I get asked this question, especially in light of my shortlist of traits associated with predatory psychopaths (1. Charismatic, 2. Smart, 3. No Feelings, 4. Impulsive, 5. Winners, 6. Never Wrong), this is number three. The question is, “Do psychopaths have feelings?” In defense of my shortlist which is used to identify a potential predatory psychopath rapidly, the list is solid. And a layman would correctly identify a predatory psychopath as having no feelings because there would be no indication that a predatory psychopath would have any feelings that are apparent to the naked eye.
The attentive common observer can ascertain that these individuals have a lack of compassion or empathy, and do not possess the ability to feel guilt, shame, or remorse. Psychopaths are excellent at telling undetectable lies. They do not appear to be cautious or fearful, and they do not understand why something they did or said might have hurt someone else’s feelings.
Psychopaths tend to be assertive and disrespectful of others’ feelings; they say things like,
- “I just call ‘em like I see ‘em.”
- “I tell the truth, even if it hurts.”
- “I don’t play games; I tell it like it is.”
- “Why are you so sensitive about that? Do you have unresolved issues?”
- “I respect you too much to baby you.”
- “If you don’t like it, too bad.”
- “What? You have no sense of humor?”
This is what makes us reason that they do not have feelings, at least, like the rest of us.
That is not to say that psychopaths do not have any emotional feelings, and it does skim over the psychopath’s ability to act as though they have normal feelings in an effort to get you to let down your guard. Even so, if the predator has laid on their emotional acting skills very thickly, the average person would be able to spot apparent inconsistencies where the psychopath clearly displays a lack of emotion elsewhere throughout their life, when they are not trying to actively influence or manipulate a potential victim. Observe them, and how they act for the rest of their life.
If you are evaluating a potential predatory psychopath who appears to have no feelings, except when he or she is with you, then you can rationalize that the feelings that you are witnessing are more than likely just an act. What you are seeing are not authentic emotions.
Do Psychopaths Have Feelings?
6 Feelings Felt by Psychopaths
In the real world, even though you may not be able to correctly interpret them, psychopaths do have feelings; they are just not experienced like yours and mine.
1. Do Psychopaths Have Feelings, Like Anxiety?
Yes. When the attention of the psychopath begins to wane, they tend to express themselves not as rationally, giving way to anger and potentially fits of rage. They crave stimulation, and when there is a lack of it, they will experience a twinge of anxiety which will trigger drastic mood swings between utter boredom and extreme rage. This is when they are potentially misdiagnosed as being bipolar.
2. Joy?
Yes. They gravitate toward their own feelings of enjoyment (even though their sense of joy may not be driven by the same things you and I might consider enjoyable). They may derive a sense of joy from getting one over on someone else, seeing somebody suffer, or causing the demise of another person. They may also achieve enjoyment from lifting the feelings of another person so high, knowing that their next move will be to crush them entirely (which gives them an even greater sense of joy).
3. Power?
You bet they do. They are thrilled and crave the feeling of being powerful, and superior to others, and are energetically charged by the “thrill of the hunt.” Stealthily moving in and around social circles to seize their next opportunity or find their next victim.
4. Comfort and Satisfaction?
Yes, they do like to relax in a state of comfort and satisfaction, and these are related to the other, as there must be a degree of satisfaction with where they are in life and any scheme or con they may be currently involved in to achieve a state of comfort.
5. Excitement?
Wow, do they ever! Psychopaths are addicted to the feeling of excitement, so they like to take risks more than the rest of us that are more cautious. This leads to their impulsivity, and they rarely will extrapolate the actions that they take from which they may derive a feeling of pleasure at the moment to evaluate any potential consequences that may appear later.
6. Do Psychopaths Experience Feelings of Being Rewarded?
Yes. Psychopaths are attracted to many forms of entertainment, mostly the expensive types of entertainment, as they do respond to the reward system in the same way we do. Only where you might be happy to be recognized with a certificate or pizza party, they will require a more expensive reward before they feel they have been adequately rewarded.
Psychopaths will try to assert that they do have feelings and will go through the motions of proving their emotions resulting in a false positive, but this is all an act put on just to confuse you and lower your defenses so they can further manipulate and/or victimize you.
Psychopaths do have feelings, but they tend to be shallow and self-serving. They may feel emotions such as anger, frustration, and pleasure, but they are less likely to experience empathy or compassion for others. They may also be skilled at mimicking emotions and expressions that are socially appropriate, which can make it difficult to distinguish genuine emotions from those that are being feigned.
One way to try to tell if a psychopath is genuinely experiencing an emotion is to observe their behavior over time and look for patterns. For example, if they consistently exhibit certain behaviors or reactions in response to certain situations, it may suggest that their emotional response is not genuine. It can also be helpful to pay attention to how their behavior aligns with their words. If their words and actions do not match up, it may indicate that they are not being truthful or sincere. However, it’s important to remember that psychopaths can be very skilled at deception and manipulation, so it can be challenging to discern their true emotions and intentions.
So, to answer your question,
“Do Psychopaths Have Feelings?”
The answer is. “Yes,” but just not like you and me.