The most obvious and strongest sign that someone is a psychopath is a lack of empathy. However, this is hard to detect, although relatively easy with sociopaths. That’s because unlike sociopaths, psychopaths are able to understand and mimic emotions but share the fact that they can not feel it.

            Lack of Remorse

They don’t care about the consequences of their actions on others from a lack of remorse. They don’t feel guilty or regretful for their actions, including when they have caused serious harm to others.

            Superficial Charm

Highly functioning or “successful” psychopaths are extremely charming and charismatic, which is used to manipulate and control others. When they use it as such so effortlessly and expertly, it could be a good way of identifying a psychopath.

            Grandiose Sense of Self-Worth

Psychopaths often have an inflated sense of self-worth and believe that they’re superior to others. They’re arrogant and have a strong need for admiration. However, they tend to have achieved much, if only to prove they are indeed superior.

            Pathological Lying

Psychopaths often lie compulsively, without any regard for the truth or the consequences of their lies. They are considered among the most naturally skilled at deception, so it takes time and close attention to catch and track their lies.

            Cunning and Manipulative Behavior

Psychopaths are often very manipulative and can be very successful in manipulating others to get what they want. As with their deception skills, they are naturally talented in this and only get better with practice. It’s used a lot as a part of their way of life.

            False Affection

Psychopaths pretend to care and show affection, whereas sociopaths make it obvious they don’t care. This makes it harder to identify them at first, so the idea is to notice false affection, not the lack of it.

            Psychopathic Love

Psychopaths can love and it can be observed, however, their form or type of love is not conventional or normal. In fact, it may not look like love at all to everyone else, but it will to the psychopath.

            Sans Sadism

Psychopaths are distinct from sadists in that they do not harm the harmless just for pleasure (although sometimes that is the case). They want things and has no problem harming others to get it

Psychopaths are born as one due to genetic predisposition whereas sociopaths are made as one due to environmental factors growing up. This naturally gives them an advantage by being able to disassociate from their malicious actions – with a sort of clarity to behave more believably “normal”.

So, compared to sociopaths, psychopaths are harder to identify but with training you can learn to just know something is different or off about a person.