The Origin of Evil and the Social Brain Network

By William J. Shoemaker

By

William J. Shoemaker, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus

Depts. Of Neuroscience and Psychiatry

Univ. of Connecticut

School of Medicine

Outline of Presentation

1. Some vocabulary

2. Psychopaths in the news

3. Brain diagram of the Social Brain Network

4. Major features of Anti-social Personality Disorder (ASPD)

and Psychopathy

5. Two routes to psychopathy

6. Frequency of psychopathy in the population

7. Women can also be psychopaths

8. Thirteen rules for dealing with psychopaths in everyday

life

Some Vocabulary

Psychopathy = a neuropsychiatric disorder that imposes a

substantial burden on society.

Psychopath = an individual characterized by callous and impulsive

antisocial behavior; including shallow affect, lack of empathy, remorse or

guilt and the persistent violation of social norms.

Sociopath = same as psychopath.

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) = a neuropsychiatric disorder that

all psychopaths share; but not all ASPD become psychopaths.

Psychosis = refers to greatly abnormal behavior (crazy). It is often used as a

modifier of other neuropsychiatric conditions (as in, depression with

psychotic features). It is not often associated with psychopathy.

Figure 1. Charles Manson: Mugshot photo

from 1971 upon entering Prison

Figure 2. Charles Manson prison photo from

2014. He passed away in prison in 2017

Table 1 Information of some psychopathic serial killers

# of Types of

Name Region Dates murders Victims Comments

Charles Manson Calif. 1969-71 9 Male & female Police believe

there are 24

more

Ted Bundy Several States 1974-78 30 Young Women Authorities feel

there are more

John Wayne Gacy Chicago 1976-79 33 Young Men

Jeffrey Dahmer Milwaukee 1978-81 17 Men & Boys

Gerald Stano Daytona Beach, FL 1975-80 33 Young Women More on this

case below

Aileen Wuornos Florida 1989-90 7 Men One of the few

women serial killers

Diagrammatic presentation

of the Social Brain Network

in the human brain

Official Description of Anti-Social Personality Disorder

1. Failure to conform to social norms

2. Deceitfulness, manipulativeness

3. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead

4. Irritability, aggressiveness

5. Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others

6. Consistent irresponsibilty

7. Lack of remorse after having hurt, mistreated or

stolen from another person

Other Traits that are Commonly Seen in

Psychopaths

1. Glib or superficial charm; a kind of glow or charisma

that, initially, can make the psychopath seem more

charming or more interesting than most normal people

around him.

2. A grandiose sense of self-worth that may be

compelling at first, but upon closer inspection may

seem odd or, perhaps, laughable.

3. A greater than normal need for stimulation, which

results in their taking frequent social, financial,

physical or legal risks.

4. Sometimes the stimulation involves sexual attacks

and /or torture and murder.

The main feature of psychopaths is that they have no

Conscience

They also cannot

Love

Psychopaths have no

Compassion

Psychopathy can be divided into two groups:

(1) Acquired psychopathy that results from trauma

or lesions to the prefrontal cortex

(2) Developmental psychopathy that cannot be

attributed to a brain lesion or traumatic event. Some

psychologists believe that children and adolescents

that are given a Callous and Unemotional Behavior

diagnosis are highly likely to have Antisocial

Personality Disorder as adults.

Although 99% of all brain neurons are “born” prenatally,

there are some regions that continue to be supplied with

new neurons after birth.

Three areas are well known:

1). Hippocampus: The reason you can’t remember events

from the first year of life.

2). Cerebellum: The reason infants have poor coordination

and motor control.

3). Olfactory bulb: Does not play an important role in

humans.

Figure 6. Drawing from Paredes et al showing the sagittal aspect of the infant forebrain (on

left) and a coronal section on the right-rear. The smaller Rostral Migratory Stream is bound

for the developing olfactory bulb. The larger Medial Migratory Stream will make up a large

section of the VM prefrontal cortex (Paredes et al, 2016). It is this stream that is

susceptible to disruption during the first year of life (theoretically) resulting in the lesion

that produces psychopaths.

Although 99% of all brain neurons are “born” prenatally, there

are some regions that continue to be supplied with new neurons

after birth.

Three areas are well known:

1). Hippocampus: The reason you can’t remember events from

the first year of life.

2). Cerebellum: The reason infants have poor coordination and

motor control.

3). Olfactory bulb: Does not play an important role in humans.

4). Prefrontal cortex: Presents an opportunity for interference

with normal development of this important region of the Social

Brain Network.

Is it possible that we are continually

producing young people that are destined for

a life with ASPD and psychopathy?

We are left with several questions:

(1) What level of severity is necessary to interrupt the

medial neurogenesis pathway during the first year?

(2) Can a single traumatic event alter the flow of neurons,

or does it require repeated events?

(3) Can “TLC” by caregivers reverse or compensate for

any interruption in neurogenesis of the vmPFC?

How common is Psychopathy in our Neighborhood?

How common is Psychopathy in our Neighborhood?

Colon Cancer (deemed alarmingly high by CDC) = 0.4%

How common is Psychopathy in our Neighborhood?

Colon Cancer (deemed alarmingly high by CDC = 0.4%

Schizophrenia = 1.0%

How common is Psychopathy in our Neighborhood?

Colon Cancer (deemed alarmingly high by CDC = 0.4%

Schizophrenia = 1.0%

Eating Disorders = 3.43%

How common is Psychopathy in our Neighborhood?

Colon Cancer (deemed alarmingly high by CDC = 0.4%

Schizophrenia = 1.0%

Eating Disorders = 3.43%

Psychopathy = 4.0%

How does a person become a psychopath?

Are there youthful psychopaths?

Can females be psychopaths as well?

Why all psychopaths are not in prison.

What kinds of treatment will work on a psychopath; can they be treated medically,

surgically or psychologically and changed to be more normal?

Do psychopaths marry and have children?

Do they pass their condition onto their children?

Is there an analog to psychopathy in the animal kingdom?

THIRTEEN RULES FOR DEALING WITH SOCIOPATHS

IN EVERYDAY LIFE

1) The first rule involves the bitter pill of accepting that some people

literally have no conscience.

2) In a contest between your instincts and what is implied by the role

a person has taken on – educator, doctor, leader, animal lover,

humanist, parent- go with your instincts.

3) When considering a new relationship of any kind, practice the

Rule of Threes regarding the claims and promises a person

makes, and the responsibilities he or she has. Make the Rule of

Threes your personal policy.

4) Question authority.

5) Suspect flattery

6) If necessary, redefine your concept of respect

7) Do Not Join the Game

8) The best way to protect yourself from a sociopath is to avoid him,

To refuse any kind of contact or communication.

9) Question your tendency to pity too easily

10) Do not try to redeem the unredeemable

11) Never agree, out of pity or for any other reason, to help a

sociopath conceal his or her true character.

12) Defend your psyche

13) Living well is the best revenge.

Thank you