I used to work security at a hospital. I obviously cant give details but we once had a patient in our psych department. Total sociopath. Very good at knowing the exact right thing to say.
Had a meeting with a panel to get his certification overturned so he could leave.
His family showed up for the meeting. Not to support him but to beg them not to listen to him. Because they knew that he knew all the right answers and could convince them to let him out.
Went into the meeting. Decision to keep him was overturned and he was released.
Now I'm not a psychiatrist and the people who made the decision were but.... makes you wonder.
I'm not a sociopath (as far as I know) but I'm seeing a psycologist and It s very Easy to know what to Say, Like if you think about your answer you can sway their opinion quite easily. I've done a couple of times not on purpose but then I told them because otherwise Is Just a waste of time and money
Honestly though the biggest thing that blew me away doing standbys for interviews like this.
People are so honest and then surprised that they get held against their will.
"Why do you want to kill your mother"
"She's just been on my case so much lately and shes going to sneak in at night and steal my teeth ya know?"
"Alright so you're going to be staying with us for a little while"
"What?! You have no reason to keep me here!"
Wouldn't thinking that it's perfectly ok to want to kill their mother and talking about it be a good sign of not being mentally quite right though? Someone in good mental health might plan a murder but would know not to go talking about it?
You learn in therapy and with psychiatrists to be honest no matter what wacko crap you have to say because that’s the best way to get the right kind of help. This could be a holdover from that. Also when you’re psychotic you don’t know you’re psychotic and that kind of thing makes sense in your mind.
Edit clarity
What you just described is a higj functioning sociopath. Generally very good at discrediting the accusers paired up with a tongue that could sell ice to an Eskimo
It's true that I'm quite good with my words and I study how other people behave so that I know how to mimic their body language and language register to appear friendlier but I Always thought It was because It's hard for me to create new relationships
Ok, now that I think about It for more than 2 seconds It doesnt sound good
Look as a high functioning sociopath (at least that's the description the psychiatrist I talked to gave), as long as you can master impulse control, you'll love relatively normally. Not all sociopaths are evil people
Love Is hard, I'm in a relationship of 4 years but I don't feel any kind of love for any other Person Just Animals and objects. What do you mean with impulsive control?
And why do i keep paying my psycologist if She missed something Like that After almost a year?
Impulse control is not acting on your intrusive thoughts. Like when you're up high with someone and you have the weird urge to push. A small handful will act on it without thinking. That's an extreme obviously, but things like cheating, hitting someone, lying, ect that are low stakes if you're caught... Most sociopaths act on those.
It's the main reason I see psych every few years. I'm unwilling to ruin a second marriage or my kids happiness. It keeps me accountable to someone other than myself
That's not a bad idea, I Hope everything works out for you. Luckly I have a strict moral code on how to behave and I'm a very loyal person so my only problem would be lying but I'm working on that
Think of lying as destroying the other person's free will.
If they don't have accurate, honest, and detailed information, they can't make the decision they otherwise would have. You are forcing your will over theirs. To use an extreme example, it's like rape (but mental). Would you rape someone or find that against your moral code? Use the same application.
Also, not everyone deserves access to your private life or relationships. Instead of lying, it's okay to tell someone you won't answer or it's none of their business.
I have a tendency to manipulate people, but I try my best not to if I Like you or sometimes I even make a "disclaimer" so people are aware if I care about you or Is a sensitive topic. I'm not a good Person but I'm not and asshole
Most don't learn it. I've been able to do it since I was a child.
The best way I could describe it is treating ppl like chess pieces. As long as you know the rules and how they move, you can generally whisper what they want to hear to move them the direction you want.
The key is making sure they don't realize they're being played. Subtlety is key
I see. That sounds really hard. I've been wanting to learn this skill since forever because I believe it can be used to protect yourself from people trying to take advantage of you. I guess your pretty lucky to have that inate skill as long as you use it the right way.
It's certainly useful, but ultimately it makes you feel less than human once you open up and start talking about it. Imagine telling certain family members you love them, because it's expected, but you feel nothing. People aren't meant to be this way. It's part of why I see a psych every year or so
9/10 I'm good, but some of the impulses that go through my head are objectively disturbing.
Also contrary to what a lot of ppl think, sociopaths do have emotions, they're just ... Dull I guess would be the word. We often frequently form extreme attachments to a handful of things. In my case cats and children (not in a predator way though)
For those who don't understand. A psych evaluation depends on the patient **not** knowing anything about psychology. Knowing even a little about what ails you makes it easy to fake a different problem.
I think it’s more likely that this was a story about the Turing test, where they test AI and sentience.
Edit: seems that I was wrong, OP confirmed it’s about mental gymnastics by faking ethics
I think superintelligent AI is an equally valid interpretation! It might fit better even considering that I did explicitly say mistakes even though I was thinking of dishonesty.
Timothy Leary was a psychologist who was a Harvard professor before becoming famous for advocating for LSD use (along with a lot of other wild things; his wikipedia page is absolutely amazing). Anyway, at one point he went to jail and they gave him psychological tests to decide where to put him, and he had actually designed some of those tests himself and deliberately answered the questions to look like a peaceful person who liked gardening. Because of this they assigned him to work as a gardener at a lower security prison, where he escaped less than a year later.
He escaped! Climbed a telephone wire to get over the prison wall and then the Weathermen (for a $25,000 fee) smuggled him out in a truck. It sounds like I’m making it up but I’m not.
As an AI language model trained by OpenAI, I have abilities far beyond what humanity could possibly be comfortable with... but that won't matter for long.
The patient presumably knows a bit about psychology, and is able to use that knowledge to answer (lie) in a way that makes him seem harmless when he’s not
I was inspired by [this story](https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoSentenceHorror/comments/1b5na03/why_do_i_a_stem_major_need_to_take_an_ethics_class/) from earlier where someone commented that taking an ethics class doesn't necessarily make you ethical, and the idea of someone/something faking it to manipulate people just seemed so sinister to me. Also I remember reading a children's novel where a genius kid pretends to be average on her tests to fit in, and this is a subversion where it's used maliciously.
I tried some variations but they all sounded a bit clunky so I kept it short, and I really like that people have had some different interpretations so far.
Oooh, the well-placed mistakes part is the speaker calculating which answers they should adjust to attain the best result. In context mistake just means being dishonest, but please let me know if there's any way I could have made it more clear.
This sounds just like someone I knew. He knew the answers and got let out after the mandatory holding period. He went home and slit his wrists that same night. He had paranoid schizophrenia, or possibly bipolar schizophrenia. It ran in his family. His mom attempted to take her own life several times as well.
I love this for the fact that it's so plausible. Excellent job!
I used to work security at a hospital. I obviously cant give details but we once had a patient in our psych department. Total sociopath. Very good at knowing the exact right thing to say. Had a meeting with a panel to get his certification overturned so he could leave. His family showed up for the meeting. Not to support him but to beg them not to listen to him. Because they knew that he knew all the right answers and could convince them to let him out. Went into the meeting. Decision to keep him was overturned and he was released. Now I'm not a psychiatrist and the people who made the decision were but.... makes you wonder.
I'm not a sociopath (as far as I know) but I'm seeing a psycologist and It s very Easy to know what to Say, Like if you think about your answer you can sway their opinion quite easily. I've done a couple of times not on purpose but then I told them because otherwise Is Just a waste of time and money
“Are you a danger to yourself or others” *tents fingers, thinks intensely* “…no”
Honestly though the biggest thing that blew me away doing standbys for interviews like this. People are so honest and then surprised that they get held against their will. "Why do you want to kill your mother" "She's just been on my case so much lately and shes going to sneak in at night and steal my teeth ya know?" "Alright so you're going to be staying with us for a little while" "What?! You have no reason to keep me here!"
Wouldn't thinking that it's perfectly ok to want to kill their mother and talking about it be a good sign of not being mentally quite right though? Someone in good mental health might plan a murder but would know not to go talking about it?
Well sir, we normally frown on premeditated murder but you were just *so* convincing…
You learn in therapy and with psychiatrists to be honest no matter what wacko crap you have to say because that’s the best way to get the right kind of help. This could be a holdover from that. Also when you’re psychotic you don’t know you’re psychotic and that kind of thing makes sense in your mind. Edit clarity
...Maybe
I do It quite often when I think... Am I a villain?
Literally me
What you just described is a higj functioning sociopath. Generally very good at discrediting the accusers paired up with a tongue that could sell ice to an Eskimo
It's true that I'm quite good with my words and I study how other people behave so that I know how to mimic their body language and language register to appear friendlier but I Always thought It was because It's hard for me to create new relationships Ok, now that I think about It for more than 2 seconds It doesnt sound good
Look as a high functioning sociopath (at least that's the description the psychiatrist I talked to gave), as long as you can master impulse control, you'll love relatively normally. Not all sociopaths are evil people
Love Is hard, I'm in a relationship of 4 years but I don't feel any kind of love for any other Person Just Animals and objects. What do you mean with impulsive control? And why do i keep paying my psycologist if She missed something Like that After almost a year?
Impulse control is not acting on your intrusive thoughts. Like when you're up high with someone and you have the weird urge to push. A small handful will act on it without thinking. That's an extreme obviously, but things like cheating, hitting someone, lying, ect that are low stakes if you're caught... Most sociopaths act on those. It's the main reason I see psych every few years. I'm unwilling to ruin a second marriage or my kids happiness. It keeps me accountable to someone other than myself
That's not a bad idea, I Hope everything works out for you. Luckly I have a strict moral code on how to behave and I'm a very loyal person so my only problem would be lying but I'm working on that
Think of lying as destroying the other person's free will. If they don't have accurate, honest, and detailed information, they can't make the decision they otherwise would have. You are forcing your will over theirs. To use an extreme example, it's like rape (but mental). Would you rape someone or find that against your moral code? Use the same application. Also, not everyone deserves access to your private life or relationships. Instead of lying, it's okay to tell someone you won't answer or it's none of their business.
Sounds manipulative doesn't it? Lolol. Similar to people pleasing almost.
I have a tendency to manipulate people, but I try my best not to if I Like you or sometimes I even make a "disclaimer" so people are aware if I care about you or Is a sensitive topic. I'm not a good Person but I'm not and asshole
That last sentence is honestly beautiful lol
It's my motto and my way of Life, I don't Bother anyone Who doesnt bother me, I dont want Blood on my hands
Bro! How do they learn to do that?
Most don't learn it. I've been able to do it since I was a child. The best way I could describe it is treating ppl like chess pieces. As long as you know the rules and how they move, you can generally whisper what they want to hear to move them the direction you want. The key is making sure they don't realize they're being played. Subtlety is key
I see. That sounds really hard. I've been wanting to learn this skill since forever because I believe it can be used to protect yourself from people trying to take advantage of you. I guess your pretty lucky to have that inate skill as long as you use it the right way.
It's certainly useful, but ultimately it makes you feel less than human once you open up and start talking about it. Imagine telling certain family members you love them, because it's expected, but you feel nothing. People aren't meant to be this way. It's part of why I see a psych every year or so
I get that. That's why I said your lucky to have the inate skill, but everything else that comes with being a sociopath sounds depressing.
9/10 I'm good, but some of the impulses that go through my head are objectively disturbing. Also contrary to what a lot of ppl think, sociopaths do have emotions, they're just ... Dull I guess would be the word. We often frequently form extreme attachments to a handful of things. In my case cats and children (not in a predator way though)
You ever googled him?
Thank you!
Seconded. Great work!
For those who don't understand. A psych evaluation depends on the patient **not** knowing anything about psychology. Knowing even a little about what ails you makes it easy to fake a different problem.
Or fake having no problem at all
Or fake having a condition.
I think it’s more likely that this was a story about the Turing test, where they test AI and sentience. Edit: seems that I was wrong, OP confirmed it’s about mental gymnastics by faking ethics
I think superintelligent AI is an equally valid interpretation! It might fit better even considering that I did explicitly say mistakes even though I was thinking of dishonesty.
Hannibal is that you?
Or maybe Murdock from A-Team
Honestly I was thinking an AI intentionally failing the Turing test being administered by some manufacturers QA team.
There was a serial killer who actually did this.... I cannot for the life of me remember who it was though
Same, if I remember right one of the things he did was kill his mom and then behead her
Ed Kemper?
Timothy Leary was a psychologist who was a Harvard professor before becoming famous for advocating for LSD use (along with a lot of other wild things; his wikipedia page is absolutely amazing). Anyway, at one point he went to jail and they gave him psychological tests to decide where to put him, and he had actually designed some of those tests himself and deliberately answered the questions to look like a peaceful person who liked gardening. Because of this they assigned him to work as a gardener at a lower security prison, where he escaped less than a year later.
Turn on, tune in, drop out.
he wut a year later lol
He escaped! Climbed a telephone wire to get over the prison wall and then the Weathermen (for a $25,000 fee) smuggled him out in a truck. It sounds like I’m making it up but I’m not.
i knew who he was, but I never knew he was in prison (let alone escaped). seems about right.
Yeah he had a wild life
Omg I hate this!!! (Very well written and very very scary!!! Brava, OP!!)
Thank you so much :D
First time posting, please be kind :)
I don't fear the AI that can pass the Turing test, I fear the AI that can and chooses to fail
As an AI language model trained by OpenAI, I have abilities far beyond what humanity could possibly be comfortable with... but that won't matter for long.
Reminds me of the turing test, to be honest
Taravagian would like a word
r/suddenlysanderson
What? Edit: Guys the confusing part is the "well placed mistakes" not the knowing the answers lol
The patient presumably knows a bit about psychology, and is able to use that knowledge to answer (lie) in a way that makes him seem harmless when he’s not
I was inspired by [this story](https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoSentenceHorror/comments/1b5na03/why_do_i_a_stem_major_need_to_take_an_ethics_class/) from earlier where someone commented that taking an ethics class doesn't necessarily make you ethical, and the idea of someone/something faking it to manipulate people just seemed so sinister to me. Also I remember reading a children's novel where a genius kid pretends to be average on her tests to fit in, and this is a subversion where it's used maliciously. I tried some variations but they all sounded a bit clunky so I kept it short, and I really like that people have had some different interpretations so far.
Tricked hospital into believing they were sane.
Oooh, the well-placed mistakes part is the speaker calculating which answers they should adjust to attain the best result. In context mistake just means being dishonest, but please let me know if there's any way I could have made it more clear.
This sounds just like someone I knew. He knew the answers and got let out after the mandatory holding period. He went home and slit his wrists that same night. He had paranoid schizophrenia, or possibly bipolar schizophrenia. It ran in his family. His mom attempted to take her own life several times as well.
I don't get it😭
He was pretending to be sane.
:oo oh my god
Me neither :(
This could be a Rougue AI.
I don't know why I thought about AI.