The psychological profile of the Joker, beyond the mask

He’s just a character, but he still fascinates us.. And the fact that we are fascinated by someone who commits violent acts, a sociopath with an air of grandeur basically guided by the desire for revenge, is something that at the same time worries us and even contradicts many of our moral principles. Now, the psychological profile of the Joker goes far beyond the mere cultural icon.

The conceptual universe behind the most versatile villain in the world of comics transcends even the limits of his own personality. In this new film production, its director, Todd Phillips, investigates for the first time the origin of the famous crime clown. For it, introduces us to Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian, a lonely outcast victim of a society as dark as it is cruel.

The journey that the character of the Joker has made in the world of cinema is quite extensive. Since Tim Burton presented it to us for the first time back in 1989, he has done nothing more than mature an idea, drawing with poise and forcefulness the lines of a very clear profile. Already in the Dark Knightand With Heath Ledger’s performance, we saw a clown who rose as more than just an agent of chaos.

The Joker is what Thomas Hobbes defined in his Leviathan . It is the result of a clearly flawed and inherently corrupt humanity. In the midst of this scenario of moral turpitude and darkness, Batman’s famous antagonist sought to further intensify the almost innate destructiveness of our society.

Now, in this latest film released a few weeks ago, we understand the reason for this desire for destruction and impulsiveness towards violence. As Peter Vronsky, writer and specialist in criminal psychology, points out, Most “monsters” are not born, they are created by society.

The psychological profile of the Joker

The first question that undoubtedly comes to mind when we see the latest production about the Joker is why we empathize so intensely with him. Possibly, We have never seen a villain so human and, at the same time, so vulnerable. It is impossible not to get into his clown shoes when seeing his illness and the lack of a society incapable of assisting and providing an effective response to those who need it.

The world of Gotham can be perfectly extrapolated to our current society. Now, something that, on the other hand, we should not relate is the link between mental illnesses and violence. The Joker’s psychological profile is complex, but no disorder justifies the unethical acts we see in the film. What’s more, most people with a psychopathic personality or an antisocial personality disorder are not homicidal.

emotional incontinence

One of the most striking characteristics of the Joker is his uncontrollable, scandalous and, often, even ill-timed laugh. Far from being an invention of the DC industry, it is interesting to know that it is a real disease.

A traumatic past

Many of the serial killers in our history and people who commit acts of great violence They are survivors of some type of early childhood trauma. Realities as dramatic as physical or sexual abuse, family dysfunction or even emotionally distant or absent parents generate serious consequences in the child’s brain.

As a curiosity, it should be noted that trauma is the only recurring element in most of the biographies of most of the murderers in our history. A curious exception would be that of Ted Bundy, who would enter into that biological component of evil, as authors such as Dr. Art Beaudet, from the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics of the University of Medicine in Houston, Texas, would point out to us.

Psychological profile of the Joker: antisocial personality disorder

If there is one reality that completely defines the Joker, it is antisocial personality disorder.. In this behavioral disorder, the sociopath is basically characterized by not conforming to social norms and by committing violent and criminal acts.

In addition, It carries out a repetitive and persistent pattern of violating basic rights of people and society in general. Aggression, theft and defiance of laws and social norms appear.

The delusions

Thoughts that are clearly unreal to the viewer, are presented as irrefutable to the Joker (such as the romance with the neighbor), are called delusions. In this film, whoever is behind the screen can experience the role of companion of a person with delusions, masterfully captured.

What do the experts say?

The forensic psychologist and criminology expert, Gustavo Álvarez, points out that To determine the psychological profile of the Joker, we must understand the film as a process.

According to this specialist, There is a predisposing factor in Arthur: a psychological disorder that fluctuates between psychosis and schizophrenia.. Now, throughout the film the protagonist tries to manage and repress this condition with the few resources he has. But, the abandonment by the health system and the harassment of society do not help him with his mission.

In this sense, The hostile environment and traumatic experiences serve as “triggering factors” of their own condition.. Among the most notable: when Arthur discovers that his mother cheated on him all his life, or when the television comedian he admires ridicules him.

For his part, psychoanalyst Jorge Bafico states that, in the transition from Arthur to the Joker, It is observed how he identifies the purpose of his life in violence. Regarding this, Bafico explains: “it is terrible, but, for him, murdering is therapeutic. He finds meaning in life and kills so as not to kill himself.”

Regarding this, Álvarez states that The Joker ended up finding his place in crime and even he is surprised when he discovers that he finds himself when he kills. Likewise, he highlights that the same situation in the movie can be seen in the real world:

The Joker and our silent desire to break the rules

The Joker is liked and exudes a controversial charm for the general population. And this is basically due to two things, the first is that for the first time we have managed to empathize with the human being and not only with the character. In this latest production, and due above all to the sublime and even supernatural performance of Joaquin Phoenix, we are presented the rebirth of a Joker as a consequence of a series of events that are as dramatic as they are close at the same time.

Secondly, one thing is obvious: their crimes are not fueled by the desire for money or other material ends. His motivations are ideological and philosophical.. It is the darkness rebelled after a trauma, the shadow that emerges after the impact of a society that attacks, that ignores the weak, that feeds itself on their own corruption.

The Shadow that is in us

These ideas They remind us, without a doubt, of Shadow concept that Carl Jung told us about. Adverse impulses live within us that we must accept and bring to light to heal them and proceed to healing. The Joker’s psychological profile shows us that the character not only lets the Shadow escape from her, but far from healing her, he goes out to dance with her and leaves her free of it.

Joker perhaps represents that part of us that longs to break the rules and react. In this way, if Nicholson’s Joker brought us a gangster, Heath Ledger’s an agent of chaos, Jared Leto a sociopath, with Joaquin Phoenix we see above all a clear warning sign and a direct invitation to reflect as society.

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