Lydia Benecke - The Psychology of Evil

Is Hannibal Lecter really the prototype of a psychopath? Do all psychopaths have the urge to kill? How does criminal psychology determine whether someone is psychopathic, and how does such a personality develop in the first place? Why do not all psychopaths turn to crime - and how much "evil" lurks in "ordinary" people?

In her talk, Lydia Benecke explores these questions by examining the emotional and mental worlds of psychopathic individuals: those who made headlines with shocking crimes, as well as those who live among us without ever breaking the law. She also explains how some psychopathic serial killers manage to pass for decades as unremarkable family men and friendly neighbours.