It is a possibility. Certainly when I read my own descriptions of psychopaths, there are moments when I feel, "that’s me!" I think we all experience that. We all walk on the dark side, at times in our lives. And we can distort the meanings of words. I’ve been firm in defining psychopathy in terms of the harm it does to others. Those "impact craters" we’ve all seen in our work and social lives. In my defense, I think my decades of public work speaks for itself. People who work with me know how protective I am of others. Yet it could all be an elaborate ruse. I don’t know.
What traits did you recognize in yourself?
Charm, reality distortion, language fluency, dominant body language, and almost no fear. To be honest though, authority terrifies me. I’ve been arrested twice in my life (for growing a few marijuana plants, both times) and it was like being gutted. Whereas I’ve seen psychopaths confront police, and get away with it, without blinking. The question, "am I a psychopath?" has bounced around my mind during the whole writing of this book. In the end I decided "no" mainly because I get too much pleasure from seeing my kids and my family and friends safe and happy.
Now I wonder if I am a psychopath…
This is a common experience. We all have some of the traits. Yet it’s practically the definition of "altruist" that you look for blame in yourself, when things don’t work. If you worry that you may be a psychopath, then the chances are low. A psychopath knows they’re different, yet never sees this as their problem.
Is it normal that I’m looking for psychopaths everywhere now?
This is also a common experience. I call it Van Helsing Syndrome. The awareness that the world is full of people who see you as food is disturbing. My advice is to decide slowly, and act rapidly. That is, allow people to show their real natures and intentions. This can take weeks or months. Do take simple precautions with new friends and contacts. If you decide a person is a psychopath, and you cannot explain their behavior otherwise, cut them off. Simply ask them to never contact you again, and delete their details.
So we are all a bit psychopath?
We share 50% of our DNA with a banana. Yet we’re not "a bit banana." We certainly all carry a lot of psychopath genes. Most of these genes, in most people, are not expressed. Or if they are, it is in harmless or positive ways. We all tend towards being better altruists, or better cheaters.
Do psychopaths feel love?
Do you feel love for your breakfast? Or would you describe it as "hunger?" It does seem psychopaths feel something for their parents. It’s not love though, it is more like another form of hunger.
What emotions do psychopaths feel?
Psychopaths feel those emotions needed to be a successful predator. These are: hunger, obsession, euphoria, glee, fury, bloodlust, gluttony, satiation, and blocked. I explain this in The Dance of Emotions. All other emotions appear to be absent. A psychopath can imitate some from birth, and some by learning. Others like remorse they just don’t show, maybe because they can’t fake the physical signs.
Do psychopaths have ethics?
Ethics is one of those slippery terms. Easy to use, hard to define. I assume you mean, do psychopaths set themselves limits on who they hurt? Some psychopaths declare, "children are off limits." Yet others exploit children without remorse. The best analogy I have is that psychopaths have food taboos. They learn what is good to eat, and what is harmful or forbidden, at an early age. It tends to be about costs versus benefits. Preying on children or the aged is taboo when there is real risk of punishment. Hunting other psychopaths can be toxic, and usually a bad idea. Otherwise, food is food.
What jobs attract psychopaths?
Psychopaths are flexible and creative when it comes to hunting. What they seek are people and their assets. This means any organization will attract psychopaths. It’s rarely about the salary, nor bonuses, which are fodder. Rather, psychopaths seek the chance to take what isn’t theirs. They like jobs that let them travel. Certainly, positions of power and influence. Anything in finance. Jobs with access to vulnerable people. Jobs that rotate around image and charisma.
Should my firm hire some psychopaths?
Only if you are in the business of stealing and lying. There is a persistent myth that psychopaths are powerful and effective. It’s a lie. I’ve worked with several psychopaths, and hired more than one. They certainly liven the place up. They will always act in their own interests, even when it hurts their colleagues, or their firm. They are the ones who accept bribes, plot against their bosses, steal clients, falsify accounts, and so on.
How can I be sure I don’t hire psychopaths?
It’s much like dating. If you hire total strangers, based on how well they perform in an interview, you’re asking for trouble. You want to hire people who have a trail of successful team work. Or, hire on a trial basis and be prepared to fire people easily.
Are all politicians psychopaths?
Not all, just many. The most successful politicians get elected on promises that they fail to deliver. They are charismatic actors who fit the role the public expects. They divide their opposition and blame their own failures on others. They lack empathy, and never show remorse for hurting others. Often they steal large amounts of money, and abuse their positions in every way possible. I’d estimate 10-20% of politicians are psychopaths. It can’t be more, or they wipe each other out.
Postface
Dear Mallory,
I’d like to thank F, S, H, J, M, F, B, K, and M for teaching me more than I ever wanted to learn about psychopathy. I don’t think you ever realized the damage you did to others. They were never real after all, the people you used and discarded like broken toys. It may shock you, if you read this book and realize you are on the wrong side of it. At some level we are all innocent inside, even the worst of us. Rest easy. I’m not going to speak your name.
For what its worth, the lessons you taught me were not wasted. I’ve used every interaction we ever had to understand how your mind works. I’ve run complex, long experiments on you. Often I wasn’t even intending this. It’s just how my mind works. I like to solve mysteries and you were a deep mystery. You gave me good, solid data, so thanks for that. You are nothing if not consistent. The results are in my work, and this book. I would dedicate it to you except, no.
Pieter Hintjens
Brussels
October 2015