The emotional poverty of psychopaths and their inability to fully appreciate the emotional life of others have been the subject of considerable neuro-biological research, some of it using brain imaging technology.

The results of this research are consistent with the clinical view that psychopaths do not respond to emotional situations and material in the way that the rest of us do. In several functional magnetic resonance imaging (f MRI) brain imaging studies, Hare and his associates found that emotional words and unpleasant pictures did not produce in psychopaths the increases in the activity of brain (limbic) regions normally associated with the processing of emotional material. Instead, activation occurred in regions of the brain involved in the understanding and production of language, as if the psychopaths analyzed the material in linguistic terms. Think of Spock in Star Trek.

He responds to events that others find arousing, repulsive, or scary with the words interesting and fascinating. His response is a cognitive or intellectual appraisal of the situation, without the visceral reactions and emotional coloring that others normally experience. Fortunately for those around him, Spock has “built-in” ethical and moral standards, a conscience that functions without the strong emotional components that form a necessary part of our conscience.

Some researchers have commented that psychopaths “know the words but not the music,” a statement that accurately captures their cold and empty core. This hollow core serves them well, though, by making them effective human predators. Not only are psychopaths unconcerned about the impact of their own behavior on others—or of possible retribution—they more often than not will blame their victim if they are caught or charged with a crime.

In fact, it is not uncommon for criminal psychopaths to state that they are suffering more in prison than their victims did during the original crime— and they (the psychopaths) deserve some sympathy or special treatment. Other psychopaths may sometimes say that they feel remorse for their transgressions, but scrutiny of their behaviors betrays their words as simply lies to get better treatment or an earlier release date. Unfortunately, many co-opt socially supportive belief systems—typically religious beliefs of every kind—declaring that they have found God, repented of their sins, and are ready to re-enter society.

This article is an excerpt from "Snakes in Suits" by Paul Babiuk