Official name of a person who has no feeling for the suffering of others?

Question

I'm doing a college senior report on Chairman Mao. He was a very evil man to say the least. He had no compassion for the suffering or feelings of others and no love for other people. There is a psychological term I'm looking for here, other than narcisist. Also, if anyone can give me a link to websites which explore how evil people become evil, that would be very helpful.

Answer 1

Not too sure on the term.. I'd go with sociopathic. If you are looking for more information that dwells on this particular type of person, I'd suggest "The Iceman and the Psychiatrist". Here's a blurb:

By his mid-20s, Richard Kuklinski’s extreme penchant for murder drew the attention of organized crime and he was hired as a contract killer. Today, he is serving multiple life sentences for nearly 200 homicides. In this powerful program, Dr. Park Dietz, a world-renowned psychiatrist and consultant to the FBI, interviews this remorseless killer, providing important insights into the psychological factors that can lead to such an aberrant pathology. Complementing the one-on-one sessions, police photographs and film footage document Kuklinski’s troubled background and numerous victims.

It's really quite an extraordinary glimpse into the mind of a person like that.

Answer 2

I would have used the term narcisist as well. The meaning of the following word is not the same as a person who has not feelings for the sufferering of others, but when I think of Chairman Mao, I think of Megalomania.

Answer 3

The two terms I'm familiar with are sociopath and psychopath, though I'm not a psychologist so I'm not sure either applies.

As I understand it, in simple terms, a sociopath knows something is wrong when he does it but doesn't care and a psychopath can't distinguish between right and wrong.

Either sounds like they would lack compassion for others and have no empathy.

Answer 4

Misanthrope - A general dislike of people.

The Psychology of Evil -
http://www.depth-psychotherapy-network.com/Professional_Section/Professional_Articles/The_Psychology_of_Evil_by_Stephen_Diamond/The_Psychology_of_Evil_Diamond.htm

Crime Library -
http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/evil2/3.html

http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/evil1/1.html

A Depth Psychology of Evil -
http://uploads.pacifica.edu/gems/pgl/evil.pdf

Answer 5

Sociopath is the correct term. The greatest reference on evil I think is called "the people of the lie" http://www.mlode.com/~ra/ra3/peopleofthelie.htm
by M Scott Peck, which talks about the fundamental idea about people who are evil is that they don't believe they are personally complicit in anything bad that happens. Check out this link as it contains many thought-provoking explanations and examples of evil in the world.

Answer 6

you may have a choice between "sociopath" and "misanthropy"
but there are vast differences and if it is a report that you are writing (and not a story) then you may want to be careful of the terminologies used lest the review board think you are spoilt, bratty and possibly an irrational child (aka b!**h)controlled by her id impulses.

sociopath: a person with a disorder characterized by disturbed, maladaptive social relationships, particularly those that reflect clear, antisocial behaviours.


misanthropy: hatred of (literally) males or (more generally) human beings.

Answer 7

I was going to use the "B" word until I read on into your question further and saw you were doing a report on Mao. Thus, my answer will not help you in your report but it still applies in everyday life. Oh well.

Answer 8

If you think that he was displaying psychopathology, then the term would be Antisocial Personality Disorder.

You might try searching the net under "the psychology of evil'.

Answer 9

Don't read ahead of this. Just do exactly what I'm telling you. Look in front of you. Pick something up. Put it back down. That wasn't an act of god that made you do that. I hit each and every key myself. I made the decision to do so myself. And you made the decision to go along with what I told you to do, god had no part in that. The reason I'm telling you this? Because you can do things without waiting for god to grant you the abilities. You were made with a VERY powerful mind, use it! I know how you feel. People pick on you, and you're scared to do something back to them because you don't want to be like them at all. You'd rather be picked on than be the one picking on someone. But there's a difference between being that person and being confident and solid. Don't let people push you around. You don't have to resort to being mean, just be strong and don't move when they try to violate your happiness. Guys make fun of you? Ignore them. Find your own ways to shut them up, just think about it for a while. Tell your father that he will give you your money back. This is the difference between confident and cocky, strong and mean. Telling him he will give your money back is confident and strong (don't just say "I want my money back"). Telling him you'll do something to him if he doesn't give it back would be mean. Walk that line between confident and cocky. Everyone falls over to the bad side once in a while, that's just human. Nobody can avoid it. Just try to stay on the strong side instead of mean side (which I'm sure you won't have a problem with). Be straight with people, don't let them move you or your opinions. Have a little faith in yourself, not just god. You're the one making all the actions. Next time you see your dad, just tell him he will give you the money back. If he brushes you off, ignores you, says something mean, etc. just get his attention, look into his eyes, let it sink in, and tell him that he is going to give you your earned money back. If he wants money to waste on himself, he can suck it up and work for it. Just go tell him something like that. Just remember, you have to be strong, and you're the one who decides if you let people push you around, not god. Hope that helps :)

Answer 10

Sociopath