Is Lance Armstrong a psychopath?

parc

We had a thread back a while about psychopaths and a few people mentioned that being a psychopath doesn't mean you go round killing people, it's just specific character traits, and many exist in business and every day life

No remorse or empathy. No connection with other people's feelings. Manipulative, a fantastic liar, and an unwavering conviction that they are right

Lance seemed to have the traits in abundance. Could he be a psychopath (not a sociopath)?

Max Power

Sociopath maybe?

tigger123

All signs point to yes.

On a serious note, he's not sorry, he's just sorry he got caught.

Scumbag.

goz83

No. He is a terrible Liar. He convinced nobody he was innocent.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

I thought he was a Psychalist (sp?) ... I think.

parc

I think the people mentioned psychopath though. It surprised me too, I would have thought sociopath but they said psychopath

tigger123

FionnMcCool87 wrote: »

Sociopath maybe?

Same thing, no?

endacl

parc wrote: »

We had a thread back a while about psychopaths and a few people mentioned that being a psychopath doesn't mean you go round killing people, it's just specific character traits, and many exist in business and every day life

No remorse or empathy. No connection with other people's feelings. Manipulative, a fantastic liar, and an unwavering conviction that they are right

Lance seemed to have the traits in abundance. Could he be a psychopath?

Well,by the traits you describe, yes he could.

Easier just to think of him as a lying, cheating, bullying pr1ck though.

Lollipops23

I don't think anyone here is qualified or know him well enough to give an informed opinion on this.

I did have a conversation about this kind of thing recently with my father (he's a counselor), and it's true that the world is full of sociopaths and psychopaths. In fact we're pretty sure my uncle is an actual sociopath.

Frank Black

Total cyclepath.

areyawell

Leave him along, he only has one nut.

sfwcork

He did what the vast majority of people would do imo

DEFTLEFTHAND

A sociopath might be a more accurate term for him. They share the same traits and personality disorder but don't act out in a violent or perverse manner.

Lollipops23

sfwcork wrote: »

He did what the vast majority of people would do imo

Ah now-it's one thing to participate in the doping thing, many athletes have done the same.

It was the way he went after people who accused him of doping over the years that really pissed me off. The arrogance was the kicker.

Biggins

sfwcork wrote: »

He did what the vast majority of people would do imo

The vast majority of the people?

Did the vast majority of fellow racers even do what he did - then you claim that the vast majority of people would do the same?

I suspect not.
I wouldn't and I know a great deal of people that I trust, would not.

You must know a lot of dodgy people to make that assumption.

My name is URL

I think the people talking non-stop about him and his poxy interview are psychopaths.

mitosis

I think the correct label is "cúnt"

racso1975

What piss's me off is the amount of publicity this thief and cheat and pr!ck is getting!!!!

He doped and tried to destroy peoples life's and the only fluckin reason he is doing this god for saken confession is that he needs too. Not so he can sleep easy at night but so that he can compete in tri-athlons!!!

Total BS and Oprah is an idiot to go along with it too. Convenient that they are on the board of his charity together

The King of Moo

sfwcork wrote: »

He did what the vast majority of people would do imo

Win the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times??

I think you're overestimating the general public's cycling ability.

Timmyctc

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

A sociopath might be a more accurate term for him. They share the same traits and personality disorder but don't act out in a violent or perverse manner.

Psychopathy and Sociopathy are the same thing.

del88

In fairness he was calm and collected during the interview.....he's got some ball.

Faith

FionnMcCool87 wrote: »

Sociopath maybe?

tigger123 wrote: »

Same thing, no?

Very little difference between the two terms, except psychopathy is an innate personality disorder (you were born that way, ain't nothing going to change it) and sociopathy is caused by your environment, usually while growing up.

sfwcork

Just because others dont get caught doesnt mean others dont do it

My name is URL

racso1975 wrote: »

What piss's me off is the amount of publicity this thief and cheat and pr!ck is getting!!!!

He doped and tried to destroy peoples life's and the only fluckin reason he is doing this god for saken confession is that he needs too. Not so he can sleep easy at night but so that he can compete in tri-athlons!!!

Total BS and Oprah is an idiot to go along with it too. Convenient that they are on the board of his charity together

Yeah, a real idiot for making tens of millions of dollars out of it!

How anyone was expecting Armstrong to give an honest account is beyond me.. do people really believe that he would give such interviews if it didn't serve him a purpose?

He should be allowed to disappear into obscurity like the disgraced wanker he is.

Stheno

del88 wrote: »

In fairness he was calm and collected during the interview.....he's got some ball.

It's all that testosterone he took:pac:

gurramok

He's just a junkie like those who trot thru our streets looking for their fix. Just so happens this is a junkie who had a severe addiction to win "at all costs"and had fame to hide his druggie cheating.

Pottler

Lance my boil. Who gives a shyte what a bike racer does or doesn't do. It's hardly life changing for the world. More celebrity hand wringing. Get a fcuking job Armstrong. Do somthing useful.

doolox

This all boils down to hero worship and adoring physical effort and physical feats. All of which can now be attained by chemical and physical enhancements which people call "cheating".

Sports is no longer a gift of birth or a chance phenomenon. Those who try to play it straight are doomed to "lose". Those who "cheat" by enhancing their performance will win.

Society in general needs to concentrate its search for scarcity on something else besides sports.


This is the reason for the cheating. Loads of MONEY can be got from being the first in some sporting feat. Even 1/100 of second puts you in 2nd place and 100's of millions poorer...its no wonder that all sorts of risks are taken to "ensure" 1st place.

Similar things are happening with music....autotune and other computer driven abominations such as sampling etc are devaluing musical art and making a joke of what used to be a really valid art form.

The planet needs to re-examine the idolatrous fixation with sports "stars"and "celebrities" who in a previous age would be laughed at as trivial and untalented non-entities.

Biggins

My name is URL wrote: »

...He should be allowed to disappear into obscurity like the disgraced wanker he is.

...But thats exactly what he might want - to get away with it now. Why should he get what he wants still?
Hasn't he gotten a lot his way already - including even his cowardly cosy interview!

Well the Times alone it appears is not going to let the sod rest, they are further going to counter-sue him now, if only for committing purgery in the court case he had against them.
What was the amount he won (in the total wrong from them) - 1.5 million?

Frank Black

sfwcork wrote: »

Just because others dont get caught doesnt mean others dont do it

You mean there may be others?

DEFTLEFTHAND

Biggins wrote: »

The vast majority of the people?

Did the vast majority of fellow racers even do what he did - then you claim that the vast majority of people would do the same?

I suspect not.
I wouldn't and I know a great deal of people that I trust, would not.

You must know a lot of dodgy people to make that assumption.

The sport was/is rife with it though, many of the top riders may have been corrupted by the sport itself. The need for the support riders to use EPO wasn't there so hence the majority of riders were clean.

endacl

On a more positive note I am now, in terms of major tour wins, as good a cyclist as LA is. We're neck and neck.

Well, probably not neck and neck. That fecker has some neck.

dreamers75

Disgusted now that Average Joes were motivated to win the game by Armstrong.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Timmyctc wrote: »

Psychopathy and Sociopathy are the same thing.

It's a debate which rages in the field I hear, but many experts argue a difference. The sociopath's disorder is more an effect of sociological factors like a bad upbringing etc. The psychopath supposedly has the problem from day one.

del88

endacl wrote: »

On a more positive note I am now, in terms of major tour wins, as good a cyclist as LA is. We're neck and neck.

Well, probably not neck and neck. That fecker has some neck.

he's got some ball....:D

My name is URL

Biggins wrote: »

...But thats exactly what he might want - to get away with it now. Why should he get what he wants still?
Hasn't he gotten a lot his way already - including even his cowardly cosy interview!

Well the Times alone it appears is not going to let the sod rest, they are further going to counter-sue him now, if only for committing purgery in the court case he had against them.
What was the amount he won (in the total wrong from them) - 1.5 million?

I doubt very much that's what he wants. He wants to remain in the limelight, cashing in on the gullibility and naivety of people.

After Oprah featured the book 'The Secret' on her show, it remained number 1 on the NY Times bestsellers list for 3 years!

Timmyctc

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

It's a debate which rages in the field I hear, but many experts argue a difference. The sociopath's disorder is more an effect of sociological factors like a bad upbringing etc. The psychopath supposedly has the problem from day one.

Don't judge me for quoting wiki

"Hare notes that sociopathy and psychopathy are often used interchangeably, but in some cases the term sociopathy is preferred because it is less likely than is psychopathy to be confused with psychoticism, whereas in other cases which term is used may "reflect the user's views on the origins and determinates of the disorder," with the term sociopathy preferred by those that see the causes as due to social factors and early environment, and the term psychopathy preferred by those who believe that there are psychological, biological, and genetic factors involved in addition to environmental factors"

Its almost six of one half a dozen of another. Differences are minor enough anyways in any case the discussion isn't really whether he is one or the other but if he displays the symptoms common to both. Personally I don't think he is. He is manipulative and a liar and egotistical like a lot of people are. Not necessarily to the point of psychopathy (OR SOCIOPATHY :P) though.

Biggins

My name is URL wrote: »

I doubt very much that's what he wants. He wants to remain in the limelight, cashing in on the gullibility and naivety of people.

After Oprah featured the book 'The Secret' on her show, it remained number 1 on the NY Times bestsellers list for 3 years!

What he wants is to continue in another sport he's started to take interest in.
He wants to get away with lying it appears and he wants to hold on to his wealth he gained by cheating and lying while depriving those that stuck by rules and that more honestly deserved reward for their genuine efforts in a sport he has himself badly tarnished.

O' and by the way, if anyone didn't know - it appears he might have lied even during the now infamous interview: http://abcnews.go.com/US/lance-armstrong-lied-oprah-cover-crimes-investigators/story?id=18245484
(for reasons to cover his ass legally)

greedygoblin

For me the big big thing is the complete lack of empathy and remorse that he has displayed. It says a lot about a person that they only admit to being in the wrong when there is no other option left.

4zn76tysfajdxp

My name is URL wrote: »

After Oprah featured the book 'The Secret' on her show, it remained number 1 on the NY Times bestsellers list for 3 years!

That is mental. :eek:

srm23

i was hoping after the build up he was going to deny all in the oprah interview for the craic.

wobzilla1

I wont be able to enjoy dodgeball properly anymore

opinion guy

My name is URL wrote: »

After Oprah featured the book 'The Secret' on her show, it remained number 1 on the NY Times bestsellers list for 3 years!

:eek:

So Oprah is responsible for this drivels popularity ????

Bitch

dx22

wobzilla1 wrote: »

I wont be able to enjoy dodgeball properly anymore

Movie title should just be Dodge...get it?

Timmyctc

dx22 wrote: »

Movie title should just be Dodge...get it?

No it's called dodgeball. They were gonna call it Dodgeballs

Mint Sauce

racso1975 wrote: »

What piss's me off is the amount of publicity this thief and cheat and pr!ck is getting!!!!

He doped and tried to destroy peoples life's and the only fluckin reason he is doing this god for saken confession is that he needs too. Not so he can sleep easy at night but so that he can compete in tri-athlons!!!

Total BS and Oprah is an idiot to go along with it too. Convenient that they are on the board of his charity together

Well in fairness, lance is no longer on the board of the livestrong charity. Its pretty much the only good thing that has come from this.

Cycling had been going through a tough time before, during, and for a little while after the Armstrong era. Hopefully these revelations don't drag it down again.

Tom_Cruise

He just cheated and got caught, thats all there is to it really.

Paddywiggum

Lollipops23 wrote: »

Ah now-it's one thing to participate in the doping thing, many athletes have done the same.

It was the way he went after people who accused him of doping over the years that really pissed me off. The arrogance was the kicker.

Absolutely, if you put the act of doping aside for a minute, its the rest of his actions that are deplorable. I think he's certainly a meglomaniac

Gummy Panda

Biggins wrote: »

What he wants is to continue in another sport he's started to take interest in.
He wants to get away with lying it appears and he wants to hold on to his wealth he gained by cheating and lying while depriving those that stuck by rules and that more honestly deserved reward for their genuine efforts in a sport he has himself badly tarnished.

Do you think his competitors were clean as well?

B.A._Baracus

Is Lance Armstrong a psychopath?

Seriously? :rolleyes: Alot of things can be said about the man but a psychopath? wtf is wrong with people....

Timmyctc

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Is Lance Armstrong a psychopath?

Seriously? :rolleyes: Alot of things can be said about the man but a psychopath? wtf is wrong with people....

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that has been variously characterized by shallow emotions (including reduced fear, a lack of empathy, and stress tolerance), coldheartedness, egocentricity, superficial charm, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, impulsivity, criminality, antisocial behavior, a lack of remorse, and a parasitic lifestyle

Can't deny he ticks a lot of the boxes now