Written by: Ada Zhou
Edited by: Maggie Wang
The Psychopath Next Door
In 2005, neuroscientist Dr. James Fallon was analyzing brain scans to study patterns linked to violent behavior. Upon using his own brain scan as a control scan, he made a shocking discovery—his amygdala, the region of the brain crucial for processing emotions, displayed unusually low activity. While this indicated that he lacked emotional response (typically associated with psychopathic traits), he had lived a productive and non-violent life, supported by a nurturing environment as well as strong interpersonal relationships. He was “athletic, funny, good-looking, and popular, often being asked to take on leadership positions from high school to this day as a professor” (Fallon, 2014).
Dr. Fallon’s discovery raised many eyebrows in the field of psychology about what we thought we knew about psychopathy and psychopathic traits. Was psychopathy a marker of immorality at all? It challenged the stereotype that psychopaths were cruel, manipulative, or even plain evil, reshaping the general understanding of psychopathy as not an inherent lack of morality, but a complex neurological condition with a wide range of visible outcomes and behaviors.
Dispelling Myths of Psychopathy = Harm
Indeed, psychopathy often comes with traits like reduced emotional sensitivity, which can influence an individual’s level of empathy in social interactions. However, one's actions are not dictated by these psychopathic traits; rather, they simply represent a difference in how these individuals experience and process social and emotional information. According to a 1999 study’s findings, these signs can manifest as young as early childhood, as “[children with psychopathic tendencies] need more stages to recognize sad expressions and are more likely to mistake fearful expressions for another emotion” (Blair, 1999); nevertheless, these traits don’t prevent individuals from leading stable, successful lives without any association with harm. Psychopathy is best understood as a spectrum, where each individual’s experiences and traits exist on a continuum.
Entertainment media arguably plays the largest part in warping the public view of individuals with psychopathic traits. The behaviors most often portrayed in the media, such as ruthless, calculating villains/antagonists (see Patrick Bateman, or Princess Azula), do not fully capture the nature of psychopathy. By highlighting the most extreme traits, such as violence and a complete lack of empathy, they end up oversimplifying the diversity and complexity within the spectrum of psychopathy. Abandoning the “one-size-fits-all” label of psychopathy would allow for greater flexibility and acceptance of these individuals.
Moving Forward—How Stigma Impacts Treatment and Support
Abigail Marsh, a psychologist and neuroscientist at Georgetown University remarks that, “‘[Psychopathy] causes people to do things that reduce our compassion for them, and so there’s a resistance to funding and treating it’” (DeAngelis, 2022). This reluctance to study psychopathy directly contributes to significant challenges within the mental health care system for these individuals. When the nuanced traits of psychopathy in an individual are overlooked, it hinders appropriate treatment options for them. As these traits continue to go unrecognized, it runs the risk of these individuals struggling more intensely with self-regulation and their interpersonal relationships, potentially leading to even more adverse outcomes. By adjusting our approach to psychopathy as a neurological condition instead of inherent malevolence, we can pave the way for improved mental health support for these individuals.
Conclusion
Taken together, understanding psychopathy as a neurological condition rather than a moral failing challenges the long-standing stereotypes associated with it. Dr. James Fallon’s experience as well as other research surrounding psychopathic traits reveal that individuals with psychopathy are not “inherently” evil or heartless, nor are they automatically destined to harm others. By recognizing psychopathy as a “gray matter” (having to do with the person’s neurological makeup) and shifting our perceptions from fear and ostracization to understanding and compassion, we can open doors to better funding, mental health resources, and healthier societal perspectives for these individuals.
References
Blair, R. J. R., & Coles, M. (2000). Expression recognition and behavioural problems in early
adolescence. Cognitive Development, 15(4), 421–434. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0885-2014(01)00039-9
DeAngelis, T. (2022). A broader view of psychopathy. Apa.org; American Psychological
Fallon, J. (2014, June 3). How I discovered I have the brain of a psychopath | James Fallon. The
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