Integrated Psychopaths: When Psychopathy Is Not Synonymous With Criminality
When we think of a psychopath, we usually think of a serial killer, cold and calculating, as the movies show us.
But the reality is very different. Although there have obviously been and are people with psychopathy who commit various crimes, others do not. In this article we will explore the question of integrated psychopaths a question that can be very surprising.
In order to talk about integrated psychopaths, it is first necessary that we stop for a moment to adequately define the term psychopath itself. Psychopathy is a psychopathology framed within antisocial personality disorder.
However, although there are some common traits in some of these people, it would be inappropriate to make a general categorization for all individuals with a psychopathic personality, since there are important variations, as is the case of integrated psychopaths, which we will see later. Besides, Like most psychopathologies, this can occur in different degrees, so there will be many nuances.
The most frequent clinical characteristics in this type of individuals are, first of all, antisocial behavior, which can be more intense during childhood and even translate into behaviors such as pyromania or animal abuse. Enuresis may also appear at inappropriate ages. However, these behaviors can be corrected and not be present during adulthood.
Another characteristic feature would be a degree of empathy as well as remorse that is quite reduced and even non-existent, in some cases. Although it should be noted that many psychopaths, integrated or not, have their own codes of conduct, and it is by breaking these and not the general laws, that they can experience discomfort.
The third of the main traits is that of an evident lack of inhibition in his character, and even a certain narcissism and a pleasure in being the center of attention. In addition, they often tend to be pleasant to deal with, as they have great intelligence in that sense.
They may also be insensitive in their interpersonal relationships, not be sincere, lie, or engage in behavior that could be described as extravagant. In that case, some elements such as alcohol could enhance their effect. Let us remember at all times that these characteristics are generalities and therefore do not have to be fulfilled in all cases, nor do they have to do so with the same intensity.
Although later we will focus on integrated psychopaths, it is advisable to continue knowing the general characteristics of this psychopathology. Another factor to take into account is that these people do not usually experience delusions, so their thinking is rational.
They can have promiscuous sexual relations, be irresponsible in certain behaviors and even impulsive. They could also be manipulative and do anything to achieve their goals. They will frequently need stimulation to avoid falling into boredom.
These are some of the behaviors observed in the population with psychopathic personality. As we see, they are qualities that, separately, could be observed in many types of people, but that together, mark us with a profile that we could classify as psychopathic.
However, this does not necessarily have to be linked to criminality (although, indeed, they have a greater probability of transgressing the rules) and much less to murder.
Characteristics of integrated psychopaths
We have already been able to see some of the general traits that we usually find in people with psychopathy. One of them is antisocial behavior, which can translate into criminal behavior. This is where so-called integrated psychopaths come into play.
This people, Although they fit the diagnosis of psychopathic personality, they do not have to engage in criminal behavior. On the contrary, they lead normal lives and, although some of their traits differ from those we could observe in the general population, this does not cause them great difficulty in dealing with everyday situations, raising a family, working in different jobs, etc.
Sometimes we can also find the term subclinical psychopath to refer to integrated psychopaths. Therefore, the term would refer to individuals who have psychopathic traits but have not become criminals, but rather lead apparently normal and therefore socially accepted lives.
Obviously, the very characteristics that we have already mentioned at the beginning of this article can make these people unusual, eccentric or different in the way they behave, but not in a negative way, necessarily. In fact, Their narcissism and pleasure in being flattered makes them charming on many occasions and even seductive.
But that charm will be merely superficial, since its objective is not to project a good image, but rather to receive a series of compliments in return. And for integrated psychopaths, and for non-integrated ones as well, other individuals tend to be simply the means they need to achieve an end.
This implies that their affection for others is not necessarily like that felt by the general population. Your emotionality may function in a different way and therefore your feelings towards other people, even those closest to you, should not be like those experienced by other individuals.
Your interactions and personal relationships
These qualities make integrated psychopaths people who can be very skillful when it comes to managing other individuals and even taking advantage of their weaknesses to control them. They can dominate and even psychologically abuse the people around them.
Some will try to establish relationships of apparent mutual dependence, only in reality it will be the other person who enters this spiral of dependence, since integrated psychopaths will not feel this type of need. On the contrary, they will even feel some pleasure in making the other person feel vulnerable and even worthless.
In the field of romantic relationships, many of these individuals will have no problem committing infidelities. Some go to the point of doing it in a very obvious way, knowing that this can cause harm to their partner. If they also have a high economic situation, they will have no problem supporting the other party, but not out of mere altruism, but because of the situation of vulnerability that it generates in the other person.
We observe a tendency in integrated psychopaths to try to exercise a relationship of power over others, even leading to denigration or psychological abuse , as we have already seen. This is another example of the frequent lack of empathy that these individuals have, so the feelings or emotions of others will not be any impediment for them to try to achieve their goals.
But not all integrated psychopaths behave this way, and some even don’t even know they are psychopaths or find out late in their life. Let’s see a concrete example. This is the case of James Fallon. This is a very particular example, since we are talking about a world-class eminence in the field of neurology.
He was precisely developing his work as a neurologist when he discovered that he himself was one of the integrated psychopaths. He reviewed a series of brain MRI images of different murderers with psychopathy and other individuals, among which was his own. Indeed, the image of his own brain matched that of dangerous criminals.
But James Fallon is no criminal, far from it. Although he does have traits that many people do not have, since, indeed, he belongs to the group of integrated psychopaths. However, in his family there was a history of people, presumably with psychopathy, who had committed acts as atrocious as murder.
Fallon himself says that his emotionality is different, and that he is aware that what he feels towards his wife and children is not exactly the same as what they feel towards him. He also recognizes that he knows perfectly well how to act so that other people like him, but that does not mean that he feels appreciation for them.
He also highlights a tremendous feeling of revenge when another person causes him some discomfort. In his opinion, he belongs to the integrated psychopaths because he was born with a predisposition to it, but the key to not becoming a criminal, according to him, lies in childhood.
This doctor assures that it was having a happy childhood and not suffering, for example, abuse or mistreatment, which kept him in that category of secondary psychopath. In his words, being born with psychopathy is like being a loaded gun, but what pulls the trigger is having lived a tough childhood and, luckily, that was not the case for him.
