Excerpt:

Many people think of the typical serial killer when they hear the word psychopath. The truth is that there are psychopaths in our daily lives, and we may not even know it. Unlike the other four conditions in the Misunderstood Loner series, the psychopathy disorder is generally something a person is born with versus something that is learned from his environment. His brain is wired a certain way that many of us do not understand, much like how autistic people have distinct wiring in their brains that makes them different.

Psychopathic tendencies and behaviors can also stem from serious trauma to the brain, especially the frontal lobe. These injuries to the brain can range from car accidents to workplace injuries to intense street drug abuse. Generally a psychopath is born with or has something different in the emotional and awareness centers of his brain. In the case of someone born with psychopathic changes in the brain, his or her environment then dictates whether he or she will develop full-blown psychopathy.

Psychopaths tend to respond best to positive reward systems versus punishments and consequences. If a child with psychopathic tendencies sees rewards in being a productive member of society, he or she may develop more in line with societal norms. A child who is raised with psychopathic tendencies who does not see the reward in fitting in with others won't strive for any level of conformation but will strive for parasitic behavior toward others.