Not a Madman, But a Psychopath

Anders Behring Breivik is now commonly referred to as "deranged", "insane", "crazy", a "madman", a "lunatic", etc. These descriptives are an attempt to put last week's events in Norway into a context that makes sense to the rest of us, but they are misnomers: based on the available evidence, he is a psychopath. A psychopath is not clinically insane. He is quite rational, often more rational and lucid than most people. He is able to stay calmly focused on his goals over a long period of time. His behavior is not erratic or capricious. His reasoning and methodology are not impaired, but that does not mean he is not mentally ill. What makes the psychopath abnormal are his goals, which are to varying degrees violent, destructive, depraved, monstrous, and inhuman. His focused lucidity is directed towards deeds that lie beyond the pale of our common humanity. The psychopath's world contains nothing but himself, and all his actions are informed by a grandiosity that culminates in massive, murderous, bloodthirsty deeds that will glorify him forever in history, as presented on the stage of his own mind. (video)