Why are their so many psychopaths in the military?
FIRST..... Not sure your perception is accurate. We often see what we are looking for and expect to see. Anecdotal evidence is not good science. SECOND.... While there is a possibility that service volunteers in a volunteer military will have a tendency to have a similar psychology the label "psychopath" is way too strong..... they do have a tendency to be anal retentive and conservative ..... especially lifers.....but even that is not true of everyone. Lifers stay because they like what they find. The structure and discipline give them a sense of control that is missing in civilian life. THIRD After 30 years of military service I find that generally speaking those people in the service are a reflection of American society...... a little more educated due to the higher standards required to join..... a little more conservative ...... but generally a mirror image of society.....while the media highlights domestic violence..... if you examine the data you will find it consistent with other high stress professions..... there is less drug use than civilian life by necessity / random testing...... FINALLY Your "evidence" is a bit weak and not really "cause and effect".....The military is the action arm of our nations foreign policy.... Foreign policy is determined by civilians ...... the military itself has little input .... very few combat troops will survive without "scars" both outside and inside.....but that is true of firemen.....and policemen.....of even doctors and nurses..... my wife has PTSD and she never served one day in the military.....she has night terrors just like a combat vet..... Living leaves scars.... stress kills While we may agree that our nations military policy....foreign policy is F*CKED-UP...... military personnel have nothing to do with it any more than a policeman has control of the F*CKED-UP environment he is in You were five years in recruiting...... I spent almost all of my career in the front line....82 d Airborne.....101 st Airborne......Special Forces..... went to two wars...... not in an office but in the mud and the blood.....I think my perception is a bit different than yours
Are police officers sadists or psychopaths?
Are priests sadists or psychopaths? Are physicians sadists or psychopaths?? Are millionaire athletes sadists or psychopaths?Unless you have some specific evidence or decent medical statistics suggesting that LEOs are more likely to be sadists or psychopaths than the general population (you don't), then the anewer is as varied and complex as it is for everyone else.Many police officers are psychologically screened before they are employed, though psychopaths are notoriously adept at evading diagnosis, so the reality is that there are a small number of police officers who probably are psychopaths and sadists…just like the rest of the population.I'll add, therefore, that we should expect them to act no more like psychopaths and sadists than the rest of us.…and I think that, by and large, they do act like the rest of us in that regard.They're people. No more. No less.That being said, I believe that many of them are addicted to the power and control that being a law enforcement officer gives them. I won't speculate on the insecurities and low-self esteem that often lead to such affinities, but I am certain that in most cases they don't stem from fundamental sadistic tendencies or psychopathic disorders.
How many cops are sociopaths?
Every professional attracts certain personality types, and people attracted to being a police officer are often sadists. It is a professional in which one has large amounts of power over average people, and "legal" targets that allows them to take aggression out on without getting into trouble, so you can see why that would be so. That is why you often hear about police brutality, whereas you don't often hear about psychologist brutality. Now if you want to discuss psychologists and narcissism & superiority complexes, that is another thing :). The above doesn't mean I'm saying their are not any good cops, but one would be foolish to dismiss the obvious.
Are war-loving citizens psychopaths?
No, but psychopaths are drawn to occupations where they have power (the military, police work, corrections officer). War-loving citizens may be that way because they enjoy violence, but more than likely they go through a series of “mental hoops” to justify the use of violence. So they use mental strategies to convince themselves that war is necessary, torture is helpful, etc. for whatever reason. Civilians are far removed from war, and so they may have beliefs that would be questioned and even discarded if they were to join the military.
Are bullies drawn to police work?
I'm not sure how to take this question, but I think that many individuals are called to be law enforcement officers. Not many can answer that call. When many run from the danger, the officer is expected to run towards the danger. Whether you chose to believe that that kind of person has a bully mentality or feels the compulsion to perform a career that is much bigger then themselves. As a child I respected officers believing "Good Guys Wore White Hats and Carried Silver Bullets." Of course that is just my analogy describing who applies to be a police officer. I never was a bully. I was more of a individual who lived a normal life doing normal things that kids do. I knew at an early age, the career of a police officer was all I ever wanted. In my career, I started to pursue one direction when life takes you in another. It was not the career path I wanted, but it turned into the best avenue of law enforcement for me. The experiences from my childhood up to and through my career were extreme, but necessary to perform the career of a Texas Law Enforcement Officer. I retired in 2009 after a 35 year career and four sheriff's I had done my best and now live a life according to the LORD my God's Will.
How dangerous is a Distempered Psychopath when you are divorcing him?
I believe my husband of 16 months, whom I am divorcing has NPD,and all the characteristics of a Distempered Psychopath and Charismatic Psychopath. He is obsessive-compulsive. He has many characteristics of Histrionic Disorder. He is abusive verbally and emotionally. He has already resorted to a full fledged discrediting campaign by spreading false rumors about me. He has made me look like the mentally ill one. He started isolating me socially months ago, he would pick a fight so we couldn't go to social functions with my friends. If the social function was with his friends, he would go without me. He is charming, handsome & successful. He is embarressingly flirtatious with women in front of me, always with sexually provocative undertones. My family is completely conned by him. My mother has secret conversations with him( she is narcissistic and was abusive to me.) His mother was a Kleptomaniac. His behavior is getting bizarre. How dangerous could he be now that he knows I am leaving.
I’ve heard that psychopaths are inclined to choose the profession of a police officer. What are some instances where you’ve noticed behavior from a cop, that has been psychopathic?
I am among the first to defend the service from all the false allegations made against us, but i actually think there is some truth in this. Power attracts psychopaths and the Police offers that power.However like most corporate psychopaths they tend to rise up in the organisation so the public dont have to interact with them for long.Its an unfortunate malady of all careers and organisations I think.-I might add for those who do not know what Im talking about when I say corporate psychopath. These are not axe wielding violent people- these are the types of people that become CEOs and cut hundreds of jobs to ensure their own bonus payment etc.They are the biggest causes of stress and misery for all working people imho.