The “almost Psychopaths, According To Dr. Ronald Schouten

The psychiatrist Ronald Schouten has proposed the category of “almost psychopaths” to define those people who meet various diagnostic criteria, but do not meet important characteristics of the typical psychopath. Under that name are grouped those who have not received a clinical diagnosis, do not commit crimes, but do have antisocial behaviors.

According to Dr. Ronald Schouten, “near psychopaths” often cause more damage than those diagnosed in that category. It is because they camouflage themselves better and are more adapted, but at the same time they become as destructive as a criminal psychopath.

In this regard, Ronald Schouten published the book Almost a Psychopath , whose translation would be precisely “almost psychopaths”. The topic has aroused great interest because it is clear that there are many people who fit into that classification and are in positions of power or meet frequently in everyday life.

The “almost psychopaths”

The characteristics that define “almost psychopaths” are present at the behavioral, affective, and interpersonal levels. From a behavioral point of view, these types of people are characterized by being impulsive and irresponsible. They have no problem breaking rules and their social life is unstable. They have parasitic and poorly planned behaviors.

On the emotional level, “almost psychopaths” very rarely or never experience feelings of guilt , anxiety or remorse. Their capacity for empathy, if they have it, is minimal. They experience feelings in a very superficial way and have a hard time establishing lasting bonds with other people and even with goals or ideas.

On the interpersonal level, they stand out for their self-centeredness  and arrogance. They are people endowed with a lot of energy, they tend to have great charm and are dominant with others. They often instrumentalize the people around them and think more about manipulating others than establishing a bond with them.

The psychopaths and the “almost psychopaths”

In general terms, what characterizes a psychopath is the fact of exhibiting  extreme antisocial behaviors. It is important to say that most people have, to a greater or lesser extent, something of liars or manipulators. However, these types of behaviors only appear sporadically and, usually, in very specific circumstances.

Meanwhile, the psychopath and the “almost psychopaths” have behaviors of this type continuously. In fact, they do not conceive the concept of “other”: for them other people are instruments, not equals. Among the traits that characterize psychopaths are the following:

• Intelligence above average and great personal charm.
• Apparently balanced behaviors and verbal ability.
• They do not have hallucinations, nor do they present delusional thoughts.
• Lack of sense of responsibility, insincerity and falsehood.
• Sudden impulsiveness and difficulty in evaluating and learning from lived experiences.
• Unexplained episodes of rude and vulgar behavior, especially when drinking alcohol.
• Suicide threats that are not carried out.
• Those already mentioned: self-centeredness, arrogance, manipulation, poor emotions, difficulty in planning and sticking to plans, etc.

What then differentiates psychopaths from “almost psychopaths”? In general, the use of physical violence and criminal conduct itself. The former have no limit. The latter generate victims on the emotional plane and not on the physical.

What to do in the face of “almost psychopaths”?

We don’t usually meet textbook psychopaths. Instead, the chances of us running into a “near psycho” are very high. In today’s world there are many people who fall into this category, as they are often very successful and success is rarely questioned by society.

It is very difficult for “near psychopaths” to seek a change in their behavior. Their characteristics make them see themselves as “above average” people. Likewise, they do not carry guilt or deep feelings of pain with them, for which they hardly recognize that they need help.

Their victims are often dazzled by the great virtues of these people, such as charm and intelligence. Likewise, they are often reluctant to admit that they are in front of someone with antisocial traits, since they are under the intoxication of their manipulations. Many times they minimize the damage to which they are subjected.

If you notice that you are around someone who fits into the classification of “near psychopaths,” the first step is to protect yourself. Establish limits and make explicit the bases of the relationship you want to maintain, so that it cannot use the excuse that it did not know where the limits were when it was considered to exceed them.