 If you've ever walked down Wall Street in New York, you'll probably see many well-dressed folks with a serious nature, rocking the next Gucci line or Hermes tie. Smooth, suave, and sophisticated, you might wonder what they're like outside of work. Do they ever loosen up and smile, or are they plotting a secret attack? Unfortunately, Wall Street and corporate world get a bad rep for being swarmed with psychopaths. Not everyone who is a psychopath is exactly like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. So, what's the actual truth? And why do we continue to believe these lies? Here are 10 misleading myths about psychopathy debunked. 1. All psychopaths are evil villains. This is social media's favorite way to depict psychopaths, mainly because it goes viral and gives something people to gossip about. But psychopaths don't lack heart. Instead, they have a neurological deficiency. Dr. Adrienne Rain, a professor from the University of Pennsylvania, studied the brain scans of psychopathic individuals and compared them to a control group. The results showed that the psychopathic participants had a smaller amygdala, which is known to activate our emotional intelligence. The difference in size was 18%. Emotional intelligence is the capability of being able to recognize one's own and other's emotions and use them to guide thinking and behavior. When psychopaths lack this, it makes it easy for them to be labeled as cold and sinister. 2. Bad parenting and abuse causes psychopathy. It seems plausible that psychopaths can be bred by an abuse of childhood, right? Although there is a link between child abuse and antisocial behavior, there's not enough evidence to show that it can extend directly to psychopathy. 3. All psychopaths are highly intelligent business people. People probably try to pin this one on their boss if they hate their job, but the truth is, high intelligence has nothing to do with psychopathy. Although psychopaths can be incredibly charming and manipulative, this does not mean they necessarily have higher IQs than the average person. So why does this myth continue to exist? Case studies have shown that people often link higher intelligence to emotional detachment and a disagreeable nature. But these personality traits alone do not determine higher intelligence. 4. You are born into psychopathy, not made into it. We've talked about how psychopaths' brains are usually wired differently, but that doesn't mean that they cannot be affected by external factors. Research shows that psychopathy is often caused by genetics, but the probability is not 100% guaranteed. This means that the environment still plays an important role on psychopathy. 5. If someone is antisocial, then they must be a psychopath. Psychopathy and antisocial behavior have overlapping similarities, which can make them easily confused with one another. For instance, both involve the same symptoms such as recklessness, breaking rules and regulations, and disregarding other people's feelings and safety. But psychopathy is more extreme in the individual's interpersonal and emotional skills. 6. All psychopaths are violent. Some psychopaths can take part in violent crimes, especially since they have a reckless nature that doesn't stop them from taking big risks. But not all psychopaths are the same, so one's intent will be different from the other. 7. Mass murderers are all psychopaths. It's easier to label a criminal than to actually understand them. And this is exactly why mass shooters, such as the Columbine shooter, are immediately given the title Psychopath. Forensic psychologist Dr. J. Reed Milloy discovered that most adults who take part in mass murders have suffered from psychosis and experienced a history of psychiatric illness. 8. Psychopaths don't understand the difference between right and wrong. The thing about psychopaths is that they do have a clear understanding about moral principles. They just have an inability to care. According to the psychopathy checklist, or PCL, that psychologists used to assess psychopathy, the individual is callous and lacks empathy for others. While the normal person often feels disgust towards unethical actions that keeps them from committing them, psychopaths, on the other hand, have a high capacity for disgust and aren't affected as much. 9. All psychopaths are emotionless. Contrary to popular belief, psychopaths aren't completely devoid of emotions. In fact, they are capable of feeling anger. In one case study, researchers also discovered that some psychopathic children have reported experiencing fear in a mild manner. 10. It's impossible to treat psychopaths. Not all hope is lost. Although current treatment programs still remain pretty basic, a lot of work is being done to enhance them. It's important to note that therapy cannot and should not be forced on the individual. In order for therapy to be the most effective, the person must be open to it. That's why treatment shouldn't be written off right away. Studies have shown positive outcomes in psychopathic individuals, especially young ones, who have entered intensive treatment. Which of these points did you find the most interesting? Do you think you're in danger of being a psychopath spray? We also made a video on 10 signs a psychopath is targeting you, so be sure to check it out. Please subscribe to join our community of Psych2Goers who help each other out in the comments. Thanks for watching!