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Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us QUOTES

Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us QUOTES

1 " He will choose you, disarm you with his words, and control you with his presence. He will delight you with his wit and his plans. He will show you a good time but you will always get the bill. He will smile and deceive you, and he will scare you with his eyes. And when he is through with you, and he will be through with you, he will desert you and take with him your innocence and your pride. You will be left much sadder but not a lot wiser, and for a long time you will wonder what happened and what you did wrong. And if another of his kind comes knocking on your door, will you open it?

-From an essay signed "A psychopath in prison "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

2 " The first victim of war is the truth. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

3 " Most therapy programs do little more than provide psychopaths with new excuses and rationalizations for their behavior and new insights into human vulnerability. They may learn new and better ways of manipulating other people, but they make little effort to change their own views and attitudes or to understand that other people have needs, feelings, and rights. In particular, attempts to teach psychopaths how to “really feel” remorse or empathy are doomed to failure. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

4 " [G]ood people are rarely suspicious: they cannot imagine others doing the things they themselves are incapable of doing; usually they accept the undramatic solution as the correct one, and let matters rest there. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

5 " Psychopaths are notorious for not answering the question posed them or for answering in a way that seems unresponsive to the question. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

6 " The third point is that some of our efforts to treat psychopaths may be misplaced. The term treatment implies that there is something to treat: illness, subjective distress, maladaprive behaviors, and so forth. But, as far as we can determine, psychopaths are perfectly happy with themselves, and they see no need for treatment, at least in the traditional sense of the term. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

7 " But isn’t the behavior of psychopaths maladaprive? The answer is that it may be maladaprive for society but it is adaptive for the individuals themselves. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

8 " …the subject is so important, and with 
such vast implications for society… The damage that psychopaths do to the global economy, and human civilization in general, is incalculable. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

9 " What makes psychopaths different from all others is the remarkable ease with which they lie, the pervasiveness of their deception, and the callousness with which they carry it out. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

10 " Psychopaths have a narcissistic and grossly inflated view of their self-worth and importance, a truly astounding egocentricity and sense of entitlement, and see themselves as the center of the universe, as superior beings who are justified in living according to their own rules. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

11 " psychopaths are rational and aware of what they are doing and why. Their behavior is the result of choice, freely exercised. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

12 " Psychopaths often come across as arrogant, shameless braggarts—self-assured, opinionated, domineering, and cocky. They love to have power and control over others and seem unable to believe that other people have valid opinions different from theirs. They appear charismatic or “electrifying” to some people. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

13 " Evidence is emerging to show that victims of early sexual, physical, or emotional abuse frequently become perpetrators of the same as adults. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

14 " On a more personal level, it is very likely that at some time in your life you will come into painful contact with a psychopath. For your own physical, psychological, and financial well-being it is crucial that you know how to identify the psychopath, how to protect yourself, and how to minimize the harm done to you. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

15 " Psychopaths show a stunning lack of concern for the devastating effects their actions have on others. Often they are completely forthright about the matter, calmly stating that they have no sense of guilt, are not sorry for the pain and destruction they have caused, and that there is no reason for them to be concerned. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

16 " Guilt?” he remarked in prison. “It’s this mechanism we use to control people. It’s an illusion. It’s a kind of social control mechanism—and it’s very unhealthy. It does terrible things to our bodies. And there are much better ways to control our behavior than that rather extraordinary use of guilt. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

17 " Most therapy programs do little more than provide psychopaths with new excuses and rationalizations for their behavior and new insights into human vulnerability. They may learn new and better ways of manipulating other people. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

18 " sexual sadist who “gets sexual excitement by inflicting psychological pressure on his victims. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

19 " The interviewer says, “You make it out that you’re the victim of a serial killer, but if you look at the record you’re a serial killer.” Henley replies, “I’m not.” “You’re not a serial killer?” the interviewer asks in disbelief, to which Henley replies, “I’m not a serial killer.” The interviewer then says, “You’re saying you’re not a serial killer now, but you’ve serially killed.” Henley replies, with some exasperation and condescension, “Well, yeah, that’s semantics. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

20 " These programs are like a finishing school. They teach you how to put the squeeze on people. "

― Robert D. Hare , Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us