Today's Friday • 7 mins read
“The psychopath has a talent for identifying and exploiting the weaknesses of others.” — Robert Hare, PhD, a leading expert on criminal psychology and psychopathy.
When you think of psychopaths, you likely think of core traits: lack of genuine empathy, grandiose self-image, instrumental view of people, absence of remorse, and disregard for social norms.
Have you heard of high-functioning psychopaths, those who hide among us and rarely show violent tendencies except under extreme pressure? They’re often hard to spot and can go unnoticed for years.
But what happens when they are finally found out?
What Psychopaths Do When They Are Found Out
When a psychopath’s mask slips, and you recognize their manipulation, lies, and harm they caused, their reactions follow predictable patterns.
1. Immediate Denial and Counter-Accusation
The first response is often flat denial, even when evidence is overwhelming. Psychopaths will look you directly in the eye and deny what you witnessed yourself.
They frequently flip the script by accusing you of the very behavior they’re guilty of, which is a projection tactic that destabilizes the accuser.
Say they’re caught stealing, they might claim you’re trying to frame them. If you expose their infidelity, they’ll insist you’re paranoid and unfaithful.
2. Victim Narrative Construction
Psychopaths excel at repositioning themselves as the injured party.
They craft elaborate stories about how they’ve been misunderstood, targeted, or persecuted.
They’ll reference past hardships, claim they’re being attacked because of jealousy, or insist that their accusers have “always had it out for them.”
Crocodile tears (tears that are typically manufactured rather than felt) may appear.
One more thing: the jealousy angle is particularly common. They position themselves as so successful or admirable that others feel extreme envy at them.
This performance aims to recruit sympathetic allies who will defend them against those who try to tear them down.
3. Charm Offensive and Promises of Change
Some psychopaths will shift into excessive agreeableness and remorse when cornered.
They’ll admit to some wrongdoing (usually a minimized version) and make sweeping promises about therapy, change, and rehabilitation.
Now, this phase can be convincing because they’re skilled at reading what people want to hear. But the “change” is tactical, designed to buy time and regain trust.
Research consistently shows that psychopaths rarely benefit from traditional therapy, and they often use it to learn better manipulation techniques.
When they do seek professional help, it’s typically strategic. They want to show others they are reforming.
But what they actually do is study emotional responses they can mimic later, to convince others they’re addressing their behavior. The therapy itself becomes another tool in their arsenal.
“When a psychopath is caught, they will do whatever it takes to protect themselves and maintain their power and control.” — Dr. Martha Stout
4. Strategic Relationship Severing
When exposure happens in one social circle, psychopaths often move away from that network entirely. And move to fresh territory where their reputation hasn’t been established yet.
They might suddenly relocate cities, switch jobs, or disappear from mutual friend groups. This gives them the chance to start over with a clean slate.
They’re calculating about cutting losses rather than trying to repair relationships with people who see through them.
5. Smear Campaigns Against Accusers
A smear campaign, also known as a smear tactic, is an effort to damage or call into question someone’s reputation by spreading negative propaganda.
Psychopaths will systematically destroy the credibility of whoever has exposed them.
They spread rumors, share private information, and paint their accuser as mentally unstable, vindictive, or dishonest. They can contact your employer, friends, and family with carefully constructed lies.
This serves dual purposes: discrediting the source of exposure and punishing them for daring to challenge the psychopath’s control.
They may also attempt to induce guilt or shame in their accusers, turning the tables so effectively that the person who caught them ends up feeling like they’re the one who did something wrong.
6. Selective Truth-Telling with Spin
This sophisticated tactic involves admitting to certain facts while completely reframing their meaning. This is selective truth-telling with gaslighting spin.
They might acknowledge an affair but claim it happened because their partner was emotionally abusive.
They’ll admit to financial irregularities but position themselves as Robin Hood figures who bent rules for good reasons.
This approach works because it incorporates enough truth that they appear honest while fundamentally distorting the narrative.
7. Targeting New Victims While Managing Fallout
“Being found out as a psychopath can have significant social consequences. Friends, family members, and romantic partners may distance themselves from the psychopath once they learn of their condition.” — Harvard Gazette
When exposed, rather than only focusing on damage control, psychopaths also pursue fresh targets.
They understand their current situation is compromised, so they invest energy in grooming new victims in new relationships, jobs, or opportunities.
They can compartmentalize very well. That is, managing a crisis in one area while simultaneously building another crisis elsewhere.
Their lack of genuine emotional connection means they means they feel little stress juggling these competing demands.
When Consequences Actually Stick for Psychopaths Found Out
While psychopaths are adept at evading accountability, there are circumstances where consequences become unavoidable:
- Legal ramifications are the most inescapable form of accountability. Psychopaths show higher rates of criminal behavior than the general population. The justice system can impose imprisonment, criminal records, or restraining orders for their illegal actions. In severe or repeat violent cases, they may face long sentences or even the death penalty.
- Pattern documentation can become their undoing. Multiple victims comparing notes, employers sharing information, or law enforcement linking incidents across jurisdictions produces a record that’s hard to deny. One accusation can be dismissed; a string of similar complaints becomes evidence.
- Professional blacklisting can create real barriers. Licensing boards, background checks, and professional communities can block exposed psychopaths. A lawyer disbarred, a physician de-licensed, or a financial advisor banned by regulators may find it difficult to continue predatory activity in those fields.
Why social consequences often fail to deter them?
Psychopaths don’t feel the shame, grief, or loneliness that usually follow rejection. When excluded, they relocate, rebrand, and target new people who don’t know their past.
Social sanctions only work when paired with legal restrictions, documented records, or professional bans that follow them into new environments.
Research Papers on Psychopathy
- “The Dark Triad of Personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy” by Delroy L. Paulhus and Kevin M. Williams
- “Psychopathy and the Ability to Read the ‘Language of the Eyes’” by Simon Baron-Cohen and Sally Wheelwright
- “Empathic, moral and antisocial outcomes associated with distinct components of psychopathy in healthy individuals: a Triarchic model approach” by Pedro R. Almeida and Maria João Seixas
- “Psychopathy and Moral Development: A Comparative Study of Psychopathic and Nonpsychopathic Criminals” by James Blair, Derek Mitchell, and Karina Blair
Note: Psychopathy is not a DSM‑5 diagnosis. Clinicians use Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), a condition characterized by a chronic pattern of behavior that disregards the rights and well-being of others, often engaging in manipulative, aggressive, or reckless actions.
Final Words
Unlike overlapping traits in Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), a psychopath’s actions are calculated, strategic, and goal‑directed. So when they are exposed, they feel little genuine emotional distress.
When exposed, psychopaths may escalate and can be unpredictably dangerous. They can issue dire threats, violence, or intensified manipulation.
Don’t confront them impulsively. Protect yourself: document behavior, cut contact, and get legal and mental‑health help.
Don’t let them exploit your kindness.
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√ Also Read: Exactly, Do Psychopaths Know They Are Psychopaths?
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