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‘Killer stare’ doesn’t confirm psychopathy as psychologist outlines more obvious traits
Psychopaths, like sociopaths and narcissists, suffer from antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). While several signs diagnose this terrifying mental condition, the gaze doesn’t give away much.
Unlike criminals we see in fiction, whose behavior is marked with violence and disorder, psychopaths are highly capable of leading a normal life. In fact, they know how to keep their true identity hidden to deceive others while gaining what they want. Therefore, you can’t label someone a psychopath by looking at their eyes alone, and a psychologist explains why.
Psychologist explains the more obvious traits of psychopathy
It is true that psychopaths tend to be more violent and ruthless, which stems from their lack of empathy and remorse – two tell-tale signs of people with this ASPD.
Psychologist Adam Horvath tells The Focus that “lack of empathy is a core characteristic and explains why they may act without concern for others.”
The mental condition is more complex than its representation in fiction or social media, where the term psychopath is thrown around casually. Adam says the condition is difficult to diagnose even for a trained mental health expert.
So, how do you know you’re dealing with a psychopath? The answer is tricky because they are good at camouflaging to live among normal people.
“They can imitate normal behaviors, not only to avoid detection but to exploit others,” the psychologist said, before listing behavioral traits unique to psychopaths.
People suffering from the problematic personality type lack genuine friendships and meaningful relationships because they see everyone as “tools to be used”.
“This approach to relationships reflects their self-centered and calculating nature. Psychopaths are often callous and show no remorse or guilt for their actions,” Adam tells The Focus.
What about their eyes?
As far as their appearance is concerned, psychopaths can’t be identified by certain physical attributes – their eyes included. Such a generalization that lacks evidence can result in misdiagnosis and sidelines actual behavioral traits we went through earlier.
When we asked Adam if there’s any truth to the popular belief that psychopaths have a “killer stare” or a gaze unique to their condition, he brushed it off as just a myth.
He explained: “As for physical attributes, there isn’t a reliable way to identify a psychopath based on appearance. The “killer stare” is more of a myth than a diagnostic feature.”
“While some people with psychopathy might exhibit a cold or intense gaze, this isn’t a sign of the condition. Behavior, rather than physical traits, is the key to understanding psychopaths,” he continued.
People with ASPD fail to recognize the distress they bring to others and reduce to seek therapy. Their problematic behavior devoid of guilt and remorse can manifest as criminal behaviors and they end up in the corrective system because they are often careless, and exploitative.
Adam Horvath is a registered psychologist in North Sydney, trained in Clinical Psychology. He holds a Master of Clinical Psychology from The University of Sydney and obtained Psychology Honors from Macquarie University.
