Sociopath Community

It's the hippocampus. Psychopaths have severed the centers that raise stress hormones that interfere with memory formation so it's quite the opposite. P's have exemplary memory ability.

The stressed out ones, that's you. Could be anything. Mood disorders raise stress hormones and cause it. Medications that are hypnotics cause it (to treat mood disorders). Caffeine abuse causes elevated adrenalin and stress hormones. Actually estrogen causes acute memory dysfunction and during hormonal periods name recall is horrible. So hormones and adrenalin, lack of sleep. You probably have all of those at times. 

Oh hi there :=)

I have this one great trick I use on forgetting a persons name.

I just ask it. 

When they tell me their first name, I say "no silly, I already know that, what's your surname?"

Neat trick huh?

Ok have a great day now.

Take care. 

Bye.

Luna, you were traumatized after watching "The Grudge"- to the point of being terrified of the dark thereafter. I think  it is safe to assume you're not a sociopath. 

Are you ignorant of the fact that fearlessness is a sociopathic trait, or just trying to fit the definition, desperately? 

The idea that you think any Human can exist solely without fear is a bit new to me. Could you perhaps reference the definition of fear, and sociopath that you're using?

Personally, I'd say fear is... when the mind comes to the conclusion that a certain chain of events might have a negative consequences on that individual's circumstances. It requires the individaul to "care", but if they do, then I'm certain they will experience the negative emotions associated with fear.

The reason for this is becasue all Humans experience emotions, and all Humans care about things. Do you think a success, high functioning sociopath politician or businesss person has no ability to care about things? 

Also, why are you so interested in if I'm a sociopath or not? Personally, I could care less if I am. I'm happy with who I am. I'm happy with the way my mind works, and the success I've had as a result of those workings, and regardless of what way other Humans decide to classify me, I feel pride in who I am 

I'm happy with who I am. I'm happy with the way my mind works, and the success I've had as a result of those workings, and regardless of what way other Humans decide to classify me, I feel pride in who I am

The evidence suggests otherwise.

well, of course there is always room for improvement. still, though, if i had the choice to inherit the life of anyone a 2nd time around, i'd feel very lucky with the life i have.

to be born an america, to be born in circumstances that allow me to study computers, to have the health i do. to have had the opportunity to run this forum. 

over all, when i consider my place in this world, i feel very lucky. i feel fortunate, and i appreciate it, and i understand it's value. you must understand, i lived in china for a year. i feel as if i have a far better understanding of the true state of humanity than most. after seeing what i have so far, all i can say is that the odds of being born into a life as fortunate as this one.. must be extremely rare.

what i do with this life... if i am happy with that or not is to be determined. i've been given good tools. a good mind, good health, a good situation.. i feel i have a lot of potential, and to not reach that potential is a failure of my consciousness, not of this life i have because i know that i have the tools to succeed if only i can find out how to most effectively use them.. so far i'm happy with my progress. i'll be 18 in 4 months. id like this business to be making sustainable income before i'm 20. i'd like it to reach 100k per year by 25 and have it's first million before 30. i'll need to at least have that sort of revenue if I am to have any possiblity of having a large scale effect on this world by the time i reach old age

by Luna Prey

The idea that you think any Human can exist solely without fear is a bit new to me. Could you perhaps reference the definition of fear, and sociopath that you're using?

It is not my desire or intention to educate you with regard to a functional definition of psychopathy. (The scientific literature makes no distinction between "sociopathy" and "psychopathy".) You claim to have a good mind, use it to research the condition. As the owner and moderator of a forum for sociopaths, it might behoove you to understand that with which you spend so much time trying to identify.

What say you, SC? Any other self-proclaimed psychos out there who were scared witless by an imaginary creature from the depths of a 3D graphics lab? xD

Personally, I'd say fear is... when the mind comes to the conclusion that a certain chain of events might have a negative consequences on that individual's circumstances. It requires the individaul to "care", but if they do, then I'm certain they will experience the negative emotions associated with fear.

The reason for this is becasue all Humans experience emotions, and all Humans care about things. Do you think a success, high functioning sociopath politician or businesss person has no ability to care about things? 

First of all, I never claimed that sociopaths have no ability to care for things. Secondly, one can care about potential negative consequences without fearing them. For instance, I may care if I miss a deadline, but this does not necessitate my fearing the outcome.

Also, why are you so interested in if I'm a sociopath or not?

Don't misunderstand me; I don't care whether you think you're a monkey's uncle or a poached egg. A better question might be why you spend so much time trying to convince yourself and others that you are something you're not.

Personally, I could care less if I am.

At the risk of sounding redundant,

by Lycan

The evidence suggests otherwise.

 This thread is a case in point.

Well, that's where our belief differ. I believe that we all "fear" losing something we care about. Even if it's a little. Fear is the anticipating of something we don't want to happen, is it not? Sorry for asking, I know you're not hear to be a teacher. 

The dictionary defines fear as "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined." I can honestly say that I do not walk around in that state, nor do I experience it regularly- and unlike you, I do not claim to be a sociopath. Those who do suffer from chronic, overt anxiety. Psychopaths are not especially vulnerable to this condition (although I have read that secondary psychopaths are sometimes afflicted by it.)

The "fearlessness" experienced  by psychopaths refers primarily to a greatly diminished fear response as opposed to the absence of it altogether. (See the study "Attention moderates the fearlessness of psychopathic offenders" by Joseph P. Newman et. Al. I'd link it, but the copy/paste functions don't work for me :p)

Like psychopathy itself, fear exists along a spectrum. I know that I don't process this emotion "normally". It takes a lot to incite fear in me. Moreover, I have associated it with pleasure, in that I enjoy stimuli that produce an adrenaline rush in me to the point of deliberately seeking them out. (I dont think I have a personality disorder, but I do have many psychopathic traits, and I am an avid thrill-seeker.) I also have a greatly diminished startle reflex, which I have recently learned is associated with psychopathy. 

My point here is that a greatly diminished fear response is inconsistent with long-lasting, pervasive terror and trauma incited by viewing a horror film. I watch them frequently, and they do not scare me at all. But you are talking to someone who enjoys extreme sports, insane roller coasters, and who occasionally requests the sharp edge of a blade against her jugular for the sheer thrill of it all. I am not saying it is abnormal to get scared watching horror films, nor am I deriding you for it (at present ;) - I am just saying that it is inconsistent with psychopathy.

There. I've answered your question. Perhaps you will return the favor by responding to mine. Why are you so keen on identifying with psychopathy, as illustrated by threads such as this one? You obviously want to project that image of yourself, and your actions here prove that you care inordinately about your reputation, and what other people think of you- traits associated with pathological narcissism, as opposed to psychopathy. What other psychopathic traits do you possess? Try to stick to the clinical assessment of the term as defined by the PCL-R, as opposed to your own preferred, romanticized, subjective definition of "sociopathy".

You are not a sociopath Luna, and there is nothing wrong with that. The sooner you stop trying to convince yourself and others that you are something you're not, the sooner you will be able to identify and harness your true strengths, instead of trying to be a square peg who fits into a round hole.

i believe im a sociopath because of the way i think. it's much different than most people i've met. im much more goal oriented, and much less social oriented or emotion oriented.

please know that i don't really feel much need to prove this to myself or not. my discovery of myself is a work in progress. the term sociopath is an idea that exists in the global consciousness of humanity. noone knows if it's real or not. i'm not sure if you know me, but i'm the developer of this forum. my strength is website programmering. the pride i have for myself is in my ability to run this businss, and find us clients. i place no value based on how close i consider myself to fit the definition of a sociopath.

weather you choose to believe i'm a sociopath or not is really your decision. i don't make a very hard claim in the idea that i'm a sociopath, and my presence on this forum comes mostly as a result of being the owner, and developer... not so much the fact that im so interested in sociopathy as a topic