28 Dignified Ways to Impress Everyone Around You

Far more often than any of us like to admit, our actions are driven by an inner desire to impress other people.  This desire is often reflected in the brand name products we use, the bars and restaurants we frequent, the houses and cars we buy and the careers we choose.

But are name brand products, fancy bars, houses and cars really that impressive?  What about a person who holds an elite position in a career field they dislike?  Some of these things might capture our attention for a minute or two, but they won’t hold it for long.

Why?  Because tangible possessions are not as impressive as intangible qualities.

Consider the following questions:

• He drives a Porsche, but can he truly afford the car payment?
• He owns a big house, but is it a loving household?
• He makes a lot of money, but does he enjoy what he does for a living?

You get the idea.  Whenever the answer to questions like these is ‘no,’ the subject who initially appeared to be impressive no longer does.

Now take a moment and imagine a person who loves what he does for a living, smiles frequently and bleeds passion in every breath he takes.  Would he impress you?  Would it matter that he wasn’t a millionaire?

Here are 28 dignified ways to impress everyone around you.  If you practice these tips on a regular basis, they won’t just impress others, they’ll help you become a better person too.

We make a living by what we get.  We make a life by what we give.
- Winston Churchill

1. Be authentic.  Be true to yourself. – Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.”  Live by this statement.  There is no such thing as living in someone else’s shoes.  The only shoes you can occupy are your own.  If you aren’t being yourself, you aren’t truly living – you’re merely existing.  And ask yourself this:  If you don’t like who you really are, why should I like you?
2. Care about people. – If you don’t genuinely care about people, they won’t care about you.  The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.  Love and kindness begets love and kindness.  And so on and so forth.
3. Make others feel good. – People will rarely remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
4. Be honest and take ownership of your actions. – Nobody likes a liar.  In the long-run, the truth always reveals itself anyway.  Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.
5. Smile often. – Everyone likes the sight of a genuine smile.  Think about how you feel when a complete stranger looks into your eyes and smiles.  Suddenly they don’t seem like a stranger anymore, do they?
6. Respect elders.  Respect minors.  Respect everyone. – There are no boundaries or classes that define a group of people that deserve to be respected.  Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.  People will notice your kindness.
7. Address people by their name. – People love the sight and sound of their own name.  So make sure you learn to remember names.  Use them courteously in both oral and written communication.
8. Say “Please” and “Thank you.” – These two simple phrases make demands sound like requests, and they inject a friendly tone into serious conversations.  Using them can mean the difference between sounding rude and sounding genuinely grateful.
9. Excel at what you do. – I am impressed by great guitarists, writers, bloggers, painters, motivational speakers, internet entrepreneurs, computer engineers, mothers, fathers, athletes, etc.  There is only one thing they all have in common: They excel at what they do.  There’s no point in doing something if you aren’t going to do it right.  Excel at your work and excel at your hobbies.  Develop a reputation for yourself, a reputation for consistent excellence.
10. Help others when you’re able. – In life, you get what you put in.  When you make a positive impact in someone else’s life, you also make a positive impact in your own life.  Do something that’s greater than you – something that helps someone else to be happy or to suffer less.  Everyone values the gift of unexpected assistance and those who supply it.
11. Put a small personal touch on everything you do. – Think of it as branding your work.  If you’re funny, add a little humor into it.  If you’re an artist, decorate it with illustrations.  Whatever you do, customize it with a little personal touch of ‘you.’
12. Over-deliver on all of your promises. – Some people habitually make promises they are just barely able to fulfill.  They promise perfection and deliver mediocrity.  If you want to boost your personal value in the eyes of others, do the exact opposite.  Slightly under-sell your capabilities so that you’re always able to over-deliver.  It will seem to others like you’re habitually going above and beyond the call of duty.
13. Get organized. – How can you get anything accomplished if you aren’t organized?  You can’t.  Make a regular habit of organizing your living space and working space.  For some practical organizational guidance, I recommend David Allen’s Getting Things Done.
14. Do your research and ask clarifying questions. – Don’t be that clueless dude in the room who just nods like he knows what’s going on.  Prepare yourself by doing research ahead of time.  And if something still doesn’t make sense to you, ask questions.  The people involved will respect your desire to understand the material.
15. Share knowledge and information with others. – When you can, be a resource to those around you.  If you have access to essential information, don’t hoard it.  Share it openly.
16. Be positive and focus on what’s right. – Everything that happens in life is neither good nor bad.  It just depends on your perspective.  And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should.  Either you succeed or you learn something.  So stay positive, appreciate the pleasant outcomes, and learn from the rest.  Your positivity will rub off on everyone around you.
17. Listen intently to what others have to say. – Eyes focused, ears tuned, mobile phone off.  In a world that can’t move fast enough, someone who can find time to listen to others is always appreciated.
18. Be faithful to your significant other. – Tiger Woods was everyone’s hero until recently, wasn’t he?  Sustained fidelity in a long-term intimate relationship is not only impressive, it creates a healthy foundation for everything else you do.
19. Learn to appreciate and love Mother Nature. – Those who truly appreciate and love the natural world surrounding us typically exhibit the same high regard for all humanity.  It’s a positive way to live, and it’s something people notice.
20. Invest time, energy and money in yourself every day. – When you invest in yourself, you can never lose, and over time you will change the trajectory of your life.  You are simply the product of what you know.  The more time, energy and money you spend acquiring pertinent knowledge, the more control you have over your life and the more valuable you will be to everyone around you.  For fresh ideas on self improvement and lifestyle design, I recommend The 4-Hour Workweek.
21. Perform random acts of kindness on a regular basis. – Pay for a stranger’s coffee in line at Starbucks.  Buy the office receptionist flowers just to say, “Thank you.”  Help an elderly lady with her groceries.  There’s nothing more rewarding than putting smiles on the faces around you.
22. Compliment people who deserve it. – Go out of your way to personally acknowledge and complement the people who have gone out of their way to shine.  Everybody likes to hear that their efforts are appreciated.
23. Speak clearly and make eye contact. – Most people have a very low tolerance for dealing with people they can’t understand.  Mystery does not fuel strong relationships and impressiveness.  Also, there’s little doubt that eye contact is one of the most captivating forms of personal communication.  When executed properly, eye contact injects closeness into human interaction.
24. Make yourself available and approachable. – If people cannot get a hold of you, or have trouble approaching you, they will forget about you.  Your general availability and accessibility to others is extremely important to them.  Always maintain a positive, tolerant attitude and keep an open line of communication to those around you.
25. Be self-sufficient. – Freedom is the greatest gift.  Self-sufficiency is the greatest freedom.  And self-sufficiency is quite impressive too.   In the business world, it’s one of the primary dreams that inspire people to give-up their day jobs to pursue entrepreneurship.
26. Exploit the resources you do have access to. – The average person is usually astonished when they see a physically handicap person show intense signs of emotional happiness.  How could someone in such a restricted physical state be so happy?  The answer rests in how they use the resources they do have.  Stevie Wonder couldn’t see, so he exploited his sense of hearing into a passion for music, and he now has 25 Grammy Awards to prove it.
27. Be a part of something you believe in. – This could be anything.  Some people take an active role in their local city council, some find refuge in religious faith, some join social clubs supporting causes they believe in, and others find passion in their careers.  In each case the psychological outcome is the same.  They engage themselves in something they strongly believe in.  This engagement brings happiness and meaning into their lives.  It’s hard not to be impressed by someone who’s passionate about what they’re doing.
28. Stand up for your beliefs without flaunting them. – Yes, it is possible to stand up for your beliefs without foisting them down someone else’s throat.  Discuss your personal beliefs when someone asks about them, but don’t spawn offensive attacks of propaganda on unsuspecting victims.  Stand firm by your values and always keep an open mind to new information.

Of course, the coolest thing about this list is that everything you need to impress everyone around you is already contained within you.  So stop trying to impress people with the possessions you own and start inspiring them with who you are and how you live your life.

Mind Control - How To Use Pacing and Leading To Influence and Persuade

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Mind Control - Another Review on amazon.com

In case you can't tell by the content this review while sincere was intending to also be humorous.

~Dantalion Jones

Noodler's Ink Polar Brown Bottle...

~Noodler's

 Perfect For My Journal, July 25, 2012

By Dantalion Jofornes

Amazon Verified Purchase 

This review is from: Noodler's Ink Polar Brown Bottled Ink Refill (Office Product)

This is the exact ink that I use for writing in my book of mysteries.

I once read that if you wanted to write a journal and make it look ancient that you must use brown ink. Noodler's Ink Polar Brown is the one I finally settled on and it has never failed me.

The dark brown helps convey the ancient quality and arcane knowledge which is revealed to me by unseen forces.

When you order this ink you may not be able to have the depth of mysterious visions and secret knowledge that I have but you will be using the exact ink that puts life into the pages of my journal.

Dantalion Jones
author of lots of books on mind control

Mind Control - My Review on amazon.com

In case you can't tell by reading the content of this review, I was attempting to express humor. 

 ~ Dantalion Jones

 These beads are perfect for mind control, July 25, 2012 

8mm 108 Black Agate Beads Buddhi...

~Ovalbuy

 (1)

By Dantalion Jones

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 8mm 108 Black Agate Beads Buddhist Prayer Mala Necklace (Jewelry)

I love these beads.

When my minion of mind control slaves hold these beads they know that they are fully under my control.

The beautiful black agate stone is a perfect representation of the "Great Mystery" and depth of control I have over their minds. As they hold these beads and recite the secret mantra that I give them they become more firmly attuned to my will.... And they become happier and happier and more satisfied with their life than ever before.

If you are considering using meditation to bring your mind to a single focus and link that for to a common purpose these beads are ideal.

You may not be able to achieve the spoon bending quality of focus that I can instill in you but you will have the meditation beads that others use as my gift.

Dantalion Jones
Author of Lots of books on Mind Control 

The Scientific Power of Naps

In Praise of Memorization: 10 Proven Brain Benefits

Posted on Thursday July 26, 2012by Staff Writers

Memory learning catches a lot of flack these days. Informed educators are often quick to write off rote memorization as an unnecessary and even harmful exercise, instead preferring to teach creativity and problem solving. While we agree that creative, analytical lessons are a great way to learn, it’s worth pointing out that memorization can still play an important role in learning, no matter your age. Read on to find 10 great benefits of memorization in school and beyond.

1. MEMORIZATION TRAINS YOUR BRAIN TO REMEMBER:

   
   Although memorizing lines of poetry may not feel particularly essential, it’s an important task for training your brain to remember things. This type of memorization task exercises your brain, giving it strength to retain more information. Memorizing passages or poetry over time (rather than cramming) is a very effective way to make your brain more receptive to remembering.

2. MEMORIZATION CHALLENGES YOUR BRAIN:

   
   Just like when you work out at a gym, consistent and challenging exercise is the key to staying brain fit. Challenges like memorization are a very useful way to work out your brain for better mental health.

3. ROTE LEARNING IMPROVES NEURAL PLASTICITY:

   
   Irish researchers found that through extended exercises in rote learning, learners can actually recall more information overall. Rote learning benefits the hippocampal foundation, a key structure in the brain for episodic and spatial memory in humans. In their group of participants aged 55-70, these researches noted that repeated activation of memory structures promotes neuronal plasticity in the aging brain.

4. NURSERY RHYMES TEACH RHYTHMIC PATTERNS:

   
   Repeating the same nursery rhymes over and over again to young children offers memorization by repetition, a very important memory tool for kids. As parents recite familiar rhymes, children learn rhythmic patterns, teaching them balance and symmetry.

5. MEMORIZATION OFFERS A MENTAL GYMNASTICS EXERCISE:

   
   Those who obsess over sports statistics should be encouraged: neurobiologists believe that “mental gymnastics”, like remembering facts from sports history, can make your brain more quick and agile. Although researchers have yet to find a direct link, they do believe that there’s a plausible connection between sports score obsessions and a more flexible mind. Plus, as UCLA neuroscientist Arthur Toga points out, an exercise like reading sports scores “gets a lot more circuits involved” than, say, watching sports on TV.

6. KNOWING FREES UP BRAIN POWER:

   
   Students who “just know” equations, functions, definitions, and other memorized facts can save brain power; brain power that can be used for other things. If foundational concepts and information are grasped, students can move on to bigger and better things, rather than spending time looking up words or doing simple math in a calculator.

7. MEMORY EXERCISES HELP STUDENTS PRACTICE FOCUS:

   
   As an adult, it may be hard to remember what you ate for dinner last night, but you just might remember the Gettysburg Address you had to recite in grade school. Why is that? The answer is focus. As students spend time memorizing passages, tables, anything at all, they learn to find focus. Educators have found that students who were required to memorize from an early age often go on to have more capacity to focus on educational tasks as high school and college students.

8. MEMORY SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL TO LEARNING NEW CONCEPTS:

   
   Weber State University student researcher Paula Fiet has delved into a working memory research project, discovering that underdeveloped short-term memory may be to blame for some students’ problems with mastering concepts in math and reading. Fiet explains, “you need working memory to learn,” or to hold enough information in your mind to comprehend what you’re learning. Fiet’s research has shown that “children with poor working memories don’t get enough information in their minds at one time to make sense of what is coming in.” Students who complete exercises aimed at building short-term memory have seen improvement in their working memory and capacity to learn.

9. WORKING MEMORY IS IMPORTANT FOR CREATIVITY:

   
   Just as a strong working memory is good for learning, working memory is important for creativity as well. Dutch researchers have found that semiprofessional cellists were able to perform more creatively with a higher working memory capacity. But under cognitive load, participants performed worse on a creative insight task. Students who learn to focus and develop their working memory through memorization tasks can free their mind to become more creative.

10. MEMORY TRAINING CAN STAVE OFF COGNITIVE DECLINE:

    
    Memory-forming can become a healthy lifelong habit. Researchers from the National Institute on Health and Aging have found that adults who went through short bursts of memory training were better able to maintain higher cognitive functioning and everyday skills, even five years after going through the training. Practicing memorization allowed the elderly adults to delay typical cognitive decline by seven to 14 years. Students who start practicing memory training now can stay sharp in years to come.

Everything slows down with age, especially our brains. Sadly, the old saying, “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is true in the case of plasticity, the brain’s ability to change. As we get older, it becomes harder for the brain to learn new things and recall information from the past. As frustrating as it is to feel disoriented and experience memory loss, it isn’t the end for your brain. Like your muscles, your brain needs daily exercise to stay in shape. Check out these nine ways to keep your brain sharp well into old age.

Not only is regular exercise good for the body, but it’s also good for your brain. Exercising improves blood flow to the brain and increases oxygen and glucose levels. A well-oxygenated brain is sharper and has improved mental functions. Unlike other forms of exercise, walking is not strenuous and requires less oxygen and glucose, therefore, you may be able to feel the oxygenated effects more when walking. Not to mention, exercise releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals that reduce pain and improve your mood. And who doesn’t want that?

Eat more berries:

In addition to eating a well-balanced diet, aging adults might want to increase their berry intake to delay memory decline. According to a recent study conducted by Harvard researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a high intake of strawberries, blueberries, and flavonoid-rich berries can, over time, delay memory loss in older women by two and a half years. The high antioxidant compounds found in blueberries and strawberries may help preserve brain function.

Play brain games:

One of the best ways to stimulate the brain and keep it sharp is to play brain games. Sudoku, chess, crossword puzzles, and checkers are just a few brain games that probe memory, language, and math skills and improve concentration and strategy. Another fun mental exercise is to test your memory by recalling information from several years ago, such as addresses, phone numbers, and the names of old neighbors or teachers. Studies have shown that stimulating brain games may even help thwart Alzheimer’s diseases, dementia, and memory loss.

Stay connected:

Skipping out on family gatherings and social activities may have a devastating effect on your brain function and memory in your senior years. Those who maintain strong relationships and engage in regular social activity are more likely to have good mental health and ward off diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Regular social interaction may also have lasting effects on your memory and cognitive function. Keep your brain healthy and sharp by maintaining a strong social circle and visiting with friends and family on a regular basis.

Read often:

Reading is one of the best ways to boost your brain power and keep it sharp. Reading can improve your vocabulary and writing skills, as well as introduce you to new skills and knowledge that can help you solve problems and make better decisions in life. Aging adults who read on a regular basis may have a more active imagination and a heightened sense of creativity.

Learn something new:

As we age, we get set in our ways and become more reluctant to learn new things. A lack of new, challenging stimulation can make you feel less sharp. The brain needs to be exercised daily and one of the best ways to keep it sharp is to learn something new. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn Italian, play the guitar, or take an art class. It doesn’t matter what you do or how well you do it, just going through the motions of learning a new skill is a challenge in itself.

Travel:

Traveling stimulates the brain and exposes you to new and exciting experiences. Whether you’re visiting a friend or exploring an unfamiliar place alone, you will most likely have interesting and memorable social encounters. Traveling awakens your senses and lifts your spirits while allowing you to use important navigation skills to get to and from your destination.

Get more sleep:

Sleep is crucial to maintaining a healthy brain. In order for the brain to process new information and store it to memory, it needs ample rest. Sleep also helps you retain information and perform better on tasks throughout the day. Sleep apnea, insomnia, and other sleep disorders can negatively impact cognitive functioning. Those who are sleep deprived may experience severe problems with memory, problem-solving, and learning.

Reduce stress:

Chronic stress can have a devastating effect on your mind and body. An
increase in the stress hormone cortisol can hamper nerve cell growth and
lead to impaired memory. Chronic stress can weaken the immune system,
making you more susceptible to illnesses. It also wreaks havoc on your
mental health and can lead to debilitating mental disorders such as anxiety
and depression. Manage your stress and keep your brain healthy with
stress-reducing activities like yoga, meditation, exercise, listening to
music, and socializing.

Mind Control - Some Religious People Are Still Crazy

​

Canadian evangelist Todd Bentley

Bentley, 36, claims to be able to cure the sick by placing his hands on them, but is also known to forcefully kick, hit and knock over those who take part in his healings.

In one incident, the burly pastor intentionally kicked an elderly woman in the face and in another a man was pushed over and lost a tooth.

Bentley says the Holy Spirit tells him to use these techniques as part of his "miracles".

Croydon Conference Centre would not be drawn on his controversial methods or background but said the event fell within its "sphere of normal operations".

Bentley, through his church Fresh Fire Ministries, was a key figure in a six-month Christian "revival" which attracted 400,000 people to Lakeland, Florida, in 2008.

The revival was broadcast around the world on a channel called God TV, and Bentley even claimed he cured people while they were watching him at home.

Videos on YouTube show him inviting members of the audience - who hope he will heal terminal illnesses or crippling conditions - onto the stage.

They end up convulsing and falling into a heap on the floor after being touched – or simply at the sound of his voice.

By the end of his revivals, dozens of people are left writhing around on stage, shaking uncontrollably.

Speaking about his techniques in one video, Bentley said: "I was asked why the power of god isn't moving and I said it's because I haven't kicked that woman in the face.

"The Holy Spirit spoke to me, the gift of faith came on me, and said: 'Kick her in the face. With your biker boot'.

"I inched closer and I went like this (he kicks out forcefully) – Bam!"

"Just as my boot made contact with her nose, she fell under the power of God."

In 1990, when Bentley was 14 he was convicted of a sex attack on a seven-year-old boy.

He told American ABC News. "I am very open about my past. I was charged with a sexual crime.

"I was charged at 15 and I ended up in five youth prisons. The crime was a sexual assault.

"I was a child and I abused a child. I served time in prison for my crime."

The healing session was listed on the website of Folly's End Community Fellowship Trust, which hires out the conference centre, and the church is mentioned on Bentley's promotional material as a co-host, but pastor Dave Markee said this was a mistake and the church has nothing to do with the event.

The three nights of "supernatural healing and impartation" will run from August 30 to September 1.

Mind Control - How to Spot a Killer: Inside the Mind of a Killer

In 1998, a federal law was passed by the United States Congress, entitled The Protection of Children from Sexual Predator Act of 1998 which included a possible official definition of a serial killer as one who commits “a series of three or more killings, not less than one of which was committed within the United States, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor or actors.” But in no way does that even come close to identifying the complex brain and thought patterns that define a serial killer.

According to research conducted by a criminologist at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, serial killers may be to blame for as many as 10 times the amount of murders in the United States that they are charged with. While some may be caught and linked to seven different deaths, for example, there may be dozens more that have occurred over time that have gone unnoticed or fallen into cold case files. Hoards of missing people may have fallen at the hands of serial killers. There is little way of knowing how many victims a serial killer has under their belt unless they admit to it or the evidence is unearthed. When missing people are factored into United States murder count statistics, the number of serial killer victims per year falls around 182 to 1,832 people, according to Kenna Quinet, associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI.

Raised to Kill

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s website notes that serial killers are considered by most neurobiologists to be the outcome of many factors that occur throughout the killer’s lifetime. For example, in childhood, children are taught to “interact, negotiate, and compromise” with other children. If they fail to develop these abilities, they may begin to show signs of violence and lack of remorse even in their youth, both of which are strong indicators for criminal behavior. The cycle of violence grows over time. Serial killers may hate women because they didn’t have a good relationship with their mother. They may sexually abuse children as a result of being sexually abused as a child themselves. There are hundreds of psychological motives for serial killers to grapple onto.

Other indicators may include abusing animals. The American Humane Association has some shocking statistics on the link between animal abuse and domestic violence. According to their website, 71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their abuser had harmed, killed, or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims with another 32% of the women reporting that their children had hurt or killed animals. A community policy dispatch newsletter drafted by the Community Oriented Policing Services relays the haunting words of a 16-year-old boy who was later convicted of killing his own mother, “I made my first kill today. It was a loved one…I’ll never forget the howl she made. It sounded almost human…I’ll never forget the sound of her bones breaking under my might. I hit her so hard I knocked the fur off her neck…It was true beauty.” Killing and abusing animals seems to be the training wheels serial killers need to later perfect killing a human.

Some postulate that children that turn into serial killers later in life have a higher prevalence for wetting the bed. They may be bullied as children, awkward and alienated from their peers. As a gateway to more serious crime, they may partake in vandalism, theft, or fraud. They may be described as highly intelligent, even if they are undereducated. As they mature, they may have trouble securing a job. Yet, there are also serial killers that bare none of these characteristics. For example, Ted Bundy was considered a well-adjusted and even likeable man. He grew up as a popular child to both his peers and elders, gained a degree in psychology and attended law school, had multiple normal relationships with women throughout his life, worked as a government-hired crime consultant, and was even considered by his friends to be a worthy candidate for a political figure. Yet, the same man who seemed so amicable brutally murdered and raped 20 women, showing us that serial killers don’t always fit the profile.

Types and Motives of Serial Killers

Holmes and DeBurger‘s Model of Serial Killers identifies four models of a serial killer. The visionary killer, mission killer, hedonistic killer, and power and control killer. The visionary killer is focused mainly on the act of killing itself, and moves quickly to the coinciding steps of getting rid of the body with little planning involved. Their impetus for killing may be spurred on by voices in their heads, which makes them strong candidates for schizophrenia. Mission-oriented killers feel as though it is their purpose in life to kill a specific subset of people, such as prostitutes, homosexuals, or in Hitler’s case, Jews. Hedonistic serial killers are the largest variety of serial killers, which enjoy the process, often drawing it out, because they find sexual gratification from killing. They often also rape or mutilate the victim. Power and control serial killers are similar, also enjoying the process, but take most joy in dominating the victim. Serial killers may fall into one or all of these categories throughout their killing sprees.

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Holmes and DeBurger’s typologies can help one to understand a serial killer’s motives to some extent, but for the most part, the motives of serial killers remain elusive. Many serial killers simply state that they enjoy killing when asked why they partook in their crimes, while others explain that a voice or fantastical entity instructed them to do so. Some enjoy playing god with people’s lives, feeling a rush from the act of taking lives into their own hands. Still others admit to killing a specific type of person because a personal experience with that demographic caused them to feel hatred toward them. Most serial killers gain psychological satisfaction from killing, but some experience material gain. Over time, the need to kill can become an addiction, as the killer yearns to feel the same high from killing over and over again.

Marked Mental Disorders

There may be certain disorders that predispose someone toward killing. Disorders marked by emotional callousness seem to be linked with the serial killer’s mind. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was developed by the American Psychiatric Association as an encyclopedia of sorts of mental disorders. It contains everything from trichotillomania, the compulsive need to pull your hair out, to arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. One of the most common mental disorders attributed to serial killers is antisocial personality disorder. The DSM-IV describes those with this disorder as someone who has no concern for others or the law, partaking in habitual lying or disregard for the truth, and tendencies toward aggression. They may be deceitful for personal gain. They are also referred to as “sociopaths.” A variation on this disorder is known as narcissistic personality disorder, in which sufferers have “a grandiose sense of self-importance and entitlement,” are “preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success,” are “exploitative, “lack empathy,” and require “excessive admiration.” The two disorders are sometimes lumped into the broader category of a psychopath, although not all patients that suffer antisocial or narcissistic personality disorder are psychopaths.

Paranoid-type schizophrenia is also sometimes linked to killer personas, but once again, the two are not synonymous. A paranoid schizophrenic individual may suffer from delusions or auditory hallucinations, such as voices telling them to do things. Although they may be angry, aggressive, or aloof, they have relatively normal cognitive functioning outside of their delusions, which helps them to blend in with society a bit better than some more degenerative forms of schizophrenia. It is a deteriorative, chronic disorder that requires treatment throughout the individual’s life. Given the relatively large number of serial killers that explain their motive for killing as taking the shape of a voice inside their head, some serial killers may unknowingly suffer from this psychosis and could otherwise be treated.

The PCL-R Test

While not all psychopaths are serial killers, many serial killers may also be identified as psychopaths. Thus, determining psychopathic behavior may be key in keeping killers at bay. NPR’s This American Life aired an episode called “The Psychopath Test,” which discussed a widely used test for determining psychosis developed by Canadian psychologist Robert Hare. In the 1960s, he began studying prison inmates for common traits to put together the “Psychopathy Checklist Revised,” or the PCL-R, a test that gauges whether a person is predisposed to psychotic behavior.

In the 1960s and prior, it was widely believed that criminals were made that way over time as opposed to born with psychopathic tendencies. Hare challenged this belief. He deduced that the inborn personality was more important and that certain people were born with distinct differences in impulsivity, the capacity for empathy, and for feeling guilt that essentially predicted whether or not they would become a psychopath. Initially, he conducted studies on 30 different prison inmates at the facility just down the road from his office where he conducted his practice at the University of British Columbia.

In one study, he informed the inmates that they would be given an electric shock and monitored their heart rate response. Most of the prisoners experienced an elevated heart rate and anxiety at the thought of being shocked, but a select few did not have any notable response. In another study, he showed the prisoners pictures of highly emotional and sometimes disturbing imagery, measuring their neural responses. Again, while most of the inmates were visibly and mentally distressed by some of the images, like those of rape or abuse, a handful of the inmates were unfazed. These studies formed the backbone of Hare’s ideology concerning psychopaths, helping him to structure the test. He reasoned that psychopaths were emotionally numb, finding scenarios that would otherwise be alarming to a normal person to be neutral to a psychopath.

While writing the actual test, Hare was tasked with creating questions that would be useful as a means of measuring how psychotic the person was. The questions sought out specific traits that he saw in some of the disturbed inmates, such as lack of empathy, lack of remorse, manipulation, egocentricity, impulsivity, superficial charm, and psychological lying. The test-taker was deducted points when they answered questions in a way that showed them to have empathy, compassion, and other emotions not typically present in psychopaths. The more points that were awarded, the more likely the test-taker was to be a psychopath. When the points were totaled, any score over 30 indicated a high likelihood of psychosis. By 1980, the test was complete, and psychopathy researchers worldwide began implementing it in their studies.

Several years later, the PCL-R’s predictive power was put to the test when one of Hare’s pupils, Randy Kropp, measured how many high-scoring criminals relapsed to a life of crime after they were granted parole. The findings were staggering. Nearly 80% of the high-scoring or proclaimed “psychopaths” of the group committed crimes within five years of being released and were re-convicted. As a result, parole boards everywhere were vying to get their hands on the test. The idea was that criminals would have to take the test and it would be noted in big, red letters on their file, so that it would always be considered if they came up for parole. Hare was hesitant to let the criminal justice system abuse his test, feeling that while it had proved itself scientifically reliable in a lot of scenarios, there were ethical questions concerned with using it as a predictor for potential criminal activity, given that it challenges the idea of “innocent until proven guilty.” Regardless, he published the test so it is now public domain. It is used widely within the United States’ criminal justice system as a red flag for upcoming parolees.

Every Human Mind is Different

There may be no way to fully understand the mind of a serial killer, given their mental stability, motives, and practices all vary. There is also no real way of scientifically predicting that a serial killer will make his first kill. Mental distress, antisocial behavior, and aggression may be common in known serial killers, but the two are not mutually exclusive. It’s important to remember that every individual chooses whether or not to act on specific behaviors, whether to seek help for their troubles, or whether to embrace their carnal desires.

Criminal shows have used it as criteria for determining whether a person is lying. Movies have incorporated it as part of determining the guilt of a character. And some neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioners promote it. Overall, the belief that eye movement — in particular, the movement of the eyes up and to the right — reveals lying is a common one, propagated by popular culture and controversial science practices. But can facial cues really indicate whether or not a person is lying?

Despite common belief, the answer seems to be no, according to a recent ABC News article.

Researchers led by the University of Hertfordshire’s Richard Wiseman determined that the association between lying and the direction of eye movement is nonexistent. This is consistent with research conducted by Howard Ehrlichman, a Queens College of the City University of New York professor emeritus of psychology, who determined that eye movement does not indicate lying.

However, Ehrlichman maintains that eye movement does offer some insight into a person’s thoughts. When recalling information, individuals tend to move their eyes about once per second. Eye movement is therefore linked with retrieving information from one’s memory, rather than inventing falsehoods.

Though there seems to be a lot of research leading to the debunking of facial expressions, eye movements, and other feature changes as indicators of lying, some still propagate the belief. One such person is Donald Sanborn, the president of Credibility Assessment Technologies, the article reports. His company has licensed technology known as “ocular motor detection testing,” which is founded upon research performed by University of Utah psychologists. Sanborn maintains that the emotional response a person has to lying causes that person’s stare to shift and pupil to change its diameter, as the psychologists at the University of Utah came to the conclusion that pupil diameter, eye position, and delay in response all indicate whether a person is lying.

Using that information to fuel this new technology, Sanborn believes that his device is accurate around 85% of the time. Researchers like Wiseman and Ehrlichman, however, disagree. Their studies have indicated that the relationship between eye position and movement simply does not exist.

So, given the lack of evidence to support a relationship between eye movement and lying, why is the notion so widespread? Researchers are not sure, though some, according to the article, attribute NLP practitioners with the responsibility for propagating the myth. However, NLP practitioners are divided on the issue. Some deny responsibility, while others maintain that the relationship between eye movement and lying does exist.

Ultimately, without research into the origin of the myth, it’s difficult to point fingers at any one party. It is also difficult to eradicate the belief, as it is deeply ingrained within popular culture and certain practices, like NLP and Sanborn’s new technology. However, as research continues to address and debunk the myth, the perceived relationship is slowly being put to rest.