A Study Of Psychopathic Behavior
A Study Of Psychopathic Behavior
It is a popular belief that psychopaths are considered to be individuals that are as brilliantly charming as they are morally insane. However, the tendency to refer to the psychopathic behavior as “morally insane” is a misconception. Regardless of scientific discoveries , psychopathy is a disease which results in a physiological deficiency.
The brain of psychopaths fails to generate a proper wave activity. Waves emitted are generally slower in individuals suffering from psychopathic behavior. This fundamental ineptitude is responsible for a lower degree of arousal when these persons face a threatening situation. Their lack of anxiety and consequent careless behavior in any situation is commonly referred to as lack of conscience. Indeed, Descartes’ “cogito ergo sum”, meaning “I am a fully conscious human being” is not applicable to their psyche. These individuals lack the plethora of emotions which colors our lives; that is, the ability to feel, to anticipate the breaking of the law, or to feel sorry when they break these laws. However, to say that psychopaths are morally insane is wrong. Above all, they are deprived of a conscience which organizes the moral notions of Good and Bad .This public misconception of psychopaths as morally insane goes back to the 19 century. In 1835, the British scientist Prichard introduced the term of “moral insanity” as referring to psychopathy. A French searcher, Phillipe Pinel, conceived the concept of “manie sans délire”. In French ,“manie” connotes a perverted mind which reproduces the same destructive action without any remorse .In a normal behavior, the deeds are constrained by external laws at work in society. The conscience of average individuals anticipate any destructive action which could obstruct the laws. Unfortunately, psychopaths don’t have such a capacity. They are leading a life which ignores external impediments. This fundamental unawareness is directly related to a slower activity of waves at work in the brain. This abnormality blocks the entire process of learning.
The lower waves indeed produce a decreased response of anxiety which causes the psychopaths to not be anxious or afraid of punishment when they perform a reprehensible action. According to Cleckley’ s definition of psychopathic behavior in the Mask of Sanity , (1988) when one of them breaks the law, he or she does not experience a sense of shame or guilt....