Dead eyes psychopath

Signs, Sanpaku Eyes, Stare, & More

Crime dramas, thriller movies, and mystery novels have popularized psychopathy, contributing to plenty of myths around what it truly means.

For example, sometimes people use “psychopath” interchangeably with other stigmatizing terms, such as “evil,” “violent,” or “criminal.” Perhaps you’ve read psychopaths experience no emotions at all and care nothing for the consequences of their actions.

You might’ve even heard it’s possible to recognize a psychopath simply by looking into their eyes.

Yet psychopathy is somewhat more complex than these ideas suggest.

First of all, psychopathy isn’t an actual mental health diagnosis. It’s a casual term for traits typically associated with a psychiatric diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).

People with ASPD usually:

lack a clear sense of right and wrong
have trouble understanding and empathizing with other people’s feelings
show little remorse for their actions

These traits can certainly increase the chances of someone partaking in unlawful or harmful behavior, but they don’t necessarily make someone violent.

What about the so-called psychopathic stare? Is there any truth to the idea you can recognize psychopathic traits in someone’s eyes? Or is that just another myth? You’ll find an evidence-backed explanation below.

Your eyes, and their movements, can convey a lot of information about mood and emotions, from happiness to humor to boredom to disdain.

While your gaze might linger on someone you find attractive or appealing, you might quickly look away from something that frightens or disturbs you. Your pupils also dilate when you experience strong emotions, including fear, anger, and love (or lust).

Some experts even believe eyes can offer clues to underlying personality traits, offering support for the idea that your eyes offer a glimpse of your soul.

The various suggested characteristics of “psychopath eyes” seem to echo the general belief that people with ASPD have no emotions to show.

These descriptions include:

dead, flat, or reptilian-like eyes
very dark irises, or eyes that appear black
pupils that don’t dilate
an expression, such as a smile, that doesn’t reach the eyes
a “soulless” stare

Maybe you’ve also heard of the “psychopath stare. ”

People generally describe this as a prolonged, predatory gaze, or a fixed stare that feels unsettling and uncomfortable. Maybe you feel like someone’s watching you and catch their eyes every time you look up.

The suggested reasons for this stare vary.

Some people believe those with psychopathic traits use intense eye contact to startle others and catch them off-guard, so they can use manipulation tactics more easily.

Others suggest it’s a way of maintaining power and control during social interactions.

Still, others say it’s simply boredom. Staring intensely could make someone feel nervous, even somewhat fearful — reactions that people who enjoy causing fear and pain would, of course, enjoy.

But there’s little evidence to support any of these ideas. It’s also worth noting that a diagnosis of ASPD doesn’t automatically mean someone enjoys hurting others.

According to Japanese face reading, various elements of your face can offer insight on your personality, abilities, and experiences.

Sanpaku, which means “three whites,” is one element of face reading.

If you look at your own eyes in a mirror, you’ll see the whites (sclera) on either side of each iris, of course. But if you also see white above or below the iris, your eyes are considered sanpaku — they have three whites.

Sanpaku is further divided into two subtypes:

Yin sanpaku. This refers to the white below the iris. Traditionally, yin sanpaku suggests you may face some type of threat or danger from the world, or that you have a tendency to expose yourself to risks or danger.
Yang sanpaku. This refers to the white above the iris. It’s said to suggest you face more of a threat from within. In other words, you’re more likely to have a hard time managing unwanted emotions, which could negatively affect both your behavior and overall well-being.

George Ohsawa is generally credited with introducing the idea of sanpaku to Western society. His explanation, however, deviated somewhat from traditional face reading, as he suggested sanpaku had more negative connotations.

Yang sanpaku, in particular, became associated with mental illness and psychopathic traits, including:

aggression
tendency toward angry or violent outbursts
suspicion of others
poor self-control

Someone’s habitual facial expressions can absolutely offer clues to their personality or mood. That said, no scientific evidence to date supports any association between sanpaku and psychopathic traits.

Researchers have observed two main differences when comparing the eyes or gaze of people with traits of ASPD to people without those traits.

Here’s a brief snapshot of their findings.

Pupil response

A 2018 study explored the connection between psychopathic traits and pupil dilation in response to stimuli.

Researchers started by measuring primary and secondary psychopathy traits in 82 male psychiatric hospital inpatients:

Primary psychopathy traits refer to interpersonal-affective traits and behaviors, such as lack of guilt, low empathy, and a tendency to manipulate.
Secondary psychopathy traits refer to lifestyle-antisocial behaviors, such as lawbreaking, conduct problems, and impulsive or risky behavior.

They then showed participants a combination of images, video, and sound clips intended to provoke negative, positive, or neutral emotional responses.

When looking at negative images or angry faces, participants with higher levels of primary psychopathy showed less pupil dilation than other participants.

Experts didn’t notice any change in pupil dilation in response to the positive images, or any of the audio clips. They also didn’t find a similar response in participants who scored high on measures of secondary psychopathy, but not primary psychopathy.

An earlier study conducted by the same researchers considered the possible connection between psychopathic traits and pupil activity in 102 male and female university students. This study didn’t show any clear link between psychopathic traits and a diminished pupil response.

The study authors offered a potential explanation that levels of psychopathy tend to be lower in community samples.

In other words, the primary traits they later connected to pupil response may not show up as often, or as strongly, in the general community — only in people who score very high on measures of psychopathy.

Eye contact

Three separate studies challenge the idea of the so-called “psychopathic stare.”

Findings from these studies suggest people who score higher on measures of psychopathy are actually less likely to make eye contact or fixate on the eyes of others.

A 2017 study compared 30 men who had at least one conviction for violence with 25 men who didn’t.

When shown images of faces, participants with higher boldness scores on the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (a questionnaire designed to identify psychopathy) were slower to look at the eye region. They also spent less time overall looking at the eyes.

The study authors suggested this could support links between psychopathic traits, difficulty processing emotions, and a decreased fear response.

A 2018 study explored the connection between psychopathic traits and eye gaze in a sample of 108 incarcerated men. This study also found evidence to suggest people who scored higher on measures of interpersonal-affective traits paid less attention to faces showing fear.

A third study published in 2020 focused on eye contact in social interactions.

Through a series of face-to-face conversations with 30 incarcerated adults, researchers found that those with higher affective psychopathy scores tended to make less eye contact throughout the conversation.

Together, these findings contradict the idea of a psychopathic stare.
They also support existing research that suggests people with psychopathic traits have trouble recognizing and processing emotions, social cues, and facial expressions.

It’s pretty much impossible to “see” psychopathy in someone’s eyes, or in any other physical characteristics.

Yes, people with specific psychopathic traits may show less pupil dilation when encountering frightening images. Still, as experts have pointed out, this may be less obvious in everyday life — especially when you don’t know exactly what to look for.

Even then, the lack of dilation could have another explanation. And, don’t forget, decreased pupil response didn’t seem to apply to people with mostly secondary psychopathic traits.

The same goes for eye contact. People may or may not make eye contact during conversations for any number of reasons. They might be shy or simply nervous. They could have social anxiety or autism.

Research also counters other common assumptions about psychopathy.

For example, people with ASPD can:

experience emotions, though they generally find it challenging to recognize and regulate them
form relationships and maintain connections with others
feel regret after unwanted outcomes, though they have a hard time using the experience to make different choices in the future

It’s always best to avoid making assumptions about personality based on appearance or body language. Personality disorders, like any other mental health condition, show up in different ways from person to person.

Only trained mental health professionals have the knowledge and expertise needed to accurately diagnose ASPD. They’ll make this diagnosis by exploring long-standing patterns of exploitation and manipulation in a person’s behavior — not by looking into their eyes.

Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.

Signs, Sanpaku Eyes, Stare, & More

Crime dramas, thriller movies, and mystery novels have popularized psychopathy, contributing to plenty of myths around what it truly means.

For example, sometimes people use “psychopath” interchangeably with other stigmatizing terms, such as “evil,” “violent,” or “criminal. ” Perhaps you’ve read psychopaths experience no emotions at all and care nothing for the consequences of their actions.

You might’ve even heard it’s possible to recognize a psychopath simply by looking into their eyes.

Yet psychopathy is somewhat more complex than these ideas suggest.

First of all, psychopathy isn’t an actual mental health diagnosis. It’s a casual term for traits typically associated with a psychiatric diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).

People with ASPD usually:

lack a clear sense of right and wrong
have trouble understanding and empathizing with other people’s feelings
show little remorse for their actions

These traits can certainly increase the chances of someone partaking in unlawful or harmful behavior, but they don’t necessarily make someone violent.

Your eyes, and their movements, can convey a lot of information about mood and emotions, from happiness to humor to boredom to disdain.

Some experts even believe eyes can offer clues to underlying personality traits, offering support for the idea that your eyes offer a glimpse of your soul.

The various suggested characteristics of “psychopath eyes” seem to echo the general belief that people with ASPD have no emotions to show.

These descriptions include:

dead, flat, or reptilian-like eyes
very dark irises, or eyes that appear black
pupils that don’t dilate
an expression, such as a smile, that doesn’t reach the eyes
a “soulless” stare

Maybe you’ve also heard of the “psychopath stare. ”

The suggested reasons for this stare vary.

Some people believe those with psychopathic traits use intense eye contact to startle others and catch them off-guard, so they can use manipulation tactics more easily.

Others suggest it’s a way of maintaining power and control during social interactions.

Still, others say it’s simply boredom. Staring intensely could make someone feel nervous, even somewhat fearful — reactions that people who enjoy causing fear and pain would, of course, enjoy.

But there’s little evidence to support any of these ideas. It’s also worth noting that a diagnosis of ASPD doesn’t automatically mean someone enjoys hurting others.

According to Japanese face reading, various elements of your face can offer insight on your personality, abilities, and experiences.

Sanpaku, which means “three whites,” is one element of face reading.

Sanpaku is further divided into two subtypes:

Yin sanpaku. This refers to the white below the iris. Traditionally, yin sanpaku suggests you may face some type of threat or danger from the world, or that you have a tendency to expose yourself to risks or danger.
Yang sanpaku. This refers to the white above the iris. It’s said to suggest you face more of a threat from within. In other words, you’re more likely to have a hard time managing unwanted emotions, which could negatively affect both your behavior and overall well-being.

Yang sanpaku, in particular, became associated with mental illness and psychopathic traits, including:

aggression
tendency toward angry or violent outbursts
suspicion of others
poor self-control

Someone’s habitual facial expressions can absolutely offer clues to their personality or mood. That said, no scientific evidence to date supports any association between sanpaku and psychopathic traits.

Researchers have observed two main differences when comparing the eyes or gaze of people with traits of ASPD to people without those traits.

Here’s a brief snapshot of their findings.

Pupil response

A 2018 study explored the connection between psychopathic traits and pupil dilation in response to stimuli.

Researchers started by measuring primary and secondary psychopathy traits in 82 male psychiatric hospital inpatients:

Primary psychopathy traits refer to interpersonal-affective traits and behaviors, such as lack of guilt, low empathy, and a tendency to manipulate.
Secondary psychopathy traits refer to lifestyle-antisocial behaviors, such as lawbreaking, conduct problems, and impulsive or risky behavior.

They then showed participants a combination of images, video, and sound clips intended to provoke negative, positive, or neutral emotional responses.

When looking at negative images or angry faces, participants with higher levels of primary psychopathy showed less pupil dilation than other participants.

The study authors offered a potential explanation that levels of psychopathy tend to be lower in community samples.

Eye contact

Three separate studies challenge the idea of the so-called “psychopathic stare.”

Findings from these studies suggest people who score higher on measures of psychopathy are actually less likely to make eye contact or fixate on the eyes of others.

A 2017 study compared 30 men who had at least one conviction for violence with 25 men who didn’t.

The study authors suggested this could support links between psychopathic traits, difficulty processing emotions, and a decreased fear response.

A third study published in 2020 focused on eye contact in social interactions.

Together, these findings contradict the idea of a psychopathic stare.
They also support existing research that suggests people with psychopathic traits have trouble recognizing and processing emotions, social cues, and facial expressions.

It’s pretty much impossible to “see” psychopathy in someone’s eyes, or in any other physical characteristics.

Even then, the lack of dilation could have another explanation. And, don’t forget, decreased pupil response didn’t seem to apply to people with mostly secondary psychopathic traits.

The same goes for eye contact. People may or may not make eye contact during conversations for any number of reasons. They might be shy or simply nervous. They could have social anxiety or autism.

Research also counters other common assumptions about psychopathy.

For example, people with ASPD can:

experience emotions, though they generally find it challenging to recognize and regulate them
form relationships and maintain connections with others
feel regret after unwanted outcomes, though they have a hard time using the experience to make different choices in the future

Are "psychopath eyes" really a thing?

07/07/2022 admin

Contents

How they are supposedly different
Psychopathic look
What about sanpaku eyes?
What the study says
- Student's response
- Eye contact
Are there any reliable ways to tell if someone has psychopathy?
Bottom line

Crime dramas, thrillers, and detective novels have popularized psychopathy, fueling many myths about its true meaning.

For example, sometimes people use the term "psychopath" interchangeably with other stigmatizing terms such as "evil", "violent" or "criminal". You may have read that psychopaths don't feel emotions at all and don't care about the consequences of their actions.

You may have even heard that a psychopath can be recognized simply by looking into his eyes.

Still, psychopathy is somewhat more complex than these ideas suggest.

First, psychopathy is not a true mental health diagnosis. It is a casual term for traits commonly associated with a psychiatric diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).

People with ASPD typically:

lack a clear understanding of right and wrong
have trouble understanding and empathizing with other people's feelings
show little remorse for their actions

These traits can certainly increase the chances that someone -someone will engage in illegal or harmful behavior, but they don't necessarily make someone violent.

What about the so-called psychopathic gaze? Is there any truth to the fact that you can recognize psychopathic traits in someone's eyes? Or is this just another myth? Below you will find a reasonable explanation.

How they are supposedly different

Your eyes and their movements can convey a lot of information about mood and emotions, from happiness to humor, from boredom to neglect.

Although your eyes may linger on someone you find attractive or attractive, you can quickly look away from something that frightens or worries you. Your pupils also dilate when you experience strong emotions, including fear, anger, and love (or lust).

Some experts even believe that the eyes can provide clues to basic personality traits, supporting the idea that your eyes allow you to see into your soul.

The various proposed characterizations of the "psychopath eye" seem to echo the general belief that people with ASPD have no emotions to show.

These descriptions include:

dead, flat or reptilian eyes
very dark irises or eyes that appear black
pupils do not dilate
an expression such as a smile that does not reach the eyes
"soulless" gaze

Psychopath gaze

You may also have heard of the "psychopath look".

People usually describe it as a prolonged predatory gaze or a fixed gaze that causes anxiety and discomfort. Maybe you feel like someone is watching you and catch their eyes every time you look up.

Suggested reasons for this view vary.

Some people believe that people with psychopathic traits use intense eye contact to frighten and surprise others so that they can more easily use manipulation tactics.

Others suggest that this is a way to maintain power and control during social interactions.

However, others say it's just boring. A tense stare can make someone nervous and even a little afraid - a reaction that will certainly appeal to people who enjoy inflicting fear and pain.

But there is little evidence to support either of these ideas. It's also worth noting that a diagnosis of ASPD does not automatically mean that someone enjoys hurting others.

What about sanpaku eyes?

According to Japanese face reading, different elements of your face can give an idea of your personality, abilities and experience.

Sanpaku, which means three whites, is one of the elements of face reading.

If you look at your eyes in a mirror, you will of course see whites (sclera) on either side of each iris. But if you also see white above or below the iris, your eyes are considered sanpaku—they have three whites.

Sanpaku is further divided into two subtypes:

Yin sanpaku. This refers to white under the iris. Traditionally, yin-sanpaku suggests that you may face some kind of threat or danger from the world, or that you have a tendency to expose yourself to risk or danger.
Which is my sanpa. This refers to the white above the iris. This is said to suggest that you will face a greater threat from within. In other words, you will likely find it difficult to deal with unwanted emotions that can negatively affect both your behavior and overall well-being.

George Osawa is generally credited with introducing the idea of sanpaku to Western society. His explanation, however, deviated somewhat from traditional face reading, as he suggested that sanpaku had a more negative connotation.

Yang sanpaku in particular has become associated with mental illness and psychopathic traits, including:0010

poor self-control

A person's habitual facial expression can give clues to their personality or mood. However, to date, there is no scientific evidence to support any connection between sanpaku and psychopathic traits.

What the study says

Researchers have found two major differences when comparing the eyes or gaze of people with signs of ADHD and people without these signs.

Here's a snapshot of their findings.

Student response

A 2018 study investigated the association between psychopathic traits and pupillary dilation in response to stimuli.

The researchers began by measuring primary and secondary psychopathy features in 82 male mental hospital inpatients:

Primary psychopathy traits refer to interpersonal-affective traits and behaviors such as lack of guilt, low empathy, and manipulative tendencies.
Secondary features of psychopathy relate to lifestyle and antisocial behavior such as breaking the law, behavioral problems, and impulsive or risk-taking behavior.

They then showed participants a combination of images, videos, and sound clips designed to provoke negative, positive, or neutral emotional responses.

When looking at negative images or angry faces, participants with higher levels of primary psychopathy showed pupil dilation than other participants.

The examiners did not notice any change in pupillary dilation in response to positive images or any audio clips. They also found no similar response in participants who scored high on secondary psychopathy but not on primary psychopathy.

An earlier study by the same investigators looked at a possible association between psychopathic traits and pupillary activity in 102 male and female students. This study shows no clear link between psychopathic traits and decreased pupillary response.

The authors of the study proposed a potential explanation for the fact that levels of psychopathy tend to be lower in community samples.

In other words, the primary traits they later associated with pupillary responses may not show up as often or as strongly in society at large—only in people with very high rates of psychopathy.

Eye contact

Three separate studies challenge the idea of the so-called "psychopathic gaze".

The results of these studies suggest that people with higher psychopathy scores are actually more likely to make eye contact with or fixate on others.

A 2017 study compared 30 men with at least one conviction for violence with 25 men with no convictions.

When shown pictures of faces, participants with higher levels of courage on the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (a questionnaire designed to detect psychopathy) looked at the eye area more slowly. They also spent less time making eye contact.

The authors of the study suggested that this may support the link between psychopathic traits, difficulty processing emotions, and reduced fear response.

A 2018 study investigated the association between psychopathic traits and gaze in a sample of 108 male prisoners. This study also found evidence that people with higher scores on interpersonal affective traits paid less attention to faces expressing fear.

A third of a study published in 2020 focuses on eye contact in social interactions.

In a series of face-to-face interviews with 30 adult inmates, the researchers found that those with higher scores for affective psychopathy tended to make less eye contact throughout the conversation.

Together, these results contradict the idea of the psychopathic gaze.

They also support existing research that suggests that people with psychopathic traits have difficulty recognizing and processing emotions, social cues, and facial expressions.

Are there reliable ways to determine if someone has psychopathy?

It is almost impossible to "see" psychopathy in someone's eyes or in any other physical characteristics.

Yes, in people with certain psychopathic traits, pupils may dilate less when confronted with frightening images. However, as experts point out, in everyday life it can be less obvious, especially when you don't know exactly what to look for.

Even then, there could be another explanation for the lack of an extension. And, don't forget, decreased pupillary response didn't seem to apply to people with predominantly secondary psychopathic traits.

The same goes for eye contact. People may or may not make eye contact during a conversation for a number of reasons. They may be shy or just nervous. They may have social anxiety or autism.

Research also refutes other common assumptions about psychopathy.

For example, people with ASPD may:

experience emotions, although they usually have difficulty recognizing and regulating them
build relationships and connect with others
regret undesirable results even though they find it difficult to use the experience to make other choices in the future

Bottom line

It's always best not to make assumptions about personality based on appearance or body language. Personality disorders, like any other mental illness, manifest differently in different people.

Only trained mental health professionals have the knowledge and experience needed to accurately diagnose ASPD. They make this diagnosis by examining longstanding patterns of exploitation and manipulation of a person's behavior rather than by looking them in the eye.

Health

Dead Eyes (Woodz Stuart) - Listen to audiobook online

Speed

00:00 / 12:48

0001

20:46

0002 0002

09:48 9000 000 000 000 000 0005

09:23

0004

14:35

0005

08:44

08:39

0011

11:00

0012

11:37

13:11

0018

11:48

09:26

0024

09: 15

0025