Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us
Robert D. Hare, PhD

Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy, John Gacy, Jeffery MacDonald, Gary Tison, and David Berkowitz. What do all these men have in common? Some were murders; others were serial killers, and some were con artists. Yet they all shared the bond of being social predators. They charmed, manipulated, and ruthlessly lived their lives in ways that left others with broken hearts, shattered expectations, empty wallets, and sometimes...even funeral arrangements. All are famous psychopaths. By reading, Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us, by Robert D. Hare, Ph.D I learned more than I ever could have imagined about psychopaths. As I read this book I felt like I was being taken on a journey through the mind of a psychopath. How does one think and feel? How do they act in public? What are some examples of real-life psychopaths? All of these questions were answered, and helped me know how to protect myself from becoming the victim of a psychopath.

Just what is a psychopath? What goes on in the mind of a psychopath? The dictionary definition of a psychopath is a person who is emotionally and behaviorally disturbed, characterized by clear perceptions of reality except for the individual's social and moral obligations. But in ENGLISH, it basically means a dangerous person without a conscience, and is often highly skilled at lying and charming and at faking the emotions they lack. A psychopath knows exactly what he's doing, but he just doesn't care. That's why insanity pleas don't work with psychopaths. They aren't crazy; in fact they are usually extremely intelligent. The most interesting things I learned from the book were the characteristics of a psychopath: