The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
--Ron Ronson
About one out of every 100 people is a psychopath. You probably know one. Or two.
Quote:
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People who are psychopathic prey ruthlessly on others using charm, deceit, violence or other methods that allow them to get what they want. The symptoms of psychopathy include: lack of a conscience or sense of guilt, lack of empathy, egocentricity, pathological lying, repeated violations of social norms, disregard for the law, shallow emotions, and a history of victimizing others.
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-- Robert Hare, Ph.D
Scary stuff. Now I'm stuck trying to analyze everyone around me to see if they are a psychopath. (And watching as the author hilariously points out psychopathic characteristics in himself.)
Some interesting stories in the book. 'Tony', tries to get out of a modest prison sentence by pleading insanity. Twelve years later, and he is still being held indefinitely, and can't convince the psychiatrists he is sane.
The psychopathic population or prisons runs about 15% vs 1% for the general population, and 3% for business management.
I had to add another book,
Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work, by Paul Babiak and Robert Hare, to my reading list.