Psychologists have long-recognised the overlap that exists between aspects of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), and Psychopathy. Both are conditions that plague society in different ways. It is generally thought that these two conditions affect around one per cent of the general population; however, this changes markedly depending on which aspect of society you are looking at. For instance,; likewise,.

1. What Kind Of Personality Disorders Do Serial Killers Have

Similarly, some professions seem to attract a disproportionate number of narcissists or psychopaths.In general, narcissism can be called the 'less serious' of the two, for the simple reason that the evidence seems to show how psychopaths are criminally far more dangerous (and criminally-prolific) than narcissists. Psychopathy as a syndrome is thought to be some combination of narcissistic traits and 'anti-social' traits. Narcissism can be summarised as a dysfunctional self-centredness and over-evaluation of one's attributes, which uses society and other people to gain 'narcissistic supply' i.e. A feeling of love and attention. We'll go into this in more detail shortly. Psychopaths share these narcissistic aspects to a greater or lesser degree, but more importantly, also have an 'anti-social' personality i.e.

They have no respect for society and social norms. It is this 'anti-social' aspect that explains why psychopaths are, by definition, more dangerous to others and society in general. Narcissists can also be highly damaging to others around them, but is usually manifested in a different form.One of key differences between narcissism and psychopathy is motivation. As said before, narcissists' motivation centres on finding sources of 'narcissistic supply'.

A psychopath's motivation is more simply amoral convenience. Understanding this difference in motivation is key to understanding the differences between how narcissists and psychopaths think.An interesting example of this is to compare the lives and motivations of two infamous serial killers. While these are 'extreme' cases, the comparison in their motivations provides an intriguing insight. There was no obvious motive for the crimes, and he said he carried out these crimes as an 'existential experiment' - in other words, he did it to see what it would feel like.

Once caught, he showed no remorse for the killings, and has lived his life out in comparative comfort (and living infamy) behind bars ever since. His thinking shows a complete disregard for social norms, or the acknowledgement of the seriousness of these acts. In this way, he is a fairly clear case of a psychopathic serial killer - although, some elements of narcissism were also there (as with all psychopaths). Furthermore, this psychopathic mentality displays the indifference that Brady had towards his acts: he felt like doing it, so he did it. He was indifferent to the consequences, to the victims as well as the consequences to his own life.

In general, the coldness of Brady's personality (the 'dead-eyed stare', a common characteristic of the psychopath) clearly demonstrated his inherent psychopathy.This 'indifference' (or 'indifferent aspect') is common to psychopaths, but less so in narcissists. In the case of 'psychopathic narcissists' or narcissists who take their motivation to the ultimate extreme (i.e. Murder), the motivation here is more likely about 'feeling like God', or a form of ultimate control over the victim. People like this seek 'narcissistic supply' from successfully committing the ultimate social taboo, and getting away with it. However, equally, their narcissism is often ultimately their undoing (as was ultimately the case with Shipman), as they 'over-reach'- and may inwardly seek the public recognition they crave, that can only be gained through capture. A serial killer who was diagnosed has having Narcissistic Personality Disorder,.

An outgoing, larger-than-life minor 'celebrity' at the time due to his published work on life in prison, his life was lived in the spotlight, first in infamy, then redemption, then fame and adulation, and finally once again in infamy. Narcissism was the driving force in his life, which ultimately led to his suicide once he had been sentenced to return to prison.Similarities versus differencesNarcissists and psychopaths share the same perspective on society: they see society as something to be used, although they use it for different reasons. Narcissists and psychopaths use people as a leech does a host.

What Kind Of Personality Disorders Do Serial Killers Have

They see people as objects. They are self-centred and lacking in empathy for others' feelings and point of view. They are entitled, feeling the right to special treatment, regardless of their lack of deserving it. Likewise, both narcissists and psychopaths are lazy in achieving goals, unable to commit to long-term plans, and quickly become bored. They change their partner as soon as things start to get too 'serious' or when their short attention span seeks another 'conquest'. Both narcissists and psychopaths have an essentially superficial view of the world.However, there are also important differences. While both narcissists and psychopaths lack empathy and are both inherently self-centred, their behavioural aspect still bears striking differences.

Lacking empathy and thus proper, in-depth emotions, both psychopaths and narcissists can also be susceptible to bursts of violent emotion. This has also been called 'controlled emotion' i.e. With the appearance of a tantrum for effect.The difference is that narcissists are more likely to show these traits more exuberantly, being prone to bouts of histrionics (interestingly, ). Likewise, narcissists are more likely to outwardly display mood swings, both positive and negative, whereas psychopaths are much more likely to have the appearance of being emotionally dead.

This emotional instability which is much more prevalent in narcissists stems from an inherent insecurity, which in turn stems from the root of the individual's narcissism: a traumatic or unloving childhood. Narcissism is thought to be a by-product of a lack of attention or emotionally-stunted early childhood, resulting in the child relying on its own self as a source of attention and love. For this reason, narcissists, as well as being emotionally unstable and insecure, are also likely to turn to alcohol and drug abuse, and may even - in the last resort - turn to suicide. These are all forms of 'attention seeking', although to an outsider they may appear to be something quite different. At their heart, narcissists are insecure, child-like, almost pathetic, individuals, who have never truly adapted to adulthood. Being a narcissist is a fundamentally unhappy experience, where the individual is rarely - and only only fleetingly - 'happy', always in search of the next source of narcissistic supply.By contrast, psychopaths, are rarely 'insecure': on the contrary, they usually have high levels of self-esteem, and are well in control of their 'emotions' (if they have any); as said before, these are usually used as another tool as part of the psychopaths repertoire.

Unlike the child-like narcissist, the psychopath is a true predator: lacking empathy and seeing human emotions as 'weakness'; they can also be extremely adept at knowing how to manipulate others. This is what makes psychopaths so dangerous. Narcissists, being more self-obsessed, are (arguably) less so. Psychopaths are thought to be a by-product of a combination of biological and environmental factors, and thus for this reason, a different type of beast from a narcissist.While the narcissist can be symbolised as an annoying, needy, infantile child, the psychopath is the 'wolf in sheep's clothing', always on the prowl, while acting as the innocuous 'Samaritan'. In this sense, narcissists are also often much more easy to spot due to their overblown personalities; the psychopath is more skilled at hiding their true nature, making him even more dangerous.

Table of Contents.Sociopaths are often a product of their environment rather than being born with the innate qualities that make them cold and calculating. Unlike their psychopath counterparts, sociopaths do not typically have an extensive education and often struggle maintaining employment.

Their behaviors are usually responsive and erratic, following no real trend or pattern. They can become attached to a person or group to the point of obsession where psychopaths lack the ability to form any real attachments.When divulging into the world of famous serial killers, sociopaths are most often the individuals who are discovered for their crimes. Their inability to plan properly and their common trait of acting on impulse often leaves behind clues and evidence leading authorities straight to them. Here are 3 Famous Serial killers who exhibited sociopathic characteristics. John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy.A product of a vicious alcoholic father who often physically abused Gacy and his mother, the boy never showed measurable success throughout his school years.

His toxic home environment combined with his early health problems are just some of the factors which led to the development of his sociopathic tendencies.To the outside world, Gacy appeared to be an upstanding citizen for many years. Despite rumors and accusations of sexual assault early in his life, Gacy married and ran a business in the construction industry for many years.

However, after announcing to his wife in 1975 that he was bisexual, the couple eventually divorced.Gacy later reported to police that his murderous activities began in 1972 with Timothy McCoy, a young man who Gacy had picked up from the bus station. It was McCoy’s murder that led Gacy to the conclusion that he could achieve immense satisfaction through the taking of a life. Gacy buried McCoy’s body under the crawl space of his home. Two years later, another teenage boy joined McCoy’s body as a result of strangulation.Following Gacy’s divorce and his booming construction company, Gacy began increasing the frequency of murders, burying many of the bodies under his home in Illinois. Between the years of 1976 and 1978, Gacy abducted and murdered over 30 teenage boys.

It was his final attempt in 1978, where his victim managed to escape, that led authorities to his door with an arrest warrant.During his trial, Gacy’s attorneys claimed non-guilty by reason of insanity stating that he could commit heinous crimes without any feelings of guilt or remorse. Gacy was executed in 1994. Ed Gein Ed Geingrew up on a 155-acre farm in Wisconsin. Gein’s mother was an extremely religious woman, often preaching to her children the evils of alcohol and women, claiming that all women were essentially prostitutes without grace.

Gein’s father was an alcoholic who struggled to maintain a job and eventually succumbed to heart failure at the age of 66. A series of unfortunate events left Gein to care for an ailing mother who eventually died at age 67.Gein was said to have had an unnatural attachment to his mother and her death was the initiating force which led him to his criminal activity. He is only credited for two murders but was found to have been interested in abducting bodies and using their parts for creating elaborate trophies of bones and skin. It is rumored that Gein was seeking the bodies of women who resembled his mother to make a suit of skin to become her.Gein was arrested after reports to police of shrunken skulls were in his home. Gein showed no real remorse for his crimes, claiming that his visits to graveyards were done in a haze. His attorneys sought a diagnosis of schizophrenia, although Gein was most likely a true sociopath.

He was found guilty of his crimes, including the murder of a store attendant, and later died in the Mendota Mental Health Institute of lung cancer. Andrei Chikatilo Andrei Chikatilowas born in 1936 in the Soviet Union. He was a child of poverty, often sharing a bed with his parents. His childhood was littered with abuse from his mother and rumors of his brother’s death due to cannibalism provided the necessary components for developing sociopathic tendencies.Chikatilo is credited for having committed a total of 53 murders from 1978 to 1990, although he confessed to killing at least 56. His victims consisted of males and females, ranging in ages from 9 to 25 years of age.It was discovered that many of the victim’s bodies showed signs of mutilation to the eye sockets as well as signs of other forms of torture, both pre and post-mortem. During the investigation and trial, it was said that Chikatilo lured his victims with the promise of money and alcohol and would attempt to engage in sexual activities.

However, his impotence fueled his rage and resulted in their torture and murder. Chikatilo was said to have used a knife in his killings, often slashing and slicing his victims until he was able to reach climax through the act of violence.Chikatilo was initially arrested in 1984, following reports of a man meeting his description being the last person seen with a 10-year-old boy whose body was later found. Authorities believed that the boy’s murderer was also connected to several other counts. However, DNA evidence collected from semen samples showed a blood type of AB. When tested, Chikatilo’s blood type showed type A, eliminating him as a suspect in the crimes.

He served a year for petty theft but was later released.Chikatilo was arrested a second time for his crimes in 1990 after a chance encounter with an undercover officer who stated that he seemed suspicious and had a red smear on his cheek as well as grass and dirt on his clothing. Chikatilo denied having committed any murders for many months before confessing to 34 of 36 murders which authorities had linked to him. A few days following his first confession, Chikatilo also confessed to an additional 22 murders, bringing his count to 56.

He was executed by gunshot in February of 1994.Each of these famous serial killers exhibited characteristics of a sociopath. Each had some traumatic childhood experience or experiences, an interest in violent and heinous activities, and showed no remorse for their crimes. Their disrespect for the rules and laws allowed them the freedom to enact their murderous sprees. However, lack of proper planning left a trail of evidence behind them leading to their arrest and deaths.