She studied extreme psychopaths. Here’s what it taught her about human nature | Abigail Marsh

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Are humans naturally selfless? Psychologist Abigail Marsh is using studies on psychopathy and altruism to find out.

Abigail Marsh, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Georgetown University, explains how the world is impacted by those with psychopathy, and, additionally, those who practice extreme altruism.

Psychopathy, she says, is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting a small percentage of people, who are different from a very early age due to their unique brain development. Conversely, she talks about people who are exceptionally altruistic—those who go out of their way to help others, often at great personal risk. These individuals are humble, believe in the goodness of others, and are highly empathetic.

She concludes by explaining that acts of generosity have been increasing on a global scale, and how these trends have proven that it is possible for individuals to change their own natural levels of altruism. Through awareness and action, we can build a more caring and helpful society for ourselves and generations to come.

Please note: We apologize for the errors in our video. In the brain diagram starting at 0:57, "Rostral anterior cingulate cortex" is misspelled, and the diagram mistakenly highlights other brain regions near the intended ones. We always try our best but are disappointed when we get it wrong. Thanks to our wonderful BT audience for your attention to detail!

If you’re curious about your own levels of altruism, Marsh suggests using online tests like the TriPM or HEXACO personality tests.

The TriPM test:

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About Abigail Marsh:

Abigail Marsh is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Georgetown University. She received her PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 2004.
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The trouble is that the people willing to trade morality for money end up in power positions, able to control other people’s lives.

misspat
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*EDIT: Thank you for your overwhelming love. Yes, it is true that my father has some emotions that drove him, so maybe it is a different condition*

My father has pychopathy. He never let it effect his family except for tiny, hidden, isolated pockets. When someone you love suddenly acts like something out of a nightmare, and you can't explain it, and they go back to being normal after... And you're a child. You repress that shit. Over and over. I was in my late 30s when it all starting coming back out of me. When I confronted the rest of my family I realized that they had all been warped by him and 'forgiven' him. No one will acknowleged what he did to us, so I had to walk away from my family. What's worse is I know he hurt other people. Maybe more than that. But I can't prove any of it. I'm complete lost and I have no idea what to do. And yes, I am under the care of a mental health expert, that was my first move because the memories seemed so impossible.

fen
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My brother is a psycopath, as was my father. But my brother is much worse. After my other siblings died, he tricked me and my mum, we believed he loved us and the problem was his wife. In reality it was him, he had a plan and made us homeless without a penny. My mum in wheelchair and I was 18 without studies.
He used our grief to get his hands on all the money.

stephanie-fhqv
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People will say "how do you know someone has a personality disorder if they haven't been diagnosed?" Well, because we suffer with them, and they harm us before they get help. We are the ones who let them know they aren't well in the head before a mental health professional does. We lived it.

knowledgeisablessing
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The giver in any situation has to learn limits because takers do not have any

rhammond
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As someone who suffers with extreme severe anxiety I can totally relate to her. I would stop eating for days at a time as a punishment. I worry a lot about my life, everyone around me and pleasing everyone. It's absolutely crippling, so glad she got the help she needed, lovely young lady it's so sad that society has 1 in 3 people suffering mental health issues. I hope everyone seeks help

elizabethwilliams
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Flaws in society make it easy for psychopaths to blend in. Specifically how society promotes competition and dominance hierarchies. Sports culture, the educational system, celebrity worship and capitalism all allow psychopaths & sociopaths to thrive. Cut throat competition is rewarded and the people who are successful at competition are the people most socially rewarded and romantically desirable.

CulturePropaganda
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My mother is a psychopath. No words can describe how I have suffered.

MsThe
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I worked for a psychopath (sorry someone with psychopathy) for 8 years. It was bleeding obvious to me and most people that worked for him that he was some sort of psychopath (we debated whether it was borderline personality or psychopathy). He had major temper control problems and an extreme lack of empathy (I suspect it was both). Most people left after a year or two, I was the longest serving employee at 8 years.
He would go into a major rage if you didn't do things exactly as he asked, however he would then change his mind and decide the way he had asked you to do it was wrong and would have a major rage at you for doing things the exact way he asked, he was big into gas lighting like that. He also liked to send you on wild highly unproductive goose chases. I eventfully quit and went into competition with him (I've had my own rail modelling consultancy for the last 8 years). He used to have about 12 people working for him now he is down to 3. I am doing really well - I tolerated 8 years of high stress and constantly being raged at but it lead me to learning my current trade (rail modelling) which has given me my current high income and I now subcontract to a guy (effectively my boss) who I got on really, really well with. 8 years of hell followed by 8 years of heaven.

doffmoffin
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It’s interesting that we describe psychopathy as a disorder.

I think of disorders as things that, if you have them, you suffer because of them. Things like depression or schizophrenia are obvious disorders.

But with psychopathy, the suffering it creates is primarily in other people. Of course you can argue that a life with low empathy is unfulfilling, but it’s really not the sort of unmistakable personal suffering of depression or schizophrenia.

It seems like psychopathy is defined as a disorder from society’s perspective, an interpersonal perspective, whereas disorders in general are typically defined from an intrapersonal perspective. The locus of suffering is in two different places.

rob.parsnips
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My dad is a psychopath. All of the definitions, in this video, he fits. He ruined my and my sister’s childhood. It took a long, long time for me to find a life that was independent from his destruction. I haven’t talked to him in 26 years. Since that time, I’ve not only recovered but have started to thrive. I have a successful business and long term friendships. Nonetheless, even though I’m now middle aged, my dad continues to be the most destructive and evil person I’ve ever met.

posthocprior
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you should not be worried about the possibility of being a psychopath. If you were one, you would not worry about it.

abcabc-uvce
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I feel like the thing people struggle to understand about psychopathy (ASPD) the most is the fact that it's literally nothing personal. They have nothing especially against you, they just simply care equally little about everyone.

Kotifilosofi
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I think my mom is very altruistic, and I think she raised us to be very altruistic as well. I‘m personally trying to distance myself a bit from this altruism, because I think it brought me more pain than goodness. To give some examples: during my student days I empatized with a homeless guy that much that I made an appointment with him two days later to give him even more money (20 CHF, which was a lot for me at age 15). Or I lost a part of my friends group trying to socially integrate a pretty toxic guy.
Altruism can be really rewarding, but at a certain level its pretty stressful to feel responsible for everyone. So I wouldnt frame extreme altruism as a state which we should personally be aming for. It can be rewarding, but not in contrast to the effort you will put in (depending on where you are at the spectrum).

sebastionheitzmann
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A guy I used to date told me he was diagnosed from early age as psychopath and at first I didn't believe him but I started noting certain attitudes that were unusual for me, he was able to portray empathy on an intellectual level only but not able to actually have true empathy. In the end, I wasn't able to be with him because I knew that I needed a connection in an emotional level with a couple. I know that most people have these horrible stories about having a relationship with a psychopath, but I just don't see him that way, I know that he sees the world way different than I do and he is aware of his inability to feel concern about others, therefore he has learned how to navigate this world and how to understand the other people's point of view. I believe that if most psychopaths were treated at an early age, they would learn how to build healthy relationships with others.

Carvgoo
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Psychopaths don’t not care; they are INCAPABLE of emoting care. They lack the neurophysiology required for such a feeling.

Cristoforo
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my upbringing and memories of development has strong ties into psychopathy. however, my habits and practices of building peace has strong ties to altruism. this blend of the proposed spectrum is something I'm learning to value within me. also accepting that my psychopathic nature isn't wrong, just can be dangerous if allowed to construct my beliefs without mindfulness.

thehunt
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It's important that, when you do something worthwhile for people, animals, earth, you need to be discrete and shut-up about it. Else it can just be a new variant of self-promotion. A flavor, of the many flavors, of narcissism. I saw this sh!t all the time in, supposedly, spiritual fellowships.

peculiarlittleman
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Abigail has absolutely nailed it in condensing a myriad of behavioral patterns into two broad categories. All too often people are more focused on a diagnosis versus actually identifying an understanding the actual behavioral patterns. I will definitely be recommending and forwarding this video to my students around the world. There are so many overlaps between her content/distinctions and those of professor Klaas - especially in the business environment.

Thank you for making great content like this possible

stevelinder
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I was just telling my husband last night how I always feel so badly for others that I offer to do things for them even if it means I will be putting myself in some sort of very stressful or painful position and I just can't help it. But I also have PTSD and anxiety so I then later panic about what I committed to but am still unable to not do it. I'd rather do what is best for someone else than what is best for me. It has been a real problem in my life sometimes and has caused problems for me and those around me.

zenspark