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Are psychopaths necessarily bad people?

153 Answers
Last Updated: 05/27/2022 at 2:12am
Are psychopaths necessarily bad people?
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
September 23rd, 2016 9:34pm
Not necessary. They are people just like you and me, but the difference is they have no empathy. They can live a normal life if they follow certain rules.
Anonymous
October 9th, 2016 4:10am
Nobody is necessarily a bad person, psychopaths need help and support just like everyone else. After all, it is a disorder.
Anonymous
October 19th, 2016 11:12pm
Usually people think of psychopaths as bad people. They *can* mean well, but they are probably mentally ill and that prevents something from working. They do actions they might not even know they're doing.
Authorisms
October 26th, 2016 8:06pm
In my experience, not all of them. Especially the young ones who just haven't quite figured themselves out yet, and are influenced by others.
MysticTails2701
October 28th, 2016 12:15pm
no, being psychopathic just means that a person has more of an urge towards there primitive instinct of survival, making them have thoughts of suicide and homicide. however, some d not want these thoughts, so why would they be classed as bad people?
ablessing
October 28th, 2016 5:48pm
I personally don't think they are because they aren't necessarily the same as portrayed in movies. It's a personality disorder just as many others are.
Anonymous
November 3rd, 2016 7:50pm
They arent necessarily bad people. You just got to learn more about them and what they have been through in life in order to have become that way.
Iamluke
November 5th, 2016 3:55pm
no,personally i think it really depends. psychopaths are like a mental illness that causes people to be like that. it is not really a person's personality.
CharlieTheFruit
November 12th, 2016 7:26am
No, they don't have to be bad people, most of them are just normal people who have to deal with problems haven't ever talked about. So the result is it frustration, feeling of being misunderstood etc.
Miranda1999
November 30th, 2016 11:37pm
No they aren't. Most psychopaths have a gene called the warrior gene, and have less activity in certain parts of the brain. However, there are many psychopaths out in the world who you wouldn't think would be one, most likely they are to be CEO type people. But not they aren't necessarily bad people, many psychopaths turn out to not actually do bad things in there life just like any other person.
Anonymous
December 16th, 2016 4:12pm
I personally think psychopaths aren't all bad people. I believed that some of their violence actions are more due to the disorders of their brain on how they processed feeling, empathy, and sympathy. However, their actions of violence aren't meant to be ignored, but punishing them because of their dysfunction that turns to be their nature is kind of wrong for me, but we also can't let them walk around by thinking harming people is fine too. So I think we might need to help them learn how to live in the society and it's may due to how we educated them and our people. But this is only me- just a thought.
Supergirl94
January 26th, 2017 3:04am
I got this from Psychology Today.com " Psychopathy is among the most difficult disorders to spot. The psychopath can appear normal, even charming. Underneath, he lacks conscience and empathy, making him manipulative, volatile and often (but by no means always) criminal. She is an object of popular fascination and clinical anguish: adult psychopathy is largely impervious to treatment, though programs are in place to treat callous, unemotional youth in hopes of preventing them from maturing into psychopaths. Psychopathy is a spectrum disorder and can be diagnosed only using the 20-item Hare Psychopathy Checklist. (The bar for clinical psychopathy is a score of 30 or more). Brain anatomy, genetics, and a person’s environment may all contribute to the development of psychopathic traits. The terms “psychopath” and “sociopath” are often used interchangeably, but in correct parlance a “sociopath” refers to a person with antisocial tendencies that are ascribed to social or environmental factors, whereas psychopathic traits are more innate, though a chaotic or violent upbringing may tip the scales for those already predisposed to behave psychopathically. Both constructs are most closely represented in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as Antisocial Personality Disorder." So not necessarily no, they are simply lacking in traits or abilities that others possess. Such as lacking empathy, it means they cannot understand your situation, your emotions or how to properly react to it. Often psychopaths are found to have bad pasts or environments which have lead them to become who they are. Sometimes psychopaths go down bad roads themselves but that does not mean they are always bad people. :)
Paige81
May 31st, 2017 2:30pm
Are psychopaths necessarily bad people depends on how you define the construct psychopaths and bad people. A psychopath is defined as, "a person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior". If a human being is suffering from a chronic mental disorder it is not because they chose to have that disorder. Psychopathy can be dangerous if the person does not have their disorder under control. We may not choose who we are but we do have the free will to choose how we handle who we are. It is not for me to judge who is bad and who is good. We are all human beings that deserve as Carl Rogers describes it "unconditional positive regard". Any person with a violent tendency or history demands a cautiousness in their presence. I think understanding safety in this context is more important than determining good v. bad.
candyquinn
July 8th, 2017 6:11am
Psychopaths are not necessarily bad people they just lack empathy. Every single day you come across seven psychopaths. So if you say they are bad you are probably dead by now.
SilentSerenityy
July 30th, 2017 12:07pm
It depends on what you think makes someone bad. If it's based on someone's actions and behaviour, then many psychopaths aren't bad. Psychopathy is a mental disorder that they cannot help and having that type of disorder/personality is something they likely wish they didn't have, if they're aware of it. I don't feel that someone is a bad person with psychopathy, unless they do allow themselves to start treating people and even animals badly.
Superhan
August 6th, 2017 5:30pm
No one is bad, everyone has something good inside. Don't judge people easily, give them a chance, listen and help
avanef
November 3rd, 2017 3:50am
It honestly depends on what they do, how they do it and if they continue wanting to do what they do. Some people can have psychopath tendencies but never do anything with them and that's a good thing and we need to help those who do have them but are heading down bad paths with it.
TogetherForeverAlways
November 20th, 2017 4:22pm
I don't know what to answer this, at least properly/with full data. I know very little about psychopaths (the basics and what I've learned from the TV show Criminal Minds), and if my info is correct sometimes those people are so mentally disturbed that they're not aware of what they do (or if they are, they just don't think as a regular people and don't see what's wrong in doing that), therefore they can't be responsibilized or sentenceed by a normal court, but instead to mental hospitals or clinics.
SAALG
November 22nd, 2017 5:43pm
In my opinion no ,however I understand why people think there bad myself once thought that but I believe everyone has good in them but they need the right people and resources to get back on track and improve
KongfuPanda
December 7th, 2017 3:02pm
My understanding: They are people whose brain wiring has some issues that hinder them from discerning rights from wrongs
HavenonEarth
December 28th, 2017 12:15am
A person can become psychopathic due to hereditary influences, how they are nurtured, just having a personality that leans towards psychopathic tendencies or both. Nobody chooses intentionally chooses to be a psychopath, the same way someone suffering from cancer does not choose to suffer from cancer, so no. Depending on their relationships and values, they are still able to seek help for their behaviours and so forth, however.
Anonymous
January 13th, 2018 3:55am
No. They are people who have problems probably from family or friends or from the past that needs help.
xoxoSouthernProperxoxo
January 24th, 2018 12:15am
I don't believe psychopaths are bad people. I believe that are misunderstood. Psychopaths are people who have been hurt really badly and did not heal. They learned to cope by doing bad things.
Anonymous
February 7th, 2018 9:40am
no not necessarily they are human beings and they can be good people it's not their fault they are like this
genuineGabby97
March 1st, 2018 8:34pm
Psychopaths aren't necessarily bad people. They have been through bad experiences in their life and possibly never received help for those experiences or issues. Yes there are some who choose their actions, but they are still human and need help from those who are experienced and could help them.
Anonymous
March 4th, 2018 4:52pm
Psychopaths are not necessarily bad people because they aren't doing violent actions on purpose or trying to violate any rules it's more like as much as they want to positively change and help others, they can't because how much they're going through on their own.
Anonymous
March 4th, 2018 8:28pm
They're not basically bad people, but they don't feel emphaty, which is a moral compass. Without it, psychopatic people can't dicern right from wrong, and they mostly look for their own benefit, regardles of other peoples' emotions.
compassionateDay97
March 5th, 2018 2:11pm
No. Psychopaths aren't bad people. Yet, due to the lack of empathy and remorse they feel, this isn't down to their character. It can not be helped. It is an illness.
suchAngel
April 5th, 2018 12:58pm
No, not always. psychopaths are people who cannot control there mental well being and react differently. There is always a way to heal.
Anonymous
April 6th, 2018 3:55am
No, psychopaths are not necessarily bad people. One should not be judged based on a medical diagnosis, some individuals are people that are kind and of good heart, even with a psychopath diagnosis.