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20 Signs You’re With a Psychopath or You Are a Psychopath

Are you a psychopath? Are you with a psychopath? Look for these 20 psychopathic signs and find out if you are a psychopath or if you are with a psychopath.

Have you ever wondered what the signs of a psychopath are? Have you ever been concerned that you are a psychopath or that you're with a psychopath? These psychopath signs and symptoms can help illuminate if you have a psychopath in your life or if you, yourself, might be a psychopath. (Does A Psychopath Test Exist? Diagnosing the Psychopath)

Signs You're With A Psychopath or You Are One

A checklist known as the Psychopathy Checklist has been developed by Canadian psychologist, Robert D. Hare, and it is widely used to identify psychopaths in studies. The following signs and symptoms of a psychopath are based upon that checklist. The following questions are asked as if evaluating your partner but you can also use them to evaluate yourself.

  1. Does your partner shrug off important subjects with glibness? Does your partner exhibit superficial charm?
  2. Is your partner self-centered with an inflated sense of self?
  3. Does your partner need stimulation constantly or from more extreme experiences?
  4. Does your partner lie to your or others?
  5. Does your partner con or manipulate you or others?
  6. Does your partner show a lack of guilt and/or remorse when he/she hurts someone?
  7. Does your partner appear to have only shallow feelings or feel things superficially?
  8. Does your partner have trouble empathizing with the pain of others? Is your partner callous towards others?
  9. Is your partner in relationships where he/she uses others (i.e. parasitic relationships)?
  10. Does your partner have poor control over his or her behavior?
  11. Does your partner display promiscuous sexual behavior?
  12. Did your partner have behavioral problems early in childhood? (psychopathic behavior in children)
  13. Does your partner have a hard time making realistic, long-term goals?
  14. Is your partner impulsive?
  15. Is your partner irresponsible?
  16. Does your partner refuse to accept responsibly?
  17. Has your partner had many marital or significant relationships?
  18. Was your partner a juvenile delinquent? (do child psychopaths exist)
  19. Has your partner been on parole and had that parole revoked?
  20. Is your partner a criminal in many areas (a versatile criminal)?

Scoring the Above Psychopathic Signs and Symptoms

When looking at the above signs and symptoms of a psychopath, you may wish to give each question a rating of 0, 1 or 2 corresponding to:

  • 0 – No, my partner doesn't do that at all.
  • 1 – Yes, my partner does that sometimes.
  • 2. – Yes, my partner does that all the time.


When you tally up your score, then, you get a total out of 40. If the score is 30 or above, the chances are good that you are dating a psychopath (or, in the case that you did it for yourself, you are a psychopath). If you're wondering if you're in a relationship with a psychopath, here's how to identify psychopathic behavior.

Remember though, when the actual, scientific checklist is used, professionals are specifically trained on how to assess each item and how to assign a value so your assessment will not be as accurate as theirs. If psychopathy is suspected, a professional who specializes in psychopathy should always be consulted for a proper diagnosis.

article references

APA Reference
Tracy, N. (2021, December 17). 20 Signs You’re With a Psychopath or You Are a Psychopath, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, November 19 from https://www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/psychopath/20-signs-you-re-with-a-psychopath-or-you-are-a-psychopath

Last Updated: January 28, 2022

Medically reviewed by Harry Croft, MD

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