Is master chief a Psychopath?

Community Halo Universe
1

As in the beginning of halo 4 the unknown ONI officer states that the spartan expressed mild psychopathic tendencies. Now when master chief was gone without cortana, but knew he would come back, he would be calm, but after cortanas death he experienced very frustrated emotions and soft and mild angry grunts (if you listen closely). When he was also being held up by the didact in the end, he was more grunting sounds than the last time he was.

another thing is that in the beginning of halo 4 when he wakes up he does the same and slams his hands on the glass but then realizes where he is. Also when he thought he found her in halo 3 and 343 “zapped” her. He got very angry with him. I think cortana calms him and his “medicine”. His human counter part, because he does not act like a human and has been forced to be a machine his entire life by the UNSC and Section 3. That oppression would make a man insane. but then cortana gave him something the UNSC or His fellow spartans could never give. Love and Care.

Do you think he is a psychopath?

2

It depends on how you define “psychopath”.

If you define a psychopath as a person who is mentally unable to define what’s right form wrong, then the Master Chief certainly isn’t a psychopath. If anything, he’s the complete opposite of a psychopath.

This is easily demonstrated in Halo 4 when the Master Chief defies Captain Del Rio’s order to surrender Cortana and remain on Infinity. While it was a direct order from a commanding officer, the Master Chief knew that it was the only way to stop the Didact.

The Master Chief is a sociopath, not a psychopath.

3

psychopath: a person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior.

I wouldn’t say his anger is abnormal and he shows a lot of restraint.

4

“Records show Spartans routinely exhibited mildly sociopathic tendencies, difficulty with socialization. Furthermore…”

No, but Spartans seem to share some common characteristics with them. It makes sense since he was instructed to be unquestionably obedient to the UNSC and fearless in the face of combat. He’s been bred for combat and he knows how to regulate his emotions on the battlefield. He can easily neutralize a threat if it’s what is mandated.

But that’s where any resemblances between John and psychopaths/sociopaths end. John has shown great care for his allies and subordinates, he has excellent restraint and I believe he’s very capable of feeling remorse for his failures once the battle is over.

5

I checked yes i do think he is a psychopath. People seem to forget how bat -Yoink- crazy chief was in halo 3. All those moments of him remembering cortana to the point that the thoughts are crippling him and he slows down, or that one point at the end of the mission the covenant when chief see’s visions of cortana that seems to lead him to the new halo ring under construction. Chief seems to be losing it and I have a feeling that in the next halo title that progress’s chiefs story we will see him losing it more and more in halo 4 chief could hear the didact while cortana could not which is probably due to the acceleration of chiefs evolution but having another voice in your head taunting and threatening to kill you can’t be good for anyone. I have a little hope that 343 is going to have chief turn into a lunatic by the end of the reclaimer trilogy due to the grave mind, the didact and cortana chief is going to become what commander Shepard should have become at the end of the mass effect games, indoctrinated

6

> I checked yes i do think he is a psychopath. People seem to forget how bat Yoink! crazy chief was in halo 3. All those moments of him remembering cortana to the point that the thoughts are crippling him and he slows down, or that one point at the end of the mission the covenant when chief see’s visions of cortana that seems to lead him to the new halo ring under construction. Chief seems to be losing it and I have a feeling that in the next halo title that progress’s chiefs story we will see him losing it more and more in halo 4 chief could hear the didact while cortana could not which is probably due to the acceleration of chiefs evolution but having another voice in your head taunting and threatening to kill you can’t be good for anyone. I have a little hope that 343 is going to have chief turn into a lunatic by the end of the reclaimer trilogy due to the grave mind, the didact and cortana chief is going to become what commander Shepard should have become at the end of the mass effect games, indoctrinated

That’s a common misconception. The Cortana moments in Halo 3 weren’t hallucinations, they were transmissions the Gravemind sent to taunt Chief.

7

How did he go about sending these transmissions? And did he create the vision of cortana walking through halls as well? It’s not that I don’t believe you this is just news to me.

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> How did he go about sending these transmissions? And did he create the vision of cortana walking through halls as well? It’s not that I don’t believe you this is just news to me.

It did have control of High Charity, including access to communications systems. And the hallway thing was Cortana sending a weak transmission as to the Ark’s secret: the replacement Halo ring.

9

Interesting where was this confirmed that it was the gravemind messing with cheif? I feel like. Bad halo fan that I didn’t know this :frowning:

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> Interesting where was this confirmed that it was the gravemind messing with cheif? I feel like. Bad halo fan that I didn’t know this :frowning:

I don’t think it’s been confirmed anywhere; it’s just a matter of putting 2 and 2 together. Hallucinations are completely out of John’s character, and his armor wouldn’t have pinged him as KIA if it was just all in his head. And we know that the Gravemind was torturing Cortana and considered John a threat, so what better way to demoralize him than to taunt him with Cortana’s suffering? It could have also been a mix of feeble attempts by Cortana to contact John.

11

But didn’t Johns armor ping him as Kia after the arbiter returned to earth and discussed what happened with admiral hood? I don’t understand what that has to do with hallucinations

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> But didn’t Johns armor ping him as Kia after the arbiter returned to earth and discussed what happened with admiral hood? I don’t understand what that has to do with hallucinations

That’s not what I’m talking about. During the first Cortana moment, a marine mentioned that the IFF classified him as KIA for a second. That wouldn’t have happened if it was just a hallucination.

13

The term Psychopath would suggest that John lacks empathy which is incorrect to say the least. Just look at the way he reacted to Cortana’s “death” in Halo 4 and the numerous time he has lost one of his brothers in arms throughout the novels, whether they were SPARTANS or not. I think that his “mildly sociopathic tendencies” only extend to socialization, to which John and the other SPARTANS only had trouble with when communicating with NON-SPARTAN personnel.

14

There are tests they give to determine if one has psychopathic tendencies; one is, if you could travel to 1890 and murder a one-year-old baby -Yoink!- to save the lives of millions, would you? Most people would have a problem killing a child, but psychopaths reason it for being for the better good.
Another one is, if you were a rural doctor in a town where five people needed transplants to save their lives (one needs a heart, two need a kidney, one needs a liver, and the other need courage or something–the last one was a joke) and there are no matches. All five are of the same blood type, but they are the only five in town of that type. They are all going to die.
One day, a wayward traveler shows up; this guy has no connections with the outside world, no family, etc. and if he went missing, no one would ever know. He stops by for a check-up, you realize he’s a match for all five.
Most people would let him go, but psychopaths reason, if I kill him and harvest his organs (make it look like an accident, never to be traced back to you), that’s one death to save the lives of five people. It’s for the better good.

I don’t know how Chief would answer these questions, but I would say that he is NOT a psychopath.
However, he’s definitely a sociopath. There are even little moments in the game where you notice odd anti-social behavior, not so much in the original Trilogy, though. A lot of times, when asked a question, Chief’s response seems forced, hesitant, and labored, like he’s struggling to function with others. His answers are brief and to the point as if just wanting to end the back-and-forth (unless it pertains heavily to the mission i.e. Chief v. Del Rio, Chief & Tilson.)
His empathy is the main reason why he is not psychopathic, in my opinion.
In 4, Laskey asks him a direct question, addressing him by name (well, “Chief”) and after a pause, Cortana chimes in and answers Laskey for Chief, as if she understands Chief’s shortcomings and serves as his “filter”, if you will, around others.
I think everybody has that friend who is completely socially inept and when out & about with that friend, you may find yourself answering questions for them or taking over conversations directed at that person if you can detect their awkwardness around strangers. They appreciate it too, trust me. I know for some, just going into a gas station and asking for a pack of smokes or $20 on pump 6 may bring on a sweat or a near anxiety attack.
However, things that normal people might not be able to handle mentally or emotionally (war), they seem to be comfortable with.
A good example is Richard Harrow in Boardwalk Empire. The guy is a mess around people, but he’s a true artist when it comes to killing.
“Mildly Sociopathic Tendencies” sums Chief up very well.
He’s not mentally disturbed. In fact, he’s remarkable adaptable considering what he’s gone through since the age of six.

15

Sociopath, not psychopath. These are two completely different things… More Sherlock Holmes than Patrick Bateman.

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“He’s not mentally disturbed. In fact, he’s remarkably adaptable considering what he’s gone through since the age of six.”

Aptly defined description of Master Chief’s current state of mind.

17

id say hes amazingly constrained given that hes killed thousands of beings…
being anti-social or having trouble socializing does not mean you are a sociopath
smh
people with social anxiety have trouble socializing, as do people with depression are we going to say those groups are sociopaths?

sociopaths are sociopaths because they engage in anti-social behavior and lacks social conscience

Master Chief has no problem killing himself to save people.
He killed himself to stop the composer (he didn’t know cortana would save him)

for those just blindly following the 'Spartans are sociopaths" train without knowing what are sociopaths…

http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html
note this is kind of a mix between sociopath and psychopath
there isn’t much difference, sociopath implies that the demeanor came from society and involves society more than psychopathy

•Glibness and Superficial Charm
no he barely talks

•Manipulative and Conning
No, I don’t think anyone can say MC is manipulative

•Grandiose Sense of Self
No… probably thinks less of himself than he should

•Pathological Lying
…No

•Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
[b}Yes, likely lacks remorse the same way most UNSC soldiers do towards killing their enemies.**

•Shallow Emotions
No, Chief has clearly had real emotions towards quite a few other characters in the series

•Incapacity for Love
No, I’d say he loved Cortana as a friend at least

•Need for Stimulation
No, not his fault he is always busy

•Callousness/Lack of Empathy
No, pretty sure books show his understanding and empathy

•Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Just no

Juvenile delinquency
no he was a brilliant and special kid

•Irresponsibility/Unreliability
again no, he is a team leader and is very responsible

•Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Seriously? NO!

•Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
MC has a very busy job in the military and likely is paid very well

•Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
No… he isn’t a criminal

for those that want to understand the difference between sociopath and psychopath more…

> Traits that sociopaths and psychopaths share include:
> :black_medium_small_square:a disregard for the rights of others
> :black_medium_small_square:a failure to feel remorse or guilt
> :black_medium_small_square:a disregard for laws and social mores
> :black_medium_small_square:a tendency to display violent behavior and emotional outbursts
>
> Sociopaths tend to be nervous and easily agitated. They are likely to be uneducated and live on the fringes of society, unable to hold down a steady job or stay in one place. Some sociopaths form attachments to an individual or group, though they have no regard for society in general. In the eyes of others, sociopaths appear clearly disturbed. Any crimes committed by a sociopath tend to be disorganized and spontaneous.
>
> Psychopaths, on the other hand, often have charming personalities. They are manipulative and easily gain people’s trust. They have learned to mimic emotion and so appear “normal” to other people. Psychopaths are often educated and hold steady jobs. Some are so good at manipulation and mimicry that they can have families and other long-term relationships without those around them ever suspecting their true nature.

18

Ahhh thank you. You see I never noticed the marine making that statement before, but thank you for enlightening me.

19

> Ahhh thank you. You see I never noticed the marine making that statement before, but thank you for enlightening me.

No prob, that’s what we’re here for.

20

FYI to everyone, the Unknown Interrogator said “sociopathic” not “psychopathic.”