A timely Q&A to detect psychopaths and narcissists

Definition of a psychopath: A manipulative person who wants to cause harm to others without feeling regret or responsibility. Here are the six questions you need to determine if someone is a psychopath:

1. If the person calls you a friend repeatedly once you feel any sympathy for them or their point of view.

2. If a person lies without compulsion and does not keep promises.

3. If a person sounds superior and patronizing.

4. If a person blames other people for their own behavior or action.

5. If a person seems to present different personalities, choosing a personality to suit the people being talked to.

6. If the person says he or she is being victimized, was hard done by a third party or generally is disadvantaged by laws or rules.

Definition of a narcissist: Someone vain or egotistic who pursues the general admiration of his own perceived attributes. Here are nine guidelines for identifying a narcissist:

1. If someone talks about himself or herself in the third person, exhibiting a strong sense of special self-importance.

2. If someone is preoccupied with the dream of unlimited success, power, brilliance or love from others.

3. Someone who believes that he or she is so special they can really only be understood by high-status people.

4. Someone who requires excessive admiration (seeks out compliments, crowds who flatter).

5. Someone who feels he or she is entitled to anything they can get.

6. Someone who knows how to take advantage in personal relationships, demeaning anyone who does not admire them with cutting criticism.

7. Someone who is incapable of real empathy and cannot recognize or associate with the feelings of others as if those feelings are irrelevant.

8. Someone who believes others are envious of him or her.

9. Someone who displays rude and abusive behavior or general disdain for others.

These attributes (above) were generally gleaned from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Now, when it comes to fascist, the world is full of universities trying to define exactly what a fascist is as a personality trait. Much of what is written seems to use the playbook (above) building off of narcissism and psychopathology. However, here are a few common threads that seem to be generally accepted in addition to those traits above:

1. A continuing use of nationalist themes, mottos, slogans, symbols — always including a flag.

2. A disdain for human rights; feeling human rights can be set aside because of nationalistic needs.

3. Identification of enemies or scapegoats as a unifying argument for support from the masses.

4. The needs for strengthening or even supremacy of the military to ward off perceived opposition inside and outside of a country. This works hand-in-hand with an overt need for national security at any cost.

5. Rampant sexism, used as an argument for self-aggrandizement while professing equality.

6. A desire to control or vilify mass media. This goes hand-in-hand with a disdain for the arts and higher-education.

7. Use of a common religion as justification for political views.

8. Protection of corporate power over that of the individual.

9. Obsession with crime and punishment.

Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, now lives in New Mexico.