We live in a world where there are all kinds of people and that’s what makes life exciting and interesting. With all of the wonderful types of people out in the world that we’ve met throughout our own experiences, some individuals lay in wait for the next perfect victim.
Psychopaths aren’t always career criminals and serial killers, which we constantly see portrayed in fiction and on the news; but in fact, many times there are non-violent psychopaths that cannot help what they do as they exhibit distinct patterns of behavior. A psychopath is an individual who views others as sources of gratification for their own gain and psychological need, and they act accordingly without remorse or conscience.
Individuals who con others are generally a psychopath to some degree. For the most part, we as a society assume that most people are honest. For a psychopath, they prey upon this trait and that’s why so many people hear only what they want them to hear. Many times in relationships, the pathological liars or scam artists pace the relationship exactly how it will best suit their own needs. For example, a romantic liar paces the relationship so that it becomes intense very quickly — to their advantage of motivation and psychological needs.
Pathological liars tend to know more about your personal details than you know about theirs. Ask yourself, “What do I really know about this person and is there evidence to back up the information that I’ve been told?” Be cautious about new relationships, there’s nothing wrong with that approach.
Scam artists have certain behavior patterns and tactics for their intended victims. They often try to isolate a person from their family and friends to limit the people that might help with a reality check on their story. Often, they constantly keep track of a person’s whereabouts and exhibit extreme control.
There are definite signs to look for with these types of psychopaths who mask their scams. These people spend a lot of time talking about themselves, bragging about things that are larger than life, amused by cruelty, and many times have a constant need to borrow money by making excuses.
There’s no doubt that psychopaths, pathological liars, and scam artists make fun fictional characters for almost any book genre. The next time you pick up a book, see if the author has incorporated some of these more colorful characters into the storyline.
Have you known or met someone who fits the description of a psychopath, pathological liar, or scam artist?
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Author Jennifer Chase 
I’ve had a running desire for some time to interview a stripper to see whats going through their mind when they are on stage. I satisfied that by talking to a lady who modeled, rather than stripping. That was as close as I wanted to get. Now, after interviewing domestic abuse victims, I’d like to crawl into the head of some psychopaths to see what goes on. When, and if, I find an agent for my book on domestic abuse, I want to talk to some of the psychologists who treat abused women to see in they have any insights.
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Wow, great research ahead for you David. Good luck. Thanks for stopping by!
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If it weren’t for the good people you are writing about, we as authors would have nothing to write about.
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Thank you for such a lovely compliment Caleb 🙂
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Scam artists? A lot. The other two types, not so often. They’re hard to identify if they’re really good at it…But yes, I agree with you, such types make for a fun-to-read book: when you don’t know what comes next (and with this type of character that what happens perforce), then you’ve got a good page-turner in your hands!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
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Thanks for sharing your comment and stopping by! 🙂
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Had a fantastic (so I thought) relationship with a sociopath, pathological liar. Who knew, at the time, that it was soooooo perfectly romantic, so everything I’d ever wanted because this person learned everything about “what my soul mate looked like” without me realizing how much I’d actually divulged. And exquisitely charismatic. A liar, thief, user, heart breaker, master manipulator and troublemaker. Damn–it took me a few years to stop loving this person, even after I realized everything.
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I’m so sorry to hear about your experience. These “types” are very difficult to spot especially when you’re right in the middle of a relationship. Glad that you moved on and realized who they were. Thank you for sharing your experience.
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There’s nothing about them that intrigues me…except to have the good guy in a book or movie win and put them where they belong! LOL
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Knew a guy once who was a big time con artist. He would chase any money. He had an uncanny way about him…he could just sense when people he knew would be coming into money. He was poor, had no life career, jumped from job to job, and often lived with various folks off and on. He had a hole in the wall place that he would crawl to after he’d suck his “friends” dry. Then, he’d be off again. He received mail at his three sisters’ homes and you could never really locate him when you really wanted to. He often used the traveling preacher routine to get money, meals, gas, and lodging when he would tire of doing manual labor. He was a high school dropout and lived as decent a life as most of us off the good hearts and wallets of trusting people. He never stayed around enough for people to find out what he was up to…often did not know until he left town. Yes, it is true that after you spent time with him, you would realize that he always knew more about you and had manipulated you more than you realized. I found that he would one day just dissappear with some excuse or other, usually related to religion, all his projects, which you had paid him for in advance, unfinished. Big time creep. You felt devastated, used, and confused for weeks, until you could get your head together again. Six months later, he would show up on your doorstep all smiles, with coffee and donuts.
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