Throwback Thursday! Do You Smell Like a Sociopath?

(03/25/2017) I do. I smell exactly like a sociopath, and you might too.

One line in and I’ve got you wondering, what type of odor do sociopaths give off, and why does Phil smell like one? That’s exactly what I want you to be thinking, because I’m a sociopath and I enjoy manipulating people.

So how exactly do sociopaths smell? Mostly like Axe body spray. Just kidding of course. Only a sociopath like me would slander a popular product and the millions of Tap Out t-shirt wearing, man-bun having guys who use it.

The truth is that sociopaths smell very badly. It’s kind of a minty eucalyptus smell mixed with mustard. No it’s not. Actually, I wouldn’t know what sociopaths smell like because I’m one of them.  If you want to find a sociopath, follow your nose, unless you are a sociopath.

A clinical study showed that people with a poor sense of smell score highly on ratings of sociopathic tendencies. It seems that the area of the brain, the amygdala, that plays a part in social skills is also connected to our ability to differentiate smells.

At a meeting:

Normal person: “Ewww! Who farted? Geez that’s terrible.”

Sociopath: “What? I don’t smell anything.”

In that scenario the sociopath might be telling the truth, but is also lying because he did fart and didn’t care if it bothered anyone.

Imagine the usefulness of this information. At airports instead of pat downs, searching luggage and lengthy interviews, the security agents could now just blindfold the suspicious character and have him or her smell things.

Airport security: Ok, sir. Please step aside. We’re going to blindfold you and have you smell things. (Blindfolds sociopath) Ok, I’m going to put three things near your nose and I want you to tell me what they smell like. Here’s the first one:

Sociopath: Hmm…this is difficult. I think it smells like…umm… a rose.

Airport security: Nope. It was dog poop. Ok, here’s the next one…

Sociopath: Aaah…this is much better. I’m sure about this one. It’s got to be cinnamon.

Airport Security:  (big sigh) No sir, that’s vinegar. Ok, you’ve got one more. Here it is…

Sociopath: Aha! Finally one I know. There’s no doubt about it. That’s Axe body spray and the scent is Phoenix. My favorite!

Airport security: Cuff him!

He was one in Gone Girl and might be one in real life. How could he cheat on poor, beautiful Jen?

Even though the study is about four years old, I heard this information this week and immediately thought of myself. All my life my sense of smell has been  my weakest sense. Also, earlier this week I was discussing with a friend that almost habitually I’m thinking of crimes I could get away with if I was evil. A lot of times when I walk into a store I ‘case the joint’, noticing security cameras, exits etc. I previously thought that it was my writer’s mind gathering details that will be used with fictional characters in the future, but now I wonder if maybe I’m just a sociopath that hasn’t gone bad yet. Hmm… I wonder if a crime spree would boost sales of my books? See? That’s exactly what a sociopath would think! So, what about you? Do you smell like a sociopath?

Before you go, the Annual Bloggers Bash is coming up in May and if you enjoy my work, I’d love a nomination for the Funniest Blogger award. You can do so by clicking HERE.

Have a great Thursday! ~Phil