Do psychopaths want to feel emotion?

Psychopaths do have feelings … well, some feelings. While psychopaths show a specific lack in emotions, such as anxiety, fear and sadness, they can feel other emotions, such as happiness, joy, surprise and disgust, in a similar way as most of us would.

Can psychopaths learn emotions?

There is now substantial evidence that psychopaths can in fact experience emotions – but only under the right circumstances. And they can display normal emotional responses – when the emotion is part of their goal, or when they are invited to respond to perceptually simple basic shapes or single objects.

Can psychopaths learn empathy?

A psychopath can have a very high form of cognitive empathy, too. In fact, they are very good at reading other people. They seem like they can read minds sometimes. But even though they can understand people’s emotions, it doesn’t register emotionally with them—they have no emotional empathy.

What do psychopaths feel for humans?

They have nothing but disdain for the emotions that normal human beings feel. But at the same time, psychopaths can’t live without feeding upon the real and deeper emotions of people who care about them, of individuals who can love: in other words of the people they use, abuse, toy with, lie to and hurt. Psychopaths are often sexual predators.

What is the difference between a neurotypical and a psychopath?

They are also traits that a neurotypical can have. A large difference that cannot be ignored is the fundamental lack of empathy. In this case psychopaths have none of it. Neurotypicals might be able to stow away and compartmentalize their emotional experience, but they are hard wired to feel it, where as we are not.

Can non-psychopaths exhibit or mimic psychopathic traits?

Yes, non-psychopaths can exhibit or mimic psychopathic traits. They can be psychopathic in degree but not totality. Three types come to mind: Stoics, Buddhist and Machiavellians. All three display high degree of the behavioral traits, but not be psychopathic.

What is a psychopath’s core emotion?

A psychopath’s core emotion is contempt for the individuals he fools, uses and abuses and for humanity in general. You can identify the psychopath’s underlying contempt much more easily once he no longer needs you or once his mask of sanity shatters. As we’ve seen, psychopaths hold themselves in high regard and others in low regard.