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Friday, April 13, 2012

Natural born killer?

A reader sent me this "military essay on sociopaths and their utility," specifically the disparate impact that sociopathic soldiers have in a time of war:

A natural killer is a person who has a predisposition to kill—he enjoys combat and feels little or no remorse about killing the enemy. These men have existed throughout the history of warfare, and their feats have often been hailed as heroic. They constitute less than 4 percent of the force, yet some studies show that they do almost half of the killing. These men rarely distinguish themselves before the moment arrives to pull the trigger. It is only after the smoke has cleared that the full impact of their accomplishment is seen. It is important to identify natural killers before combat, because these soldiers are both a vital asset and a potential liability—correctly positioning them in a unit can turn the tide of battle. To better understand the importance of identifying these soldiers, one should understand what makes soldiers kill, the characteristics of natural killers and their battlefield capabilities and limitations.
***
A temperament for killing exists among some human beings. Marshall, in identifying the battlefield fighters, said, "the same names continued to reappear as having taken the initiative, and relatively few fresh names were added to the list on any day." A post-World War II study by R. L. Swank and W. E. Marchand proposed that 2 percent of soldiers were "aggressive psychopaths" who did not suffer from the normal remorse or trauma associated with killing. I use the word suffer because when the job of the soldier is to kill, those fettered by their conscience are suffering while doing their job. We tend to shun the concept of the willing killer because it offends our kinder sensibilities, but a controlled psychopath is an asset on the killing fields. Those who possess such a temperament are natural killers and many have served this country well. The problem lies in identifying these individuals and positioning them where they can be most effective.

How to identify them?


The natural killer is most likely not a first-born son. Later sons are generally more aggressive and have less fear or anxiety in dangerous situations. An Israeli Defense Force study of its officers from 1961 to 1966 showed that "first borns" were more anxious than "later borns" and that they generally sought less dangerous positions in the military. Later borns were more likely to volunteer for combat and had a better chance of encountering terrorists on patrols. A study of Korean War fighter plane aces found that first borns engaged the enemy less and were more anxious about flying. Family position also seems to relate to assassins. Almost all American assassins have been later sons—John Wilkes Booth, Charles Giteau and Lee Harvey Oswald, to name three.15 Later borns, by virtue of being routinely dominated by their siblings, ultimately feel less fear during stressful situations. They also feel the need to prove their worth over their siblings and more quickly accept dangerous challenges.

A natural killer has been a fighter for much of his life. Frequent fighting as a child does not mean the individual was a bully. Rather, he chose to respond to stressful situations with aggression. Arthur J. Dollard concluded that aggression is the result of frustration and this is a normal human reaction. The sociopath, also referred to as the undercontrolled aggressive personality type, has low internal controls against violence and will resort to aggressive behavior unless constrained by rigid external controls. Such a person can be conditioned to not respond to frustration with external aggression. Thus, if frustrated by a Drill Sergeant’s control, the undercontrolled personality type will refrain from direct aggression and look for another target for his aggression. The military provides ample displacement outlets for this aggression in the form of physical training, field maneuvers and weapons ranges. It is the perfect environment for a sociopath to excel.

The natural killer is an aggressive athlete whose physical makeup allows him to excel at contact sports. Combative sports provide long-term training in aggression while acting as a short-term catharsis or safety valve for aggressive individuals.19 An Army-funded study of Korean War veterans discerned differences in the characteristics of fighters—those who took aggressive action in combat—versus nonfighters—those who were hysterical or nonresponsive in combat. This study, conducted by the Human Resources Research Office (HumRRO), concluded that the fighters had been more active in contact sports such as football, boxing or hockey. It also concluded that fighters had a high masculinity factor or outdoors adventurousness about them. Their body types were larger; on average they were an inch taller and eight pounds heavier than the nonfighters. They were rugged individuals who had channeled their aggressions through contact sports.

Another discriminator for identifying natural killers is their socio-economic background. Natural killers usually come from a middle or upper class background. The volunteer military has had the luxury to pick and choose those who will be allowed into the service, and we exclude those with criminal records. Sociopaths follow a "cheater strategy" to obtain what they want. The lack of a social conscience allows the sociopath to cheat without remorse. Consequently, those who find themselves in the economically disadvantaged lower class will resort to crime unless placed in a highly controlled environment. In other words, a sociopath from a depressed economic background will most likely have a criminal record, and under today’s standards, he would not be able to enter the military. Thus, natural killers in the US military will most likely come from a middle or upper class background.

Sociopaths are generally extroverts. One reason for this is the inheritance of a nervous system that is relatively insensitive to low levels of stimulation. Individuals with this physiotype tend to be extroverted. They also have lower than average levels of adrenaline and seek experiences to heighten this. Extroverts and sociopaths are less affected by threats of pain or punishment, and they have greater tolerance of actual pain or punishment. Both sociopaths and extroverts will approach a situation that most people will avoid. These factors were confirmed by the HumRRO study conclusion that fighters were extroverted, spontaneous and relatively free from anxiety.

The natural killer has above-average intelligence. Like sociopaths with no economic resources, those without above-average intelligence end up in jail. Therefore, sociopaths in our military are usually intelligent. The HumRRO study found that the intelligence quotient (IQ) of fighters was, on average, 13 points higher than nonfighters’. The study subjects were all infantrymen and the mean group IQ was only 85, 15 points below the national average of 100. This indicated that less intelligent men were sent forward to fight, but within that group, the more intelligent ones were better fighters.

Additionally, the natural killer has a caustic sense of humor that relies on sharp wit and biting sarcasm. Such hostile humor acts as a tension-discharger, a relief valve. While we normally associate humor with friendly behavior, laughter itself is a primarily aggressive behavior. Laughter is usually directed at someone and is infectious, with the unspoken agreement being to "join in or not be part of the group." With aggression as the underlying theme, the natural killer enjoys humor.


Sound like anyone you know?

63 comments:

  1. lol funny to have this up here I'm waiting for a reply to my application

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    1. Good luck bro, socios serve well usually in the military; the above is true.
      A lot of folks can't hack it; they join to do something in life get out of the one horse town they live in, get sent over, kill things and freak out even before they are back. Orders are orders and they are to be followed. Good or Bad or in Between.

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  2. This is my Rifle, there are many like it..but this one is mine

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    1. You should know there is one who will stand stay strong

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    2. You should know there is one who will stand stay strong

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  3. I would never be a soldier. Why would i put myself in danger like that?

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  4. Apparently you wouldn't.

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    1. You fight for this country so your family will be safe

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  5. I can imagine how much fun war could be for a sociopath with that just the right IQ level:
    s/he has not been caught yet (not stupid enough) and
    s/he has no better alternative than war (not smart enough).

    So where in the world is our sociopath can be guided by IQ.

    Low IQ.. ----> In jail, or on the streets selling dope
    Low-Middle -----> In military
    Middle-High -----> Small-Medium Business Owners
    High -----> Wall Street, Top level manager (Church, Schools, Hospitals, Corporations....)

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  6. Are sociopath, psychopath, ASPD etc.... not just labels ?

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    1. sociopath= regular person + caffeine

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  7. Low IQ--selling dope---fucking priceless

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  8. This article is correct in that the "killer nature" has this
    Hannibal Lector style in talking and sense of humor. My husband did and took it to a level of trying to make me ill
    so that he would get all the money. He used all forms,
    but the gaslighting and his biting sarcasm was the worst.
    This article is so true........

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  9. i want to be in charge of interogation

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  10. you got anymore pictures like that?

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  11. I have to be careful with the biting humor around some people. They know there's truth to every joke. Maybe it is redirected aggression. Never thought of that. Makes sense, as I'm only violent in my mind.

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  12. My humor is also biting. Now I know why

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    1. NOW you know why? ...That's a pathetic realization. . .

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  13. I like to bite pussy lips and tongue punch fart holes.

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    1. Me too! We're so much alike!

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    2. Cool, we should hook up and find some chicks to tongue punch!

      What about Moncia ? Haven ? Raven ? I think I'd like to blow my load into Haven..

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    3. How big's ur shit?

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    4. Well I have yards and yards of pussy so I hope it's real big, anon 9:28

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    5. I'll hump any chick. Beauty is only a light switch away.

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    6. Fake Monica. Imitation is the surest form of flattery URGH

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  14. I do it too much when I talk about people's kids with humor.. They look at me like I'm awful. I want to say lighten up, but they get this weird 'hey my kid is off limits' look. A w K w aR d.

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    1. You care ...why?

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    2. Um ...because like these are my friends kids. I don't want my friends thinking I'm a bad influence on their kids. Once I said something like it's possible my friend's 14 year old was sucking cock in the park at night. I was totally joking. My friend looked at me with a straight face and said "Hey, y'know, he's my kid." Yeah, I care. That was a stupid thing to say outloud.

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    3. no one wants to picture their kids sexual. And it makes you look creepy if you make your friends imagine their kids doing sex. Like maybe they'll think you're a child molester or something.

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  15. Fascinating, though it makes me think I may not be a sociopath. Not an extrovert, extremely emotionally repressed, highly intelligent.. so maybe I'm just a "typically masculine" nerd with no conscience.

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    1. Naw. You're probably just another piece of shit Aspergian. The "autistic psychopath."

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  16. You don't have to be an extrovert to be a socipath.

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    1. agreed, I am an introvert and a sociopath I cant wait to join the military

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  17. sociopath= methode to the madness

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  18. It's easier to humor empaths; they just don't want to hear about how needy they are.

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    1. needy triggers me into playing them like the chumps they are

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  19. Hey people.

    I have a question for anyone that knows about narcs. When one calls and leaves a nasty message on my cell, after I made a facebook group to mock him, what would you call the levels, or thought process that he went to to get to that point. This all started when he disowned a whole goup of us friends... because we know more than him in our field. I guess he felt threatened by us.

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    1. You made a facebook group ... to mock someone and you wonder what thought process he had to go through to get to the point of leaving one nasty message on your phone?

      Is this a joke?
      REALLY.
      Is this a joke?

      You came on sociopathworld.com and asked this because you couldn't figure it out anddddd you are asking pseudo-sociopaths, sociopaths, psychopaths etc. what “levels” brought this guy to call you and leave an unpleasant message after you slandered him with a pathetic fb group.
      IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU ARE MERELY STUPID AND HE DID NOT FEEL "THREATENED" BY THE GROUPS "SUPERIORITY" ..HE JUST GOT FED UP WITH THE IDIOCY... and if that second part is not the case well then, you're all just inbreds.
      His, to answer your stupid question so you leave, “thought process” was likely an immediate reaction OF! …..what the fuck.
      All you did was prove your group lacks all real self-esteem and general control (…including the control of emotion) - like a non-intelligent child. Yup. At that point the child doesn’t even suffer the later to come "trivial” emotions of an empath. (What's your excuse?)
      Does that make the "levels" clear at all? I didn't exactly try very hard to explain what you should, without thought, almost instinctively know.
      Shit. I come on this site to NOT deal with you wastes of life that can't even comprehend themselves - because if you had ANY sense of "self" you would not have done this! Go back to fb and stop bringing your friends here. The "lol" shit is getting older everyday.

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    2. I don't think the troll was serious, but you got pulled in... aspie lol

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    3. Maybe I was bored and wanted a reaction. o,0

      And no, he was serious.
      He's the type of person that has to use a calculator to know that 3 x 6 = 18 ....and then is surprised by the answer.

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  20. "Our pride comes from the fact that we don't care if we are part of any group, we are content in ourselves and with ourselves."

    Plenty of non-sociopaths who can, too. lol

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  21. You can have the deepest feelings, and not be a follower or care to be part of any group. Not very intelligent, are you ! lol

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  22. There is a sweet spot in which one can operate be truly successful in a combat environment, but it has little to do with actual intelligence. It's more in the vein of where one falls on the spectrum of empathy/sociopathy. A pure sociopath, and I doubt many of you truly are true sociopaths, makes for a poor soldier. Poor soldiers, regardless of their levels of aggression or emotional resiliency are useful. What I've found to be most effective is an empath with psychopathic tendencies. I've always gotten by with

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    1. That is, I've always gotten by on a highly cultivated ability to comparentalize. My guys and I never had an issue with taking care of anything we had to, both on and off the books, as far as the Army was concerned, and then head back to the FOB for tacos and a nap. Though none of us could honestly call ourselves sociopathic.

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    2. Doesnt really matter what you call yourself. You're still a sociopath. This shit is black and white. You eithrt are or are not. I can call myself a porn star all day but my dick wont get any bigger.

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  23. Didnt read all of the comments but after reading some of the first comments, you guys are fucking morons especially the one with the breakdown of IQs...I am in the military in an SF unit and I come from an upper middle class with a genius IQ so why am I not on wall street, because I fucking love ending human lives I find humans nasty selfish creatures and after being in the SF community I can tell you that the majority of people in our community are def sociopaths and you can read all about this in the book on combat by LT Col Dave grossmen...so watch what you say it is high IQ sociopaths that make up most of this nations most elite killers and give up our spot on wall street to go kill people for our country

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    1. Well youre definitely a narcissistic sociopath. Genius though? Hardly. All the geniuses I know are smart enougb to locate the 'comma' key.

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    2. I agree with you on that, if you got the itch for violence it just wont go away doesn't matter about money or standard of living as long as my need for violence is satisified I am content, for now it is only kick boxing and street fights until I join

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  24. You people talk alot of shit but for the most part your all just gutless.If you had to face a real enemy youd shit in your pants and cry for your mommy.If you ever have to fight for real you better pray someone like this is around.

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  25. Only humor i have is the dripping in venom and sarcasm kind hm

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  26. WOW. Thank you for the article. It has really opened my eyes to why I am the way I am. There are times that I feel remorse though. It doesnt last long. I usualy tell myself if they werent meant to die yet then I wouldnt have been able to kill them.

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    1. Kill kill kill the enemy hmmm never fails always more to kill I like it

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  27. Love this shit. This has opened my eyes and made my day. Terrytaliban can get some and eat 6 ft of dirt

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    1. Remember this the 6 feet dirt has your name on it so love it buddy

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    2. Remember this the 6 feet dirt has your name on it so love it buddy

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  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  29. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  30. They are saying that there is a difference between a "natural killer" and a sociopath. Sociopaths do not do well in the military, natural killers do.

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  31. The army sucked. I spent most of my time in a bar somewhere in killeen. Puke after pt then start some regular bs day at 8:45 till they cut us loose at five. I joined to go to war but it took the defence sec two years to cut any orders. My uniforms were startin to get a little worn. A hand full of guys went awal before we even went to desert training. Then u had the guys faking injurys. We had old desert storm sgts who could weed out the college dreamers and just bad shooters. They became drivers. Bradley's, hummves, ect. Thats a non fighters job. Our scout platoon only had a few socialpaths. Ones dead, one's a cop in ohio. The rest are disabled vets now. 100%. I did great as a soldier when I had no access to alcohol. But as soon as I got back to texas I had three months left on my contact. I got bored of the old garrison ritual and was right back in the bar. Scruff uniform. Bored. I know one the though. Me and the other 3 guys from my platoons small kill team sure fucking did enjoy killing. We'd get droped off somewhere and they'd say see you in 24, or we would be out on our own separate patroll while the Lt. Was kissin some tribe elder. Any time we had to stop for some reason we would would get to piss off and searh random shit out. I know im a socialpath because the kills we got were like a hunting trip with buddies. And the army made that clear to me I haven't worked since, dont have to kept right on gettin paid after discharged. Not allowed to work either. Have to see a two docs every three months and take meds they blood test me to test med levels just to see If im taking em. If I quit the put me in the phych ward. Im not allowed to own a gun. But I can have a bow. Just like rombo. The military knows their men. Or the ones who filled out a bunch of after action reports after successful skts. If you're not on paper then you're just sombody trying to make since out of a awkward boring life.

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