Since the popular press seems to be utterly clueless about psychopaths, many people first learned about who they really are on the Internet. In that case it is very likely heard them refereed to as reptiles. This word can be a useful tool. It’s a strong reminder that reptiles have more primitive motivations and drives. If you threaten a predator reptile, even unintentionally, their solution will likely be to kill you. But there is a downside to. It dehumanizes them, like it or not, they are human.

Let look at their characterization of us to understand this. The muppet. Hyperactive, floppy headed, hopelessly social, cute, and completely insane. But this is not accurate is it. Sure some people are just like this, but a human can be none of those things and still be successful at both cooperation and competition. It is seriously doubtful the entire ensemble of American revolutionaries were psychopaths, yet they were brutal, elusive, effective, and choose the rattlesnake as their mascot.

The muppet makes it easy to forget that we are all reptiles underneath. It’s almost a subtle lullaby psychopaths sing to themselves, to forget that the world is filled with monsters that can have all of their strengths and none of their weaknesses. Everyone comes into life as a psychopath. Selfish, brutal, manipulative, expecting of handouts, and without a care in the world except of ourselves. But we grow out of it. First we connect with kin as do all animals, but then we reach out. Sometimes were wrong but many of us learn multiple effective techniques at knowing who to trust. We seem soft and stupid on the outside, but our primitive selves still lurk underneath.

Well we have a lullaby we sing to ourselves too. One where psychopaths are these distant almost impossible creatures. We stick our fingers in our ears and hum as loud as we can, hoping that a human without a conscience is just a ridiculous fantasy. Be make absurd movies about soulless monsters that look like us but are made of completely different stuff, be it swamp slime or nanites, or rotting flesh. But the truth is much scarier. The truth is they are just like us. We teeter on the precipice of immorality. Just one gene from the edge.

This is the problem with calling psychopaths reptiles. It feels great. I know, for me to. It has been recently been proven we have an entire section of our brain dedicated just to seeing snakes. We can solve a lurking snake problem, deep inside, we know we’re good at it. But it means we can’t take the problem seriously. We could take it seriously if we really understood ourselves. We fear what we don’t understand.

The psychopath is easy. Golden opportunities, slaves and masters, and a complete lack of guilt. There it is in one puny sentence. Easy as pie. The problem is us. We terrify, ourselves. We don’t run from the psychopath because we fear them, we fear they will push us one step too far. They will do something that lets the beast within, out. It’s OK. We’re all human. The beast within is part of ALL of us. Study it, understand it, and then control it. Then you can understand and deal with a psychopath. If you don’t, one day you will be pushed past the brink. You’ll meet the scariest monster you can imagine. You.