Can You Be a Serial Killer Without Being a Psychopath?
Asking for a friend…
“A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people, usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them.”
Let’s get some obvious caveats out of the way. Technically, some people in the military or even in law enforcement could meet the criteria of being serial killers. It’s just part of the job sometimes and hopefully done for the right reasons. In this article I’m talking about people who kill for its own sake, or rather, to satisfy an internal need in the absence of external gain.
It’s now well known that the term psychopath is not used clinically. However, I think the use of it in popular culture makes sense. It denotes a person who is so lacking in conscience (for want of a better word) that they are simply different from the rest of us. The gnawing feelings of guilt, regret, fear and shame are so pervasive that those who lack them are almost akin to being a different species — one with a rather predatory relationship to us.
Is it possible for a person to enjoy both moral and immoral acts equally? Of course, all of us can enjoy things that are classed as immoral from time to time, but what if a person could derive an equal amount of pleasure from acting altruistically as they could from being sadistic - is this type of person even possible?
When describing psychopaths, or people of that ilk, we assume that malicious actions bring them pleasure whereas kindness does nothing for them. They must be faking their way through the niceties, wearing a mask of normality, but buried below is the true dark underbelly. Maybe psychopaths, or certain subgroups of them, enjoy both sides of the moral spectrum, but if this isn’t the case then we might need to invent a new category. Such a person would be bi-moral. Yes, I really couldn’t think of a better word for it, I’m open to suggestions.
The question I’m pondering is whether it’s possible to be both a good and bad person. Yes, that describes everyone, but can someone be equally good and bad at the same time with equal enjoyment of each side?
If such a person exists then they’d be able to help an old lady carry her groceries across the road (does this ever actually happen…?) then enjoy a good ol’ serial killing spree. If variety is the spice of life then this type of person would include moral variety in that too. It is, in some sense, a recipe for a maximally enjoyable life. Very little would be un-embraceable for such a person.
Great question. Since I have a preoccupation with psychopaths, I can say that I have never met or heard of a psychopath who was truly bi-moral. They all hate life and are basically very fearful, just like most people. Ted Bundy famously worked on a crisis hotline and helped little ladies cross streets even as he was stalking coeds. He was a loving boyfriend and diligent law student, earning the praise of the judge who sentenced him to death. However, I think it's possible, perhaps even natural, to be bi-moral, as you described it. My cats are bi-moral, but they are, significantly, peaceful. Why would they needlessly kill or harm another creature? Instead, they take every opportunity to lounge and cuddle...
People make both good and bad decisions. If I were to judge if a person was good or bad, I would consider the accumulation of their life actions. Does someone project positivity or negativity into the world? Does someone blame others for one’s unhappiness? Does someone help others more than they hurt? Does someone try to bring out the best in others or tear them down to make themselves feel superior? Does someone choose a career to make money but take advantage of the less educated or unprivileged to do so? Does someone care for their mental and physical health so they can show up the best version of themselves for others? Is someone generous with their time and their learned skills? Does someone learn from their mistakes or keep making them?
I do believe people who are true psychopaths or sociopaths can ultimately be good people with self-recognition and treatment. However, most people, in the judgment of serial killer lives, would be hard-pressed to call them good people.