Psychopath, Hervey Cleckley, The Mask of Sanity Directory

Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 1: An Outline of the Problem, 1. Sanity-a protean concept
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 1: An Outline of the Problem, 1. Sanity-a protean concept, A millionaire notable for his eccentricity had an older and better balanced brother who, on numerous fitting occasions, exercised strong persuasion to bring him under psychiatric care. On receiving word that this wiser brother had been deserted immediately after the nuptial night by a famous lady of the theatre (on whom he had just settled a large fortune) and that the bride, furthermore, had, during the brief pseudoconnubial episode, remained stubbornly encased in tights, the younger hastened to dispatch this succinct and unanswerable telegram at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 1: An Outline of the Problem, 2. Traditions that obscure our subject
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 1: An Outline of the Problem, 2. Traditions that obscure our subject, Raising general questions about personality disorder, we have briefly considered (1) persons suffering from illnesses that progress to major mental disability and (2) the numerous citizens of our nation, many of them able and well educated, who hold beliefs generally regarded as unsupported by evidence and considered by many as irrational or even fantastic. Aside from these groups and aside from all types of patients recognized as psychotic, there remains for our consideration a large body of people who are incapable of leading normal lives and whose behavior causes great distress in every community at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 1: An Outline of the Problem, 3. Not as single spies but in battalions
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 1: An Outline of the Problem, 3. Not as single spies but in battalions, In attempt to determine the incidence of this disorder in the population as a whole is opposed by serious difficulties. The vagueness of officially accepted criteria for diagnosis and the extreme variation of degree in such maladjustment constitute primary obstacles. Statistics from most psychiatric hospitals are necessarily misleading, since the psychopath is not technically eligible for admission and only those who behave in such an extremely abnormal manner as to appear orthodoxly psychotic (that is to say, as suffering from another and very different disorder) appear in the records. If the traditional legal and medical rules were regularly followed, statistics from state hospitals and from the federal psychiatric institutions would show no psychopaths at all. Let it also be noted that these institutions contain a vast majority of the patients hospitalized in the United States for mental disorder. Most statistical studies, therefore, cannot be regarded as even remotely suggesting the prevalence of this disability in the population at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 1: An Outline of the Problem, 4. Method of presentation
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 1: An Outline of the Problem, 4. Method of presentation, Before attempting to define or describe the psychopath (antisocial personality), to contrast him with other types of psychiatric patients, or to make any attempt to explain him, I would like to present some specimens of the group for consideration. This procedure will be in accord with the principles of science in method at least, since, as Karl Pearson pointed out in The Grammar of Science, this method always consists of three steps: 119 1. The observation and recording of facts 2. The grouping of these facts with proper correlation and with proper distinction from other facts 3. The effort to devise some summarizing or, if possible, explanatory statement which will enable one to grasp conveniently their significance at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 5. Max
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 5. Max, This patient first came to my attention years ago while I was serving my turn as officer of the day in a Veterans Administration psychiatric institution. His wife telephoned to the hospital for assistance, stating that Max had slipped away from her and had begun to make trouble again. With considerable urgency and apparent distress she explained that she was bringing him to be admitted as a patient and begged that a car with attendants be sent at once to her aid. He was found in the custody of the police, against whom he had made some resistance but much more vocal uproar. The resistance actually was only a show of resistance consisting for the most part of dramatically aggressive gestures made while he was too securely held to fight and extravagant boasts of his physical prowess and savage temper at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 6. Roberta
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 6. Roberta, This young woman, sitting now for the first time in my office, gave an impression that vaguely suggested-immaturity? The word is not entirely accurate for the impression. Immaturity might imply the guarded, withdrawn attitude often shown by children in the doctor's office. It was another, in fact, almost an opposite feeling that she gave. Something less than the average of self-consciousness, a sort of easy security that does not arise from effort or from pretense-some qualities of this nature seemed to enter into the impression at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 7. Arnold
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 7. Arnold, This patient had recently left the hospital (A.W.O.L.) while out on pass. The following letters arrived from him after a few days: Baltimore, April 4th, 19-- Saturday, 2 P.M at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 8. Tom
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 8. Tom, This young man, 21 years of age, does not look at all like a criminal type or a shifty delinquent. In fact, he stands out in remarkable contrast to the kind of patient suggested by such a term as constitutional inferiority. He does not fit satisfactorily into the sort of picture that emerges from early descriptions of people generally inadequate and often showing physical 'stigmata of degeneracy' or ordinary defectiveness at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 9. George
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 9. George, This man was 33 years of age at the time I first saw him and admitted him to a psychiatric hospital. He stated that his trouble was 'nervousness' but could give no definite idea of what he meant by this word. He was remarkably sell-composed, showed no indication of restlessness or anxiety, and could not mention anything that he worried about. He went on to state that his alleged nervousness was caused by 'shell shock' during the war. He then proceeded to elaborate on this in an outlandish story describing himself as being cast twenty feet into the air by a shell, landing in his descent at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 10. Pierre
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 10. Pierre, Some of the patients who have been presented give concrete and abundant evidence in their behavior of a serious maladjustment and one of long duration at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 11. Frank
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 11. Frank, The following letter was received by an influential senator in Washington and referred by him to the hospital at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 12. Anna
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 12. Anna, There was nothing spectacular about her, but when she came into the office you felt that she merited the attention she at once obtained. She was, you could say without straining a point, rather good-looking, but she was not nearly so good-looking as most women would have to be to make a comparable impression. She spoke in the crisp, fluttery cadence of the British, consistently sounding her 'r's' and 'ing's' and regularly saying 'been' as they do in London. For a girl born and raised in Georgia, such speaking could suggest affectation. Yet it was the very opposite of this quality that contributed a great deal to the pleasing effect she invariably produced on those who met her at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 13. Jack
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 13. Jack, My prolonged acquaintance with our next subject began on the occasion of his return for a fourth period of hospitalization. He was accompanied by the sheriff who had brought him from jail in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was affable and courteous, entirely rational in his conversation. Though rather carelessly dressed, he made an imposing figure of a man; he was 6 feet, 3 inches tall, weighed 210 pounds, had red hair, blue eyes, a quick, humorous glance, and a disarming smile. Though 45 years of age, he appeared to be in the early thirties. His body retained good athletic lines, and he sat or stood with an easy poise at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 14. Chester
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 14. Chester, In his first admission to the closed ward of a psychiatric hospital, Chester W., 24 years of age, was friendly and alert. His freedom from anything that would suggest an ordinary psychosis was immediately noticeable. He explained to the examiner that he did not suffer from any nervous or mental disorder and emphasized the statement that no question of such a condition had ever come up in his case. He said that he came to the hospital for further examination of a serious injury to his ankle which he sustained while in the army and for which he hoped to get a pension at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 15. Walter
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 15. Walter, Walter is an only child. In the old South Carolina city where he spent his early years, he is remembered by his first playmates as having been not only normal but also a particularly desirable friend. During his grammar school days he was a good but not an exceptionally bright pupil. He was happily at ease with boys his own age, being generally looked to as a leader, though never aloof or dictatorial. He was somewhat less inclined than usual to the more destructive forms of mischief so dear to the typical young male, yet no child could have been more secure from the taunts often evoked by primness or piety in the schoolboy. It is nothing short of incredible to imagine the term sissy, withering and still unhackneyed stigma of those times, ever having been applied to Walter by anyone. That term, in fact, could not have been defined better by those who used it than as his direct opposite at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 16. Joe
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 16. Joe, This patient came in the custody of two friends, both state officers in the American Legion, to apply for admission to the hospital. He had with him commitment papers showing that he had at his own request been declared incompetent. Joe was alert and intelligent and conducted himself in a manner that suggested a person of poise, good judgment, and firm resolution. He was anything but the sort of figure that might come to mind in thinking of a patient sent for admission to such an institution at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 17. Milt
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 17. Milt, An incomplete account of this patient will be offered. His behavior and his apparent subjective reactions differ little from those of the patients already presented at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 18. Gregory
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 18. Gregory, I first saw this patient when he was 13 years old. He was referred for study and treatment by a psychiatrist who had already tried to deal with his problems for several years and who had shown great personal interest in his complicated situation. Gregory came to me from the detention center in a large southern city where he had been confined after setting fire to the local cathedral. Though he did not succeed in causing serious damage to the cathedral, the exploit was considered daring and precocious for a boy of his age. Before he was controlled by confinement in the detention center he set another fire in a large apartment building that caused substantial damage at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 19. Stanley
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 1: The disorder in full clinical manifestations, 19. Stanley, During the summer of 1972 a small item of news appeared in many of our daily newspapers over the country. It was an item that immediately engaged my attention at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 20. Degrees of disguise in essential pathology
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 20. Degrees of disguise in essential pathology, The cases already reported are only a few among many hundreds whom I have observed. All of these people, when their records over the years are considered, strike one as remarkably similar. If the story of each could be told in detail, it is believed that the similarity would become more plain to any reader. It is the contention of the present argument that this personality disorder shapes and hardens into the outlines of a very definite clinical entity or reaction type, into a pattern of disorder quite as recognizable and as real as any listed in psychiatric nomenclature at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 21. The psychopath as businessman
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 21. The psychopath as businessman, No attempt will be made to give a detailed history of this man. Suffice it to say that the incidents mentioned are not isolated experiences in the general life pattern but rather expressions of a motif which persistently recurs to interrupt the outward serenity. He is now 50 years of age, and he has gone on to achieve considerable business success, being an equal partner in a wholesale grocery concern. As a businessman there is much to be said for him. Except for his periodic sprees, he works industriously at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 22. The psychopath as man of the world
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 22. The psychopath as man of the world, The psychopath as man of the world comes from excellent stock and his educational background includes four years at a celebrated preparatory school and three at a well-known university. During his student days he took no interest whatsoever in any of his studies. His shrewdness, his skill at utilizing the work of his friends, from whose papers he usually patched together his own themes and essays, and his reliance on cheating in examinations enabled him to stay in the University through his junior year. His real interests during this period consisted in decking himself with fine clothes in which to saunter about, in presiding at social gatherings, and in flimsy but pretentious lovemaking with a large number of prominent young ladies. In the eyes of these and of their mothers he passed as a dashing beau, almost as an arbiter elegantiarum at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 23. The psychopath as gentleman
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 23. The psychopath as gentleman, This man, whom for convenience we may call W. R. L., first came to my attention professionally when seen strapped down during hydrotherapy in a continuous tub. There, surrounded by dozens of the most complete madmen an imaginative layman could conceive, he strained, cursed, bellowed, and hurled defiant imprecations at all about him at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 24. The psychopath as scientist
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 24. The psychopath as scientist, Limitations of space allow only a few highlights to be thrown on this mans interesting career. Though still in the late twenties, he was already a doctor of philosophy, and the co-author of several creditable papers on subjects in the general field of physics at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 25. The psychopath as physician
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 25. The psychopath as physician, When first seen by me, he was still in his early forties. From the country town in which he was practicing medicine an inquiry came concerning his professional ability. Everyone regarded him as a brilliant man. His patients loved him, and while he was working regularly, his collections were more than adequate. It was often impossible to find him, for now and then, in the classic manner, he lay out in third-rate hotel rooms or in the fields semiconscious until he could be found and coaxed back home at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 26. The psychopath as psychiatrist
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 2: The Material , Part 2: Incomplete manifestations or suggestions of the disorder, 26. The psychopath as psychiatrist, In the group who show some fundamental characteristics of the typical psychopath but who make a good or fair superficial adjustment in society are sometimes found men who hold responsible positions. Lawyers, business executives, physicians, and engineers who show highly suggestive features of the disorder have been personally observed. Perhaps one would think that the psychiatrist, with good opportunity to observe the psychopath, would eschew all his ways. I believe, however, that a glimpse can be given of characteristics of the psychopath in such a person at energyenhancement.org

Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 1: Orientation , 27. Conceptual confusions which cloud the subject
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 1: Orientation , 27. Conceptual confusions which cloud the subject, While preparing the first edition of this volume, many years ago, I was impressed and sometimes astonished by the dearth of pertinent material about the psychopath in most psychiatric textbooks. It seemed not only surprising but almost incredible to find how little space was devoted to this disorder. With psychopaths making up so large a proportion of the patients who must be dealt with, and their problems being so serious, it was indeed difficult to understand why they were almost ignored at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 1: Orientation , 28. Clarifying the approach
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 1: Orientation , 28. Clarifying the approach, In spite the difficulties that have been discussed, efforts to study the psychopath have proceeded. No drastic change in the official psychiatric attitude has occurred, and no step has been taken to make it possible to deal satisfactorily with the disorder by medical methods. But information has been accumulating that may someday bring this about at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 29. Purpose of this step
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 29. Purpose of this step, Some material has been presented in which manifestations of the disorder occur. It is our task to arrange it in such a way that its features can be seen clearly and compared with the features of other disorders. Such a step should be helpful in our efforts to recognize what we are dealing with and to evaluate it. Let us compare these patients known as psychopaths with others showing clinical illness and deviated reactions or patterns of living. Significant details should emerge, differentiation should become clearer, and distinguishing features of our subject should become more apparent at energyenhancement.org

Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 30. The psychotic
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 30. The psychotic, For the sake of emphasis let us first contrast very briefly the psychopath with the general group of psychotic patients to which he is considered not to belong. These, if their disorder is well advanced, are usually recognized by the law as 'insane' and by the man on the street as irrational, irresponsible, plainly unable to accept the general facts accepted by humanity at large, and, furthermore, unable to provide for themselves or to remain safely or conveniently at liberty among their fellows. Such people frequently have beliefs that are not only false but bizarre, inconsistent, and nearly always impossible to remove even by convincing demonstrations of their impossibility at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 31. Deviations recognized as similar to the psychoses but regarded as incomplete or less severe reactions
Psychopath THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material , Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 31. Deviations recognized as similar to the psychoses but regarded as incomplete or less severe reactions, As noted earlier, conditions resembling psychoses but appearing incomplete or less severe are still classified officially under the same general diagnostic term as the disorder to which this book is devoted. Such an arrangement has been approved by some as a means of placing together groups assumed to be on the borderline of serious disorder with a genuine similarity in degree if not in type at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 32. The psychoneurotic
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 32. The psychoneurotic, People who suffer from personality disorders which cause them to be anxious, restless, unhappy, and obsessed with thoughts they themselves recognize as absurd but who are, in the lay sense, altogether sane have for years been classed as psychoneurotic. They recognize reason in general, often admit that their symptoms arise from emotional conflicts, and are free from delusions and hallucinations at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 33. The mental defective
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 33. The mental defective, The mental defective often behaves foolishly or ineffectively and, if the defectiveness is great, may show prolonged and serious maladjustment in ordinary surroundings. In contrast with the psychopath, however, the mental defective is obviously stupid, and his follies may be understood readily as depending on his lack of intelligence, a handicap that is easily demonstrated at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Next: Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 33. The mental defective
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Next: Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 33. The mental defective, Though efforts have been made to interpret criminalism as a form of mental disorder and many criminal careers have been expounded as reactions to emotional conflict,11,12 the sort of person described here shows the following important points of distinction from the typical criminal at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 35. Other character and behavior disorders, including delinquency
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 35. Other character and behavior disorders, Those who repeatedly commit antisocial acts or continue to carry out behavior in other ways unacceptable to the group and incompatible with good standing among one's fellows are often referred to as delinquents at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 36. A case showing circumscribed behavior disorder
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 36. A case showing circumscribed behavior disorder, When behavior disorder is circumscribed, in a child or in an adult, one may sometimes feel that symptomatically the patient resembles a psychopath but that a different sort of personality lies behind the manifestation. Instead of essential indifference to the pathologic situation, we sometimes see genuine zeal to avoid the faulty and self-damaging acts. It is not rare to find relatively normal attitudes to most aspects of life and sometimes healthy and admirable personality features at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 37. Specific homosexuality and other consistent sexual deviations
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 37. Specific homosexuality and other consistent sexual deviations, When the first edition of this book was written it had for many years been customary to use the term sexual psychopath to designate homosexuals, sadists, masochists, and also people specifically inclined towards exhibitionism, voyeurism, fetishism, cross-dressing, and pedophilia. Included at times with these deviations under the concept of sexual psychopathy were also types of abnormal behavior designated as erotomania and sexual immaturity. For many years before and after the initial publication of the Mask of Sanity this custom had authoritative sanction in our nomenclature at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 38. The erratic man of genius
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 38. The erratic man of genius, Rather curiously, one might at first think, many persons widely recognized as geniuses have been placed by various writers in the classification of psychopathic personality.128,131,156 The vagueness and plasticity of the term as it was for so long officially used seem still to promote it's being stretched in practice to cover nearly any type of abnormal behavior imaginable, and the literal or etymologic connotation is, of course, no less all embracing at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 39. The injudicious hedonist and some other drinkers
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 39. The injudicious hedonist and some other drinkers, Those who devote their lives unduly to sensual pleasure are popularly regarded by more sober and restrained members of society as wicked or depraved. By his fellows who are especially austere the ways of the careless bon vivant are often attacked with thunderous vigor and even, by certain extremists, held as largely responsible for the ills of mankind at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 40. The clinical alcoholic
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 40. The clinical alcoholic, The term clinical alcoholic is chosen for convenience to signify the large group of pathologic drinkers who are still making some genuine effort to adjust in normal life but are using drink to escape reality which they cannot quite face and, by a vicious cycle, making themselves steadily more inadequate to face this reality. Such drinkers may, in several respects, be contrasted with the psychopath (antisocial personality) just as the non-alcoholic neurotic contrasts with the psychotic patient at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 41. The malingerer
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 41. The malingerer, The malingerer, so far as his relation to the psychopath is concerned, may be dismissed with a few words. Many psychopaths malinger at times. They seldom malinger consistently over long periods toward a constant aim. The malingerer pure and simple sticks to his purpose and, on gainging his objective, uses it in some fairly human way. Malingering is merely an incident in the psychopath's versatile career at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 42. Fictional characters of psychiatric interest
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 42. Fictional characters of psychiatric interest, Characters from literature, it may be argued, not being real people, are therefore of no value in the discussion of a medical problem. It can scarcely be doubted, however, that genuinely creative writers have often presented personalities more fully and more truly than we can readily get to know them in life. And sometimes minor writers succeed in portraying personalities that seem to be reliably true. The characters of the novelist and the dramatist are, furthermore, accessible to all who care to read about them, unlike the patient who has been seen and studied but cannot be presented personally to the reader. For the purpose of this discussion I feel that several points can be made by citing fictional characters, some of whom I believe have been no less faithfully drawn than patients reported in psychiatric examinations at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 43. The psychopath in history
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 2: A comparison with other disorders, 43. The psychopath in history, Over a period of many decades psychiatrists, and sometimes other writers, have made attempts to classify prominent historical figures-rulers, military leaders, famous artists and writers-as cases of psychiatric disorder or as people showing some of the manifestations associated with various psychiatric disorders. Many professional and lay observers in recent years have commented on the sadistic and paranoid conduct and attitudes reported in Adolf Hitler and in some of the other wartime leaders in Nazi Germany at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 44. Synopsis and orientation
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 44. Synopsis and orientation, In an earlier chapter it was noted that an attempt would be made to follow the general methods of science. Let us stop for a moment to orient ourselves. In Section two some examples of the material were offered and certain observations recorded. In the preceding parts of this section an effort was made to consider traditional concepts of the problem and to differentiate broadly the subject of this study from certain other personality reactions. These may be regarded as preliminary steps in the process of sifting and arranging our observations into some sort of order for the purpose of giving them, as much as possible, distinct and comprehensible form at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 45. Superficial charm and good "intelligence"
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 45. Superficial charm and good 'intelligence', More often than not, the typical psychopath will seem particularly agreeable and make a distinctly positive impression when he is first encountered. Alert and friendly in his attitude, he is easy to talk with and seems to have a good many genuine interests at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 46. Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 46. Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking, The so-called psychopath is ordinarily free from signs or symptoms traditionally regarded as evidence of a psychosis. He does not hear voices. Genuine delusions cannot be demonstrated. There is no valid depression, consistent pathologic elevation of mood, or irresistible pressure of activity. Outer perceptual reality is accurately recognized; social values and generally accredited personal standards are accepted verbally. Excellent logical reasoning is maintained and, in theory, the patient can foresee the consequences of injudicious or antisocial acts, outline acceptable or admirable plans of life, and ably criticize in words his former mistakes at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 47. Absence of "nervousness" or psychoneurotic manifestations
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, ASection 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 47. Absence of 'nervousness' or psychoneurotic manifestations, There are usually no symptoms to suggest a psychoneurosis in the clinical sense. In fact, the psychopath is nearly always free from minor reactions popularly regarded as 'neurotic' or as constituting 'nervousness.' The chief criteria whereby such diagnoses as hysteria, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety state, or 'neurasthenia' might be made do not apply to him. It is highly typical for him not only to escape the abnormal anxiety and tension fundamentally characteristic of this whole diagnostic group but also to show a relative immunity from such anxiety and worry as might be judged normal or appropriate in disturbing situations at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 48. Unreliability
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 48. Unreliability, Though the psychopath is likely to give an early impression of being a thoroughly reliable person, it will soon be found that on many occasions he shows no sense of responsibility whatsoever. No matter how binding the obligation, how urgent the circumstances, or how important the matter, this holds true. Furthermore, the question of whether or not he is to be confronted with his failure or his disloyalty and called to account for it appears to have little effect on his attitude at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 49. Untruthfulness and insincerity
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 49. Untruthfulness and insincerity, The psychopath shows a remarkable disregard for truth and is to be trusted no more in his accounts of the past than in his promises for the future or his statement of present intentions. He gives the impression that he is incapable of ever attaining realistic comprehension of an attitude in other people which causes them to value truth and cherish truthfulness in themselves at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 50. Lack of remorse or shame
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 50. Lack of remorse or shame, The psychopath apparently cannot accept substantial blame for the various misfortunes which befall him and which he brings down upon others, usually he denies emphatically all responsibility and directly accuses others as responsible, but often he will go through an idle ritual of saying that much of his trouble is his own fault. When the latter course is adopted, subsequent events indicate that it is empty of sincerity-a hollow and casual form as little felt as the literal implications of 'your humble and obedient servant' are actually felt by a person who closes a letter with such a phrase at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 51. Inadequately motivated antisocial behavior
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 51. Inadequately motivated antisocial behavior, Not only is the psychopath undependable, but also in more active ways he cheats, deserts, annoys, brawls, fails, and lies without any apparent compunction. He will commit theft, forgery, adultery, fraud, and other deeds for astonishingly small stakes and under much greater risks of being discovered than will the ordinary scoundrel. He will, in fact, commit such deeds in the absence of any apparent goal at all. Yet we do not find the regularity and specificity in his behavior that is apparent in what is often called compulsive stealing or other socially destructive actions carried out under extraordinary pressures which the subject, in varying degrees, struggles against. Such activities, and all disorder distinguished by some as impulse neurosis,14 as we have mentioned, probably have important features in common with the psychopath's disorder at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 52. Poor judgment and failure to learn by experience
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 52. Poor judgment and failure to learn by experience, Despite his excellent rational powers, the psychopath continues to show the most execrable judgment about attaining what one might presume to be his ends. He throws away excellent opportunities to make money, to achieve a rapprochement with his wife, to be dismissed from the hospital, or to gain other ends that he has sometimes spent considerable effort toward gaining at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 53. Pathologic egocentricity and incapacity for love
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 53. Pathologic egocentricity and incapacity for love, The psychopath is always distinguished by egocentricity. This is usually of a degree not seen in ordinary people and often is little short of astonishing. How obviously this quality will be expressed in vanity or self-esteem will vary with the shrewdness of the subject and with his other complexities. Deeper probing will always reveal a selfcenteredness that is apparently unmodifiable and all but complete at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 54. General poverty in major affective reactions
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 54. General poverty in major affective reactions, In addition to his incapacity for object love, the psychopath always shows general poverty of affect. Although it is true that be sometimes becomes excited and shouts as if in rage or seems to exult in enthusiasm and again weeps in what appear to be bitter tears or speaks eloquent and mournful words about his misfortunes or his follies, the conviction dawns on those who observe him carefully that here we deal with a readiness of expression rather than a strength of feeling at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 55. Specific loss of insight
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 55. Specific loss of insight, In a special sense the psychopath lacks insight to a degree seldom, if ever, found in any but the most seriously disturbed psychotic patients. In a superficial sense, in that he can say he is in a psychiatric hospital because of his unacceptable and strange conduct, and by all other such criteria, his insight is intact. His insight is of course not affected at all with the type of impairment seen in the schizophrenic patient, who may not recognize the fact that others regard him as mentally ill but may insist that he is the Grand Lama and now in Tibet at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 56. Unresponsiveness in general interpersonal relations
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 56. Unresponsiveness in general interpersonal relations, The psychopath cannot be depended upon to show the ordinary responsiveness to special consideration or kindness or trust. No matter how well he is treated, no matter how long-suffering his family, his friends, the police, hospital attendants, and others may be, he shows no consistent reaction of appreciation except superficial and transparent protestations. Such gestures are exhibited most frequently when he feels they will facilitate some personal aim. The ordinary axiom of human existence that one good turn deserves another, a principle sometimes honored by cannibals and uncommonly callous assassins, has only superficial validity for him although he can cite it with eloquent casuistry when trying to obtain parole, discharge from the hospital, or some other end at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 57. Fantastic and uninviting behavior with drink and sometimes without
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 57. Fantastic and uninviting behavior with drink and sometimes without, Although some psychopaths do not drink at all and others drink rarely, considerable overindulgence in alcohol is very often prominent in the life story. Delirium tremens and other temporary psychoses directly due to alcohol were not commonly found in the hundreds of patients observed by me at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 58. Suicide rarely carried out
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 58. Suicide rarely carried out, Despite the deep behavioral pattern of throwing away or destroying the opportunities of life that underlies the psychopath's superficial self-content, ease, charm, and often brilliance, we do not find him prone to take a final determining step of this sort in literal suicide. Suicidal tendencies have been stressed by some observers as prevalent. This opinion, in all likelihood, must have come from the observation of patients fundamentally different from our group, but who, as we have mentioned, were traditionally classified under the same term. It was only after a good many years of experience with actual psychopaths that I encountered my first authentic instance of suicide in a patient who could be called typical at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 59. Sex life impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 59. Sex life impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated, The psychopath's sex life invariably shows peculiarities. The opinion has already been expressed that homosexuality and the other specific deviations, though of course occurring in psychopaths, are not sufficiently common to be regarded as characteristic at energyenhancement.org
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 60. Failure to follow any life plan
Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 3: Cataloging the material, Part 3: A clinical profile, 60. Failure to follow any life plan, The psychopath shows a striking inability to follow any sort of life plan consistently, whether it be one regarded as good or evil. He does not maintain an effort toward any far goal at all.47,53 This is entirely applicable to the full psychopath. On the contrary, he seems to go out of his way to make a failure of life. By some incomprehensible and untempting piece of folly or buffoonery, he eventually cuts short any activity in which he is succeeding, no matter whether it is crime or honest endeavor at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 61. A basic hypothesis
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 61. A basic hypothesis, Now that we have proceeded with our task through the stages of (1) presenting observations of the gross material and (2) sifting and tabulating as conveniently and intelligibly as we were able the pertinent residue of our data, let us attempt the next step. This will consist in searching for some concept or formulating some theory that might satisfactorily account for the facts observed. Much of the material appears contradictory, not only in the ordinary world of average or normal living but even in the world of mental disorder commonly granted to be less readily comprehensible in terms of ordinary reason at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 62. The concept of masked personality disorder or defect
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 62. The concept of masked personality disorder or defect, Let us consider further the concept of disorders or defects that are deeply or centrally located. The contrast between such a pathology and one that is peripheral and visible can be demonstrated readily in speech disorders. The man whose tongue has been severely mutilated will not be able to pronounce his words clearly. Perhaps he can only mutter unintelligibly. Even a child or a savage can see where the trouble is and understand why function is disrupted. If the hypoglossal nerves are cut, the tongue, although itself unmarred, will not move and words cannot be uttered at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 63. Further consideration of the hypothesis
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 63. Further consideration of the hypothesis, In attempting to account for the abnormal behavior observed in the psychopath, we have found useful the hypothesis that he has a serious and subtle abnormality or defect at deep levels disturbing the integration and normal appreciation of experience and resulting in a pathology that might, in analogy with Henry Head's classifications of the aphasias, be described as semantic. Presuming that such a patient does fail to experience life adequately in its major issues, can we then better account for his clinical manifestations? The difficulties of proving, or even of demonstrating direct objective evidence, for hypotheses about psychopathology (or about ordinary subjective functioning) are too obvious to need elaborate discussion here at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 64. Aspects of regression
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 64. Aspects of regression, The persistent pattern of maladaptation at personality levels and the ostensible purposelessness of many self-damaging acts definitely suggests not only a lack of strong purpose but also a negative purpose or at least a negative drift. This sort of patient, despite all his opportunities, his intelligence, and his plain lessons of experience, seems to go out of his way to woo misfortune.47 The suggestion has already been made that his typical activities seem less comprehensible in terms, of life-striving or of a pursuit of joy than as an unrecognized blundering toward the negations of nonexistence at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 65. Surmise and evidence
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, ASection 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 1: What is wrong with these patients?, 65. Surmise and evidence, If, in the so-called psychopath, we have a patient profoundly limited in ability to participate seriously in the major aims of life, how, we might inquire, did he get that way? Reference has been made to the traditional viewpoint from which it was assumed that an inborn organic defect left these people 'constitutionally inferior' or 'moral imbeciles.' Such a congenital defect, it must be readily admitted, may exist and may account for the failure to experience life normally and hence to react sanely at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 2: What can be done?, 66. Illness and misconduct
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 2: What can be done?, 66. Illness and misconduct, A good deal has already been said about the difficulties and disappointments arising in our efforts to treat these patients generally known as psychopaths. A few more points will be added presently to the opinions already expressed, but if we are to make any progress therapeutically it seems first necessary to clarify some broader issues at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 2: What can be done?, 67. Legal competency and criminal responsibility
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 2: What can be done?, 67. Legal competency and criminal responsibility, It has been mentioned that the psychopath does not often cooperate willingly in treatment over any considerable period of time and that he also seems to be remarkably free from the ordinary legal and penal restraints that prevent others from repeatedly carrying out antisocial activity. Questions of legal competency and criminal responsibility play a fundamental part in the efforts of society to cope with psychopaths at energyenhancement.org
- Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 2: What can be done?, 68. Treatment or control
  Psychopath Hervey Cleckley THE MASK OF SANITY, Section 4: Some questions still without adequate answers, Part 2: What can be done?, 68. Treatment or control, Several decades ago, while preparing the first edition of this book, I was profoundly impressed by two difficulties that stood in the way of dealing effectively with the psychopath. One of these was his apparent immunity, or relative immunity, from control by law. The other was his lack of response to psychiatric treatment of any kind. Today both of these difficulties exist and, it seems to me, with little alteration at energyenhancement.org